Australia & New Zealand - COVID-19 Coronavirus

[Estelle]

So we now have brought about 398,000 Aussies home.

And the flights and quarantining in NT are above and beyond the capped limits.
I think the quarantining in NT is even better than the hotels ... little units all to themselves, and they will be allowed to exercise outdoors.


The repatriation flights are excluded from the international arrivals cap, so the deal adds to about 5500 people arriving every week at the major cities and going into hotel quarantine.
About 4100 have returned over the past month, one quarter of them classed as "vulnerable" on financial or health grounds.

"When we can get ... Melbourne back online, that will make a big difference and we look forward to that happening as soon as that can," the Prime Minister said.
"I've obviously raised that with the Premier some weeks ago but there remain challenges there at this point in time, but we look forward to being able to pick that up again."

Stranded Aussies gain a Darwin lifeline in quarantine deal

Repatriation deal will bring stranded Aussies home via NT quarantine camp

I agree that quarantining in NT is the best idea. Until we are more fully vaccinated as a country, I would make sure that NT was at full capacity and perhaps all overseas arrivals could start there. Maybe they could extend the facility in the meantime.

 

[Estelle]

I live in Sydney and our lockdown has been extended to three weeks in total.

We've seen the Alpha, Kappa and Delta variants cross our borders, but it turns out another strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 has reached our shores.

Key points:

• The Lambda variant is one of 11 official SARS-CoV-2 variants recognised by the World Health Organization
• It was first detected in Peru and has spread to 29 countries, including Australia
• A new study that has yet to be peer-reviewed found signs that the variant could be more infectious and harder to tackle with vaccination, but it's early days

The variant, named Lambda by the World Health Organization (WHO) last month, was detected in an overseas traveller who was in hotel quarantine in New South Wales in April, according to national genomics database AusTrakka.

Some reports suggest the new variant could be fast spreading and difficult to tackle with vaccines.

The Lambda coronavirus variant has arrived in Australia. Here's what we know so far

This one is scary.

 

[Estelle]

I live in Sydney and our lockdown has been extended to three weeks in total.

We've seen the Alpha, Kappa and Delta variants cross our borders, but it turns out another strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 has reached our shores.

Key points:

• The Lambda variant is one of 11 official SARS-CoV-2 variants recognised by the World Health Organization
• It was first detected in Peru and has spread to 29 countries, including Australia
• A new study that has yet to be peer-reviewed found signs that the variant could be more infectious and harder to tackle with vaccination, but it's early days

The variant, named Lambda by the World Health Organization (WHO) last month, was detected in an overseas traveller who was in hotel quarantine in New South Wales in April, according to national genomics database AusTrakka.

Some reports suggest the new variant could be fast spreading and difficult to tackle with vaccines.

The Lambda coronavirus variant has arrived in Australia. Here's what we know so far

This one is scary.

 

[MrX]

Live Breaking News: NSW covid cases spread outside Sydney lockdown

Eventually, it seems, we are all the same. Fights over masks, one part of the county whining that another gets preferential treatment, etc. Draconian mitigations appear to have the same effect, everywhere - small differences become visible fractures. If Sydney's lockdown lasts as long as some have suggested I suspect things will look as ugly as they looked in other places, last year.

 

[MrX]

COVID Sydney lockdown protests: People converge on CBD

I find the biggest surprise to be that anyone was surprised by this. It's easy to be unified in a packed stadium, when the rest of the world is closed, but apparently not so much when the tables are turned. I'm afraid Australia is at a crossroads, as "Covid Zero" is totally incompatible with the present rate of breakthrough infections - in other words, it won't be possible to vaccinate their way back to a Covid-free, fully open society, which appears to be the goal. I suspect the next phase will be when a courageous member of the government says something akin to "this is a natural disaster, like a meteor strike. We did our best to beat the odds, but it's time to accept the new reality."

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Very worrying:

Covid-19: Health officials investigating new community case in Auckland

In less than 2 hours we will be getting a public briefing on whether we're going into a snap lock down or not.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Thinking of you, New Zealand!

Very worrying:

Covid-19: Health officials investigating new community case in Auckland

In less than 2 hours we will be getting a public briefing on whether we're going into a snap lock down or not.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

COVID-19: All of New Zealand entering alert level 4 for at least three days

Well, it was a good run. 3 day lock down Nationwide. 7-day lockdown for Auckland and Coromandel.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Covid 19 coronavirus community cases: New Zealand lockdown - four new Delta cases including Auckland Hospital nurse - NZ Herald

 

[musicaljoke]

Covid 19 coronavirus community cases: New Zealand lockdown - four new Delta cases including Auckland Hospital nurse - NZ Herald

You're country has this under control. Sending all good hopes and wishes that it's nailed to the ground post haste.

 

[musicaljoke]

You're country has this under control. Sending all good hopes and wishes that it's nailed to the ground post haste.

"Your"... sheesh.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Covid-19 live: New community cases of Delta linked to NSW outbreak


Up to 7 cases now; linked to the New South Wales outbreak.

Apparently we should expect between 50 to 120 cases until we get a handle on things. Fingers crossed.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Sowwy!

Up to 7 cases now; linked to the New South Wales outbreak.

 

[they'll get you]

Covid-19 live: New community cases of Delta linked to NSW outbreak


Up to 7 cases now; linked to the New South Wales outbreak.

Apparently we should expect between 50 to 120 cases until we get a handle on things. Fingers crossed.

Just pray you don't experience the same type of knuckleheads who protest or have large funerals and engagement parties like we did. It's no coincidence that we jumped from 200 to 600 within a fortnight!

Superspreaders make me furious when I'm sitting looking at four walls for weeks.

 

[MrX]

Every so often You Tube suggests a new music artist that turns out to be pretty good. A couple years ago a young Australian singer, Julia Jacklin, appeared on my feed. I just came across this on her Instagram, and I think she eloquently put into words what so many artists, around the world, are going through:

"SORRY everyone but I’m postponing my Aus tour to 2022. It’s all a big sad mess isn’t it and I just want everyone to be safe and the shows to not be awkward/stressful and to not have to keep changing the dates every week, coming on here with a bunch of fake optimism etc. If you feel like it please hold onto your tickets/sanity and I’ll let you know ASAP when the new dates are but if you want a refund I GET IT. I’m going to just make a new record and play for you next year when I understand/remember who I am etc and when I hopefully don’t have to worry about anyone dying from hearing me sing. I also want to acknowledge that my last record did well, you guys paid good money to own it/attend the shows/buy the merch and I am lucky to have enough money to live without playing these shows. That’s not the case for everyone who is booking shows right now obviously. But I can make this choice and pay my bills and I am FOREVER grateful for that. My heart goes out to the Australian music community right now; trying to release new music, trying to monetise your work on the internet, feeling foolish on here after having to announce yet another postponement! I don’t have the answers but I feel for you all! Okay BYE!"

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Welp, we are now up to 72 cases. Thank goodness we locked down immediately. I can only imagine how terrible the spread would have been if it had run unchecked for several more weeks. So far only 2 have needed hospital treatment.

Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: 21 new community cases, total hits 72 – Ashley Bloomfield, Chris Hipkins - NZ Herald

The modelling was estimating between 50 - 120 but unfortunately the initial few people infected did attend large super-spreader type events. We should see things start to slow down next week, since everyone has been isolating since last Wednesday, but only time will tell just how far the Delta variant has been able to spread.

 

[PingTheRouter]

over 200 days in lockdown here in Victoria Australia

what our future looks like i have no idea but the government has an itchy trigger finger to open up again so i suspect life will mimic what has happened in places like the UK

 

[MrX]

over 200 days in lockdown here in Victoria Australia

what our future looks like i have no idea but the government has an itchy trigger finger to open up again so i suspect life will mimic what has happened in places like the UK

Watching, from the outside, I'm surprised it took this long for people to turn to civil disobedience. Once the genie got out of the bottle, it was time to say "we gave it a good try, but now we need to live with it."

 

[tmar]

over 200 days in lockdown here in Victoria Australia

what our future looks like i have no idea but the government has an itchy trigger finger to open up again so i suspect life will mimic what has happened in places like the UK

Daily, I watch the numbers, hoping Victoria does not go down the track of NSW.
Folk are continually being jabbed, worried about statistics, and this may decrease the surge in numbers, while lockdown continues, for the coming weeks.

Lesser numbers. therefore safer, until the next outbreak, and then numbers rise again.
Our 'crystal ball' is very murky, so collect your books, jigsaws, etc, for long 'stays at home'.
I am getting good with gardening and pulling out weeds, for my meditation trance, and my little dog is thrilled with continual walks.

However, if lockdowns stop soon, we follow other countries.

 

[they'll get you]

60 people were caught gathered at a Blacktown church service in a Sydney COVID-19 hotspot last night.
Police break up church gathering in western Sydney COVID-19 hotspot