Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[BlueToff]

Don't know, it has served us well for the last year. We had very short lockdowns in January and April and another now. We have always had very low levels of covid in WA (today was just case number 1023 since it began over a year ago,and over 90% of those are international arrivals that go straight into quarantine) due to short lockdowns as soon as it gets into the community, and having tight control over our border.

Oh, and we just also happen to have probably the best performing economy in the world at the moment, so that's not really an issue either.

It's not normal or sustainable for you to keep your borders shut and people locked inside the country.

Not when you're a developed nation with a healthcare system that could have rolled out the vaccine brilliantly.

The UK have fully vaccinated 32,583,746 people, as of yesterday. In total, 77,038,257 doses have been administered.

Aus has a population of around 28m.

Had the vaccine roll out over there being even half as successful as the UK - or for that matter, in European nations which have now caught up like Germany, France etc - then you having to accept closed borders and snap lockdowns wouldn't be a thing.

The UK needed to rely on the vaccines because the initial response was dreadful. That is absolutely correct. But now, Aus relying on their initial response when they could have and should been pushing the vaccine roll out is just a bit mad too, isn't it?

 

[BlueToff]

anyone might think “freedom day” is yet another scam

has anyone in the government actually called it 'freedom day'? Genuine question.

 

[BlueToff]

Starting to have major doubts personally. Its very clear that hospitalisations will increase massively in the winter and the NHS will struggle. There is no end..

How can you plan to reopen but to continue with the crazy 10 day isolation period for all contacts. That needs to be cancelled as soon as possible. Especially if you are vaccinated.

Thing is, everybody has to accept masks and testing are here to stay for a while yet.

But the point of July 19th (what could have been June 21st) is for life to be back to how it was other than those inconveniences.

That's what the government need to make clear, but let's face it they don't have a clue. While it's annoying, very annoying, it is in a way understandable because this is wholly uncharted territory for every single nation but they do need to try, which is why calls for more restrictions etc are so infuriating.

 

[WA Toffee]

What is your test and trace (T&T)?
We in UK are not using T&T as it's control system. We are currently using a fire-fighting approach by flooding breakout areas with testing. Despite our government spunking £37 billion on its T&T.

It's all state based rather than national. It seems to work well and most people use it most of the time

 

[BlueToff]

Not good at all.

Based on the new Serco contract I am quite sure that the winter lockdown is on its way. The general public support for lockdown is starting to become very weak (other than the people who wear masks on their profile pictures on twitter).

I think more focus from the anti lockdown protesters should be aimed towards the tory party and their donors who have made huge profits from the PPE and other contracts.

They won't go back into lockdown. Even Johnson knows it is political suicide.

Now, there'll definitely be restrictions, 100%. It's the limit of those restrictions which we'll have to see.

 

[WA Toffee]

There's also a tiny population in comparison to the area.

Aus' initial method - great. Honestly, wish every government in Europe, especially the UK, had done as well.

Now? It's mad.

Why is it mad now? We will stop the small clusters growing into major clusters, and we will all be back to normal next week without dozens of people dying

 

[BlueToff]

It’s not all contacts, and being vaccinated doesn’t mean you can’t catch it or that you can’t pass it on to others (though you apparently are less likely to do both).

As for the rest though, that is a consequence of what the government is intending to do rather than deal with this properly. As I’ve said loads I think this is entirely wrong but I hope it doesn’t end up in another disaster because the blowback from it will be horrific.

It stops people getting ill, and that should be enough.

Now, it's fair enough that we need to get everyone at least dosed up once first, I can take that. But after that, with vulnerable people (and many more who aren't 'vulnerable') fully vaccinated and then boosters already being worked on, then it's different.

 

[WA Toffee]

Because we are leaning on the vaccines - which are working.

Australia aren't back to normal. You've got your snap lockdowns, closed borders. The way out of it for you, just like anyone else, is the vaccines with then some form of track and trace.

Aus have vaccinated (two doses) 3% of their adult population. That's not good enough.

Yes, vaccine rollout is very slow. Partly due to the govt not managing it well, partly due to people being in no rush as we don't have a lot of Covid around. Hopefully the rates will increase now.

 

[BlueToff]

Why is it mad now? We will stop the small clusters growing into major clusters, and we will all be back to normal next week without dozens of people dying

It's mad because had the vaccine roll out been better there'd be absolutely no need for it.

The vaccine roll out in Aus started nearly three months ago.

That's enough time to have many more than 3% of the adult population with two doses, and approx 25% with one dose, especially considering how well the initial response dealt with the virus so they were well set to focus on the vaccine roll out.

 

[WA Toffee]

It's not normal or sustainable for you to keep your borders shut and people locked inside the country.

Not when you're a developed nation with a healthcare system that could have rolled out the vaccine brilliantly.

The UK have fully vaccinated 32,583,746 people, as of yesterday. In total, 77,038,257 doses have been administered.

Aus has a population of around 28m.

Had the vaccine roll out over there being even half as successful as the UK - or for that matter, in European nations which have now caught up like Germany, France etc - then you having to accept closed borders and snap lockdowns wouldn't be a thing.

The UK needed to rely on the vaccines because the initial response was dreadful. That is absolutely correct. But now, Aus relying on their initial response when they could have and should been pushing the vaccine roll out is just a bit mad too, isn't it?

Fair points. Our initial reaction, coupled with the UK vaccine rollout would have been the perfect response

 

[BlueToff]

Yes, vaccine rollout is very slow. Partly due to the govt not managing it well, partly due to people being in no rush as we don't have a lot of Covid around. Hopefully the rates will increase now.

And well that's where praise for the right-wing (as right-wing if not more as the UK) government over in Australia annoys me.

I have friends in Sydney. I have friends trying to get back over but know they can't. I understand all of this is part of the world we live in and everyone is having to work through it. However, it is incredibly frustrating that had the vaccine roll out been as good as it should have been in your part of the world, then it really would show a way forward.

 

[BlueToff]

Fair points. Our initial reaction, coupled with the UK vaccine rollout would have been the perfect response

Fully, look, the UK cocked up - the vaccine roll out has been far from perfect.

I just think, 18 months in, Aus did so well initially but just becoming a hermit kingdom with snap lockdowns can't be praised as normal - even though I know you've had 'normality' internally.

Three months into a vaccine programme and Australia could genuinely have been not just fine internally, but also 'open' to the extent of a bit more leniency on travel quarantine, not having that risk of snap lockdowns etc.

 

[WA Toffee]

And well that's where praise for the right-wing (as right-wing if not more as the UK) government over in Australia annoys me.

I have friends in Sydney. I have friends trying to get back over but know they can't. I understand all of this is part of the world we live in and everyone is having to work through it. However, it is incredibly frustrating that had the vaccine roll out been as good as it should have been in your part of the world, then it really would show a way forward.

To be fair, it's not the national govt getting praise (at least, not here anyway) it's the state govts. And it is the states with a labour govt which have managed it the best

 

[BlueToff]

To be fair, it's not the national govt getting praise (at least, not here anyway) it's the state govts. And it is the states with a labour govt which have managed it the best

Yeah I get that.

Just think there'd be no need for any of it really had the vaccine roll out gone better and there's no excuse for it not to have been.

The way out of this - globally - is not track and trace, it's not lockdown or forcing people to quarantine and isolate. It's vaccination.

 

[Dharma]

Because we are leaning on the vaccines - which are working.

Australia aren't back to normal. You've got your snap lockdowns, closed borders. The way out of it for you, just like anyone else, is the vaccines with then some form of track and trace.

Aus have vaccinated (two doses) 3% of their adult population. That's not good enough.

Someone from the UK telling Australians they got it wrong. - AND how they should be doing it. WOW.