Déjà vu in Melbourne? Please let it not escalate.

[countessalmirena]

We don't know yet exactly what sort of lockdown it will be.

We don't know yet exactly how severe it will be, what things will be further restricted.

We don't know yet exactly how long the lockdown will be imposed.

But we know that there will be a lockdown.

I'm so disheartened by the fact that this was preventable. What possessed case number 5 (the case who contracted COVID-19 from the Wollert cluster (via a missing link, probably?) to ignore his symptoms for more than 4 days? What possessed him to go out and about while symptomatic? Was he wearing a mask? (I'll take a wild stab at it and say no, he probably wasn't.) Was he socially distancing? (Clearly not.)

Taken in conjunction with the general complacency and vaccine reluctance, the discarding of masks in public transport, the lack of enforcement (with police chiefs being - in my view - a bit ridiculous in scoffing at the task of enforcing health directives), the surging together of people  much closer than 1.5 metres when we know - surely we call know! - that this pandemic is far from over, and the number of people who are shaking hands and kissing and hugging... it's making my heart sink like a concrete boot.

I skipped wearing a mask twice recently, I admit. I had it with me, but I popped into the bank and thought it would be a good idea not to obscure my face for security reasons. I also went to a supermarket for one item, late at night just before it closed. It was not wise. Oh! And one more time... at the Melbourne Recital Centre while enjoying a fabulous concert. Every other time, yes, I've masked up. But now I feel foolish, and I won't be making any exceptions.

Stupid-decision-making people could be walking around in any part of Melbourne or indeed Victoria, refusing to be tested, brushing off their symptoms, scoffing at the notion of wearing a mask or sanitising their hands.

And more political point-scoring is being launched as well. I've no patience for it; we need to be working together to resolve these problems, and stamp out this outbreak. Ironically it is because we as a country have been doing so well that the complacent behaviour has crept back.

Fellow Melbournians and Victorians, we just have to be strong, and let's do our best to reiterate that the hygiene behaviours (    and unfortunately now (probably) as well) MUST be followed until Australia has achieved herd immunity - and even after that, we should at the very least maintain hand hygiene and cough etiquette.

Let's try to lead the world into effective long-term behaviour change.

And God help us all as we enter into whatever lockdown hell lies before us. *virtual hug* - because that's the only sort I can give you.

[rogespeed]

If dogs can be trained to detect active covid then surely a device can be designed to do the same , a covid breathalyser device 

Then tourists and all visitors could be tested in real time before they are allowed on the plane or ship and be tested again upon arrival , just to make sure .  

The same for interstate travellers using trains and buses 

A dual detector that includes Influenza would be a bonus that may help lower the usual lost millions of workplace people hours  and untimely deaths 

Has been nice not living with influenza worries 

[countessalmirena]

Dogs can apparently smell cancer - well before it's usually detectable, but unfortunately I don't know of any way to transpose that into a medical device. I suspect the same would be true of a COVID-19 sensing device, and it's very unlikely that a breathalyser would equate to the amazingly rich world of DogSmell.

One day, perhaps... but in the meantime, "Here, boy! Here! Who's a good boy, then? You're a good boy? You're a good boy? Yes, you are!"

[springyzone]

---

@countessalmirena wrote:

Dogs can apparently smell cancer - well before it's usually detectable, but unfortunately I don't know of any way to transpose that into a medical device. I suspect the same would be true of a COVID-19 sensing device, and it's very unlikely that a breathalyser would equate to the amazingly rich world of DogSmell.

One day, perhaps... but in the meantime, "Here, boy! Here! Who's a good boy, then? You're a good boy? You're a good boy? Yes, you are!"

---

I read once about a cat at a nursing home. In the hours before someone died, it would go and sit next to them on their bed. Sometimes it would seek out a person that would surprise staff, someone they thought was fine.

That cat could smell approaching death.

I've heard some dogs can detect cancer too. We know some can sniff out drugs. And now covid.

But building a medical device to do the same is, as you say, going to be a little more complicated. Useful, yes, but probably some way in the future.

I was also reading just yesterday that a couple of strains of flu seem to have all but disappeared in the last 12 months. Researchers aren't confident just yet that they have entirely died out, but they are hoping, because it would make predicting the likely most prevalent strains for the coming season a lot easier.

[countessalmirena]

Today there is one new case - Kappa variant - in a close contact who was already isolating.

However, the testing numbers are very much down. There could very well be undiagnosed cases in the community.

[countessalmirena]

Here we are... another two separate chains of transmission in Melbourne/Victoria.

Removalists from Sydney came into Melbourne and delivered furniture etc at the Ariele Apartments complex at Maribyrnong. They were not wearing masks, and they've also (apparently) been less than forthcoming about their movements. They went from Melbourne to Adelaide and then back to the Sydney, where they were tested for COVID-19 and found to be positive.

As a result, there are so far four positive cases in the Ariele apartment complex, all from the third floor. These four cases are in two separate apartments on the third floor; a man in his 60s in one apartment, and a household of three in the other apartment.

This cluster has already spread beyond the confines of the Ariele apartment complex. The parents of the man in his 60s (aged 89 and 90), have also tested positive. That couple live in Craigieburn.

There's a friend of one of the Ariele apartment complex cases; this friend is a schoolteacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar School and he lives at Barwon Heads. He's also a positive case, and so are two family members of the school teacher.

It's a bit confusing about which of the Ariele apartment residents went to the Carlton vs Geelong football game at the MCG on Saturday 10th July... Certainly the man in his 60s did, but apparently the school teacher friend also did, and from what I've heard, the school teacher is a friend to one of the 3 in the 3-person household in the Ariele complex. Is it possible that both the man in his 60s AND another resident plus schoolteacher friend went to the game? Anyway, there we are. The schoolteacher friend also went to a pub while infectious.

The schoolteacher friend additionally attended an all-staff thing at Bacchus Marsh Grammar staff development day (Maddingley campus) on Monday.

I don't know whether this is connected to a new case who attended Barwon Heads Primary School on Monday-Wednesday; this is a case only just confirmed earlier in the evening. I believe that this is a separate case to the Bacchus Marsh Grammar teacher, not the same individual.

The man in his 60s has been out and about, and as a result there are many exposure sites, including the MCG (mentioned earlier), Highpoint shopping centre (several of the shops inside in particular) and the CBD pub.

That's the first chain of transmission.

The second chain of transmission comes from a family of four who live in Craigieburn but who'd been in one of the Sydney Red Zones. They had a special exemption to return. You'd think that someone coming from a Red Zone who'd been granted special permission to get back to Victoria would be grateful and respectful towards fellow Melbournians... but no. One of these broke the strict quarantine-at-home rules and went out to visit his local Coles in Craigieburn.

All four of these, by the way, have tested positive for COVID-19.

Another Craigieburn man in his 30s, who was identified by having checked in to Coles (Craigieburn) with the QR code, has just tested positive. Hence the Coles site is almost certainly the site of transmission - fleeting indirect contact, which just reinforces how dangerously transmissible this Delta variant is.

LATEST UPDATE TO MASK RULES

Masks are again mandatory indoors for Victorians aged 12 and over.

They are also mandatory outdoors where we cannot maintain social distancing of 1.5 metres.

          

[eol-products]

Considering so many said NSW waited to long to go into a lock down it will be interesting to see what develops today in Melbourne. My feeling is Vic and NSW reduce restrictions too quickly but does it make any difference if transmission is mostly by close contacts. I notice many people unable to keep a safe distance from each other and wonder why they would want to risk either contracting or spreading the virus to someone they know.

[rogespeed]

Question is were they prompted , did they know they were infected when departing Sydney ?  An issue for State security ?

[countessalmirena]

So… here we are, with another lockdown.

We’re confined to that 5km radius again. The only reasons for going beyond the 5km radius are:

medical /health /vaccination if not available within 5km;

urgent/emergency/fleeing domestic violence;

compassionate/care if necessary;

essential work;

shopping for essential goods and services if closest is beyond 5km.

Shopping is 1 person per household, once a day.

Five reasons only for leaving our homes.

No visitors.

No weddings.

Funerals with 10 people only.

Essential goods and services only. Other stuff – click and collect only. All non-essential retail closed.

Exercise with one other person only. 2 hrs max.

Let’s get the Delta variant outbreaks down and out.

[nicnacs_4u]

Can`t see that we or anyone will get on top of this virus.I have been fully vaccinated but who`s to say that this will give me any more protection.Feeling very down and out atm.My granddaughters(like many children)are showing signs of anxiety due to Covid😢

[eol-products]

I read something yesterday that said the person from the craigieburn coles who contracted the virus from a possible fleeting encounter actually knew the person who was supposed to be in isolation for 14 days.