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.

[imastawka]

Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of aged care workers back under review after referral by Health Minis...

[not_for_sale2025]

We discussed mandatory vaccination for health care workers and aged care workers last year (I think it was). There were differing opinions on this board. It would be interesting to see if anybody has changed their opinion now that a deadlier variant is in the country!

[imastawka]

At least the order prohibiting all residential aged care employees working across facilities has been reinstated.

[janeababe]

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@imastawka wrote:

Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of aged care workers back under review after referral by Health Minis...

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I don’t have an issue with mandatory vaccination for aged care workers... they are made get the flu shot each year, so why not the covid-19 vaccine? 
Well..... one reason is that a LOT of aged care AINs, care workers, community care workers are young females who have not yet had children. Often they are working in aged care while they are completing their Diploma in Nursing/ bachelor of Nursing etc. 

With the long term effects on this selection of the population, not yet known, I can understand why they are hesitant.

If they make it mandatory, we might see a huge aged care staff resignation across the board, and then what happens to our oldies who desperately need care? This is an industry that is already hard to fill. It is always under the spotlight by the media and the community.  
It takes a special kind of person to care for the elderly, and while we all know that the industry is already filled with carers/nurses who shouldn’t be anywhere near an elderly person (or child in some cases), there just isn’t anyone else who wants to take on the role. It’s a hard job, very heavy job, very emotional job with a terrible hourly rate of pay! 

We do it for our love and compassion of our elderly in need...... 

.. unfortunately, it’s a catch 22. 

[countessalmirena]

There have been scare tactics about the COVID-19 vaccines causing infertility. Nothing in the published data suggests to me that this is an issue, though, so I'm personally of the view that if this is indeed a cause for hesitation (i.e., that some health / aged care workers are hesitant about being vaccinated due to such fears), clearer information needs to be made available.

Yesterday's numbers (and the settings in which they occurred) worried me. I am afraid that a seven-day circuit breaker isn't going to do the job. Clearly there's been undetected community transmission, as we now have two distinct breakages in the known chains of transmission.

Woollert man ➩ ⍰ ➩ Case 5 ➩ Case 1 ➩ etc. ➩ ⍰ ➩ Aged care worker

Those question marks are of real concern; so is the large number of potential tier 1 sites. Prof. Sutton described this virus in the most evocative terms that I've yet seen: ❝We are neck and neck with this virus, and it is an absolute beast.❞

[*stuff*books*]

Isn't it about time that the Governments start doing the simple things to stop the spread of Covid as they aren't learning from the past.

Make EVERYONE that comes out of quarantine wear a mask for 10 days to stop or limit the spread is one simple step that could've avoided or at least limited the latest outbreak.

Then they have a test that has to be negative for them to remove it.
Quarantine is and has been the main transmission point of this virus and yet it's treated as a simple step back into the community that doesn't work correctly.

Anyone can possibly be infected on their way out of the facility but there is nothing in place to stop that becoming a major problem once again.

[imastawka]

Make EVERYONE that comes out of quarantine wear a mask for 10 days to stop or limit the spread is one simple step that could've avoided or at least limited the latest outbreak.

Then they have a test that has to be negative for them to remove it.

Who's policing this then?  If most people won't wear masks on public transport, where it's mandatory, what hope have you got?

Your theory won't stand up, because they would still be around family members and visiting family members, at home - where they don't need to wear a mask.

Latest list of exposure sites -

Victoria Covid-19 exposure sites: list of Melbourne and regional Vic coronavirus hotspots and case l...

[*stuff*books*]

It would've possibly stopped a lot of exposure sites and limited the spread instead of having two people walk around for ten days without a mask that were infected as has happened.

As for policing that's not possible for a lot of things but making it mandatory subject to a big fine could maybe make a difference and any difference helps.

You have people walking around with the nose not covered in supermarkets and many of those idiots don't even wear glasses as a possible excuse.

[imastawka]

Yeah.

It's a $200 fine for not wearing a mask on PT.   Or even wearing it incorrectly.

Masks on trains: Police will issue fines to people not wearing masks on Melbourne’s public transport...

I'm sometimes tempted to ask the people who don't put the mask on their nose, whether they put the condom on the sack.     Effectiveness is the same.

But I have a thing about getting stabbed, or punched in the face.

[*stuff*books*]

Here it's a mix of the elderly who seem to be unhappy with it and the young who just don't care and some of them still wear bandannas, scarfs or their shirt pulled up.

None of which are effective in any way and are all banned.

The elderly probably have no use for a condom and hopefully the young ones that do the wrong thing can't find a partner so don't need one either.

Unfortunately we live in a society where some just simply don't care for the welfare of others. 

I'm more tempted to walk around with a baseball bat and ask if they want their nose broken so they can't breathe in that way but that may also lead to violence so best avoided.🙄