State by State, Australia vs Elsewhere, in the age of COVID-19 and beyond

[countessalmirena]

This thread is for the specific purpose of checking on milestone information (quotations and videos rather than table-form/spreadsheet/database information that fit better into k1ooo's thread), and responses by representatives from our government, CHOs, etc.

It's official: Australia has passed the 70% double dose vaccination rate.

❝Australia's double-dose vaccination rate has passed 70 per cent of all adults aged 16 and over

It is a key milestone in the national reopening plan.

More than 33 million vaccine doses have been distributed nationwide, and the first-dose rate nationally has reached 85.5 percent.

New South Wales and the ACT have already passed the 80 percent vaccination milestone, and Victoria and Tasmania are expected to reach 70 percent double-dosed within two days.❞

A tremendous achievement, but of course there is still some patchiness. We'll have to see some good efforts to correct misinformation, to provide solid health information, and to take the vaccine to the people who are not able or not willing to access it easily by themselves.

[countessalmirena]

A quick round-up Australia-wide:

VIC records 2,738 new cases, 4 deaths. Stats/data shown in the Don't be k1oooless thread.

NSW records 6,062 new cases, 1 death. Stats/data shown in the Don't be k1oooless thread.

QLD records 1,158 new cases, no deaths. Current active cases: 4,779, with 6 in hospital, none in ICU.

SA records 995 new cases, no deaths (but note a 90-year-old woman died on Sunday with COVID-19). (Highest daily number in SA, surpassing yesterday's record number.) Current active cases: 4,889, with 36 in hospital, 5 in ICU, 1 of those on a ventilator. Evidence of omicron's ability to evade antibodies, given that 405 of the new cases were vaccinated.

ACT records 252 new cases, no deaths. (Highest daily number in the ACT since the beginning of the pandemic.) Current active cases, 908, with 3 in hospital, none in ICU.

TAS records 43 new cases, no deaths. Current active cases, 243. 142 are being monitored at home, 60 are in a medi-hotel. 1 is in hospital (although the patient was admitted for an unrelated medical condition). None in ICU.

NT records 16 new cases, no deaths. Current active cases, 151, with 20 in hospital, 1 in ICU.

WA records no new cases, no deaths. Current active cases, 10, but 46 close contacts and 243 casual contacts have yet to be tested.

Probably everyone on this board is already aware of the test result bungles by NSW pathology labs. 400 text messages went out to inform patients that they had tested negative, when in fact they had tested negative. Additionally, 950 people received premature text messages informing them that they had tested negative, when in fact their results were not yet available. Of those 950, approximately half are actually now confirmed as being positive.

I'm not reporting this in order to rage at NSW pathology labs or make mocking remarks about the so-called gold standard. These were human errors that resulted from the heavily overburdened labs trying to change how they were informing people (in a bid to clear the backlog, be faster, cope better) of their results - and making two very significant mistakes. That's what happens when the health system (i.e., pathology labs) are under too much pressure.

AND THEY ARE. They're under so much pressure that I'm surprised they're actually not making more mistakes than those two. I don't underestimate the anxiety and stress that those mistakes have caused, and I also don't underestimate the anxiety and stress that the long delays in getting results out are causing. I merely want to point out that mistakes are inevitable when human beings are overworked, exhausted, desperately working  under ridiculous conditions, without sufficient resources, aware that what they are doing is incredibly important, asked to do too much, and trying to change things on the fly to speed up the process.

The Queensland Health Minister, Yvette D'Ath, has now announced that PCR tests for visitors on their 5th day in QLD will no longer be required, effective immediately. However, Ms D'Ath has refused to ditch the PCR entry test required 72 hours prior to entering QLD. I understand her point of view; however, given that omicron is now in every state, and given the buckling of pathology lab resources - certainly in NSW, VIC and the ACT - I am of the opinion that a move to the RATs (rapid antigen tests) now rather than waiting until 1 January would be advisable.

[springyzone]

Ms D'Ath has refused to ditch the PCR entry test required 72 hours prior to entering QLD.  I am of the opinion that a move to the RATs (rapid antigen tests) now rather than waiting until 1 January would be advisable.-Countess

I agree. I know these are not considered as accurate but Ms D'Ath is naive if she thinks everyone travelling to Qld is even having a PCR test. 

Given that my daughter noticed only a small number on any flight are even being asked to show vaccination status, I'd say there are a fair few slipping in with no testing.

My daughter didn't have any test on day 5 in Qld as they were flying home but no one checked anyway.

The RAT would be a better bet for travellers because they would have the peace of mind of knowing they were in charge; they could have the RAT with them, the results show within a short time, they aren't waiting around nervously, uncertain of exactly when lab results will get back to them etc (last year my daughter waited 4 days before results came through!)

But PCR or RAT, the whole question of which test travellers should have to have is irrelevant if no one is actually checking if the said travellers actually have had the test!

[springyzone]

And I came across this article today online.

Talk about conflicting information over time! Everything is fairly new, that's the thing. Researchers are still learning.

AstraZeneca Covid vaccine creates immunity for life, scientist claims (msn.com)

PS Just musing. Wouldn't it be ironic if it turned out to be accurate and the younger ones ended up envying us oldies our astra zenica dose

[springyzone]

countess- (about Qld)

 and given the buckling of pathology lab resources - certainly in NSW, VIC and the ACT - I am of the opinion that a move to the RATs (rapid antigen tests) now rather than waiting until 1 January would be advisable.

I know Jan 1st is tomorrow so it is almost upon us, but I am wondering how passengers yesterday and today are faring. My sister and her family had to have PCR tests on Monday, after learning they were in close contact with a positive case on Boxing Day, Sunday.

My sister messaged me yesterday to say that after 80 hours, they were still awaiting results.

Now I am not surprised at the delay, given the massive numbers who have been tested lately, but where does this leave current travellers who have to produce a  negative result from a PCR test, taken within 72 hours of their flight?

I realise everything changes from tomorrow and even from this morning, we are being told we actually can't get PCR tested unless we have symptoms etc, but that doesn't help passengers today who are in limbo, flights booked but no results back and no RAT to buy in shops for love or money.

I'm just curious what is happening to those passengers?

[twyngwyn]

 

SA's Chief Public Health Officer contradicts national cabinet COVID-19 close contact definition - AB...

[countessalmirena]

Police close Darwin windscreen business for allegedly breaching COVID-19 health directions

A Darwin business has been shut down after it allegedly breached health directions, including the Northern Territory's vaccine mandate, multiple times.

Police say they attended windscreen repair business Windscreens Territory after fielding several complaints from the public that staff were not wearing masks.

An indoor mask mandate has been in place across the NT for a week and a lockout enacted on Thursday means people who are not vaccinated can only leave their homes for essential goods, medical services or to provide care.

Police have alleged the owner of the Coconut Grove business and two staff who were working were not vaccinated, in breach of the lockout rules as well as a wide-ranging workforce vaccine mandate.

Incident Controller Virginia Read said the business also failed to submit a COVID Safety Plan and was not keeping a vaccination register.

Fines of $5,024 were issued to each of the three people for the alleged breaches of Chief Health Officer directions.

The Chief Minister criticised the business in a short statement.

"I'm angry and every Territorian should be angry," he said.

"We have sacrificed so much during COVID – for ourselves, for our loved ones, for strangers.

"This is a gut punch."

Ms Read said police would continue to monitor compliance with health directions.

"The majority of Territorians are doing the right thing to help keep the community as safe as possible," she said in a statement.

"COVID-19 is now in our community but there are measures as outlined in CHO Directions that can limit the risk to public health.

"Police will continue to conduct compliance checks with a zero-tolerance approach."

Last July, a Darwin souvlaki shop was ordered to close for allegedly breaching health directions despite multiple warnings.

The Northern Territory joined several other jurisdictions in reintroducing restrictions this week as it worked to slow rapidly rising rates of community transmission.

[countessalmirena]

Perth bar The George charged over 'hidden' New Year's Eve party during COVID-19 restrictions

The manager of a Perth bar which police allege hosted a New Year's Eve party full of mask-less revellers during a COVID-19 induced ban on dancing has been charged.

Police said they were confronted with blacked-out windows and locked doors when they tried to get inside the George bar and restaurant in Perth's CBD on New Year's Eve.

When officers eventually climbed a fence to get in, they said they found hundreds of people inside dancing and drinking without masks.

Perth was in the midst of a Delta outbreak that saw dancing banned — except for at weddings — nightclubs closed and the wearing of masks required for all indoor venues.

The ticketed party was shut down before the clock struck midnight.

When the ABC attended the next day, the entrance to the bar was secured with a code lock.

The George bar removed their Facebook page and disabled comments on their Instagram account in the wake of the incident.

It is described as a "sophisticated restaurant and bar" on its website.

The George bar licensee and manager, a 41-year-old Joondanna man, was charged with two counts of failing to comply with a direction on Friday.

The George bar is licensed to Jashan Tavern Pty Ltd.

The event promoter, a 25-year-old man from Karratha in WA's Pilbara, was also charged with the same offences, as well as the bar itself as a corporate entity.

The pair are set to appear in court next week.

Bar faces fines of up to $250,000

WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson further alleged SafeWA QR code posters had been taken down and were found discarded behind the bar.

"The entire incident we consider a blatant disregard of liquor licensing requirements, but we're in the middle of a pandemic. This is a state of emergency."

Commissioner Dawson said corporate bodies faced fines of up to $250,000 if found guilty of breaching liquor licensing rules and the emergency management act.

Those who organised and attended the party were criticised by WA Health Minister Amber Jade-Sanderson as being "selfish".

"Most of the community had worked so hard to keep COVID out of WA and keep people safe. It was very disappointing to see," she said.

[countessalmirena]

Code Brown

Victoria has declared a Code Brown emergency for all Melbourne hospitals and six regional hospitals to mobilise additional capacity to receive an influx of patients.

With health services asking for further assistance to manage the emergency situation, the Department of Health is ensuring affected public hospitals enact their Code Brown plans by midday on Wednesday, 19 January 2022.

Changes health services can implement include configuring services to free up more staff, including the delivery of outpatient services outside the hospital, and the rapid offload of ambulance patients at emergency departments to get paramedics back on the road as soon as possible. Hospitals may also choose to redeploy staff to work in areas of highest clinical priority.

Additionally, there will be an expansion of covid streaming sites to increase the number of hospitals caring for coronavirus patients – easing the pressure at hospitals currently handling the most patients.

The Department of Health will also establish a new Health Service Response Centre which will help hospitals coordinate patient flow, distribute activity and support decisions around service reconfiguration – such as suspending some activity or moving to home-based care.

For more information see Pandemic Code Brown to support hospitals.

[ambercat16]

Does anyone else think it is way past time that the various Health Departments started publicly advising people what to do if they test positive for covid and/or start showing symptoms?  And as a matter of urgency, increase the number of information phone lines for people wanting to know what to do?  

Heard on the news that over 70% of the 000 calls being received are people who have questions about covid.  People are ringing the ambulance to get covid tests.  They are ringing 000 when they get a positive RAT......whether they have symptoms or not.  The covid phone lines are often taking hours to answer and people are getting panicky.

And at the other end of the spectrum, late last year there were people dying at home because they and/or their carers did not recognise when symptoms had become serious and hospitalisation was required.

Good information,  readily available could help a lot

[springyzone]

You're absolutely spot on, ambercat.

During our past lockdowns here in Melb, I think things were crystal clear. We knew 'the drill' as Dan Andrews said.

And if anyone had symptoms, that was clear too-go get tested. No ifs, no buts. 

For a while, test results were generally coming back within 24 hours.

Then omicron and ther explosion of cases, so much so that people are not 100% sure of the regulations any more as they seem to change from day to day. They aren't sure where they can get PCR tested or even if they should, at a place where there isn't a long wait. They aren't sure where they can get kids under 5 tested.

And they are not able to source Rapid antigen tests for love or money.

These are the problems I see cropping up all the time on my local area facebook page.

We need a very clear ad campaign, the same as we had during the lockdowns, maybe dot point style.

We need RAT kits hitting the stores asap, and cheaply. I think $10 a test (and that's cheap, the current ones are being sold at $25+) is too dear for those who might need to test 4 or 5 times over a period to check they are clear. People will skip testing or economise.

I was reading that a lot of Melburnians have put themselves into an unofficial lockdown. I think that is true.

I know even for things such as Christmas/New Year, there has been reluctance by a lot of people to attend functions with unvaxxed people and there is a reluctance even to visit too many different vaxxed people at the moment.

I was at the local shops on Sat and mentioned to the man in the newsagency that there was no queue, it was very quiet. He said it had been like that all week, people must be isolating. This is school holidays so you'd think there would be lots of kids around, but nope.

There's no Victorian COVID-19 lockdown, but Melburnians are choosing to stay home anyway (msn.com)