Strict Covid Restrictions Do Work

Restrictions have been lifted, cinemas and other venues sre now open but were closed previously. Individual states were allowed to implement their own controls. There definitely have been lockdowns, maybe not as stringent as in the UK. Probably the best action taken by Australia was to stop incoming flights very early. The second wave in Victoria shows that when travellers are allowed again in it all starts up again but it can be contained.

 

While you've been typing that I've been on the phone to my friend in Australia who is going to see her friend who has a six month old baby. She was talking to me while she went to the shop to buy the baby a teddy. I'll send you the photo of the teddy if you like? Why are you trying to tell me things that I know? Look at the OP of this thread. That I'm addressing. It's utter b*llocks.

 

I’m not trying to tell you anything you know. I’m not saying that Australia is in lockdown. You stated that Australia closed it’s borders and carried on as usual. I’m just saying that’s not so. A couple of National cabinet decisions not state decisions as reported in The Guardian
Day 10 – Sunday 22 March
National cabinet meets and decides on the first major round of closures: all pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants, excluding takeaway, will be closed from 12pm Monday. Gyms, indoor sporting venues, cinemas, casinos, nightclubs and entertainment venues are also closed. Schools remain open, but are encouraged to provide access to online education.

Crowds at Bondi beach on Saturday are blamed for the “draconian measures to enforce social distancing” that will be introduced and policed by the states in coming weeks.

Day 12 – Tuesday 24 March
National cabinet decides on further restrictions. Auction houses, real estate auctions, eating in shopping centre food courts, amusement parks, play centres, beauty parlours, tattoo parlours, and haircuts that take longer than 30 minutes are banned. The haircut time limit is lifted two days later.

Restrictions have been lifted as the situation improved

 

What do you actually mean take the hit, let everyone get infected?

 

Imposed social distancing and mask wearing but trusted people to make informed choices. Shield your gran don't shield your gran. That sort of thing. Yes the government have made a ba llax but people are idiots too.

 

@Michael Noz, Your post isn’t showing mate, be interesting to hear your take on it.

 

That’s simply not true. They have had restrictions on freedoms as well at times, not as strict as ours but they haven’t just shut their borders and that’s it. They also have different rules by state out there.

 

It has been 9 days since the last reported case of transmission in the public in NSW. So lockdowns are being eased every few days. I was in an area which had a cluster over Christmas. We were locked down. There was a cluster just west of Glebe and a some suburbs were locked down.

The states control the covid response (internal borders,

I started to reply... but the subject is so big. I cancelled out (i thought)

It is under control here... you think.. and then a cluster crops up and it takes three weeks to be controlled.

Sydney and Melbourne each have five mil population.

Each state has power to make decisions on internal border closure and lockdowns.

The general population is committed and tries to do the right thing.

There is not much resentment about the rules and rule changes. There is fair spirit about we are in this together.

Important aspects are staying at home, wearing masks, leaving details for contact tracers.

Lockdowns are not standard, strictures are decided by the state premiers who are very committed (but politicians). Making smaller, parochial areas of control may be a good thing.

When breaches happen it is the twenty-somethings.

International travellers and aircrew and hotel quarantine are threats. Low level security personnel watching quarantainees (?) are a threat.

Starting from a good position the situation can be change rapidly by small breaches.... like a low level security guard going shopping with a quarantainee he fancied. Or a local band in a small venue where the two guitarists were front stage and an unknowing, infected pilot was near the front... this caused a cluster of 300 cases and lockdown of the my local area for a month.

The govt here were quite decisive early. The authorities get better with experience. The early disasters with cruise ships and crew were learned from.

There are 40,000 australians who would like to come home but restrictions on numbers and airlines make this a long process. A lot of the expats are disappointed about the rules on getting back are tough.

In the middle of all this my son and his partner have moved to London.

random thoughts here...