Life under social isolation or mandatory "stay home orders".

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
27 july in NSW

NSW sees 17 new coronavirus infections over past 24 hours
New South Wales faces a "critical time" over the next 3 to 4 weeks after health authorities confirmed 17 new coronavirus infections today.
8 of the cases are returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, and four are linked to a funerals cluster in Sydney's south-west.
There are 3 new infections linked to the Thai Rock cluster in Wetherill Park
NSW Health last night confirmed two cases at the Thai Rock restaurant in Potts Point.The two restaurants are under the same management.One of the new infections remains under investigation.
Chief health officer, Kerry Chant, urged people across the state to redouble their efforts to stop the spread of the virus by getting tested and avoiding non-essential travel and large gatherings.
She said while most cases have been linked to known clusters, community transmission continues."This is a critical time over the next three to four weeks and if we can all play our part in changing behaviours and reducing interactions it will help us control the spread of COVID-19," she said.
"This is an anxious time. I think this is a critical time where we need the community to modify their behaviours."

NSW Health issued a warning that anyone who attended the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point between Wednesday, July 15 and Saturday, July 25 needs to be immediately tested.
It says they must also self-isolate for 14 days since they were last there, after a diner who visited the restaurant on Friday, July 17 tested positive last week.
A restaurant staff member has now also tested positive.

Potts Point Thai Rock restaurant confirms COVID-19 case
A second Sydney Thai Rock restaurant has closed for deep cleaning after a worker tested positive to the coronavirus.

Health authorities asked anyone who attended the Potts Point restaurant between Wednesday July 15 and Saturday July 25 be tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days since their last visit to the venue.
Officials have not connected the case to the Wetherill Park Thai Rock cluster which has now been linked to 67 infections.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/potts-point-thai-rock-restaurant-confirms-covid-19-case/ar-BB17dptl?ocid=msedgntp


There are now 9 cases relating to church and funeral services between July 16 and 19 in south-west Sydney which were reported on Saturday.
A couple who tested positive after the Bankstown funeral gatherings are known to have dined at two restaurants.
Anyone who visited the Tan Viet Noodle House Cabramatta (AKA Crispy Chicken Noodle House) between 1:00pm and 2:00pm on Wednesday, July 22,
or An Restaurant Bankstown between 9:00am and 11:00am on Thursday, July 23 should watch for symptoms and get tested if they appear.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian expressed sympathy for those attending funerals but warned that the risk of spreading the virus remained high at large gatherings."We know that funerals are terribly emotional time for people but please, unless it's your immediate household you cannot have physical contact — whether it's a wedding, a funeral or whether you're out socialising with friends," she said.
"It is so important for all of us not to let down our guard because when you let down your guard the virus can take hold and spread."Our lives can stay at this level of freedom and economic stability and continuity if all of us continue to do the right thing which is so critical.

"A student at Georges River Grammar School in Sydney's south-west who tested positive yesterday is also linked to the funerals cluster, NSW Health says.
The school has been closed for cleaning, and close contacts are being asked to self-isolate.

NSW Health is continuing to appeal for anyone who attended the affected funeral services to immediately self-isolate and get tested regardless of symptoms.

The services are:
St Brendan's Catholic Church at Bankstown for one hour on July 16 from 6:30pm
Ausia Funeral Services at Fairfield East on July 17 between 1:00pm and 8:00pm Funeral service at St Brendan's Catholic Church, Bankstown for one hour on July 18 from 10:00am
Burial service at St John of God Lawn at Rookwood Cemetery on July 18 between 11:30am and 1:00pm
Our Lady of Mt Carmel Catholic Church at Mt Pritchard for one hour on July 19 from 7:30am
Testing in the area is available at Fairfield Hospital and a drive-through clinic at the Fisher Street car park in Cabramatta.

NSW Covid-19 hotspots: list of regional and Sydney outbreak locations
New South Wales has seen an uptick in community transmission of coronavirus in recent weeks, putting the state on high alert to prevent further spread.

Many new cases can be traced back to the Crossroads Hotel cluster, but new locations have cropped up in the news briefings each day.

Here is an overview of the state’s current hotspots :

List of outbreaks in NSW
If you were at the following venues on these dates you must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, even if your test is negative.

St Brendan’s Catholic Church, Bankstown: Thursday 16 July – 6.30pm to 7.30pm, Saturday 18 July – 10am to 11am funeral.
Batemans Bay Soldiers Club: Monday 13 July, Wednesday 15 July, Thursday 16 July, Friday 17 July.
Plus Fitness Campbelltown: 9am to 10am, Saturday 11 July.
West Leagues Club Campbelltown: Friday 10 July 8pm to midnight, Sunday 12 July, midnight to 2.30am.
Crossroads Hotel Casula: Friday 3 July to Friday 10 July.
Planet Fitness Casula: Saturday 4 July to Friday 10 July.
Ausia Funeral Services, Fairfield East: Friday 17 July – 1pm to 8pm
Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harris Park: Wednesday 15 July – 5.30pm Mass, Thursday 16 July – 6pm Mass, Friday 17 July – 1pm funeral and 6pm Mass.
Anytime Fitness Gym, Merrylands: Tuesday 14 July – 8.30pm to 10.30pm
Our Lady of Mt Carmel, Mount Pritchard: Sunday July 19 – 7.30am to 8.30am
Picton Hotel in Picton: Saturday 4 July, Sunday 5 July, Thursday 9 July, Friday 10 July.
Thai Rock Restaurant, Potts Point: Wednesday 15 July to Saturday 25 July inclusive if you attended this restaurant for two hours or more.
St John of God Lawn, Rookwood: Saturday 18 July – 11.30am to 1pm burial.
Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park: Thursday 9 July to Sunday 12 July, Tuesday 14 July.
C1 Speed Indoor Karting, Albion Park: Saturday 11 July, 6pm to 7pm.
McDonald’s Albion Park, Wednesday 15 July, 2pm to 2.30pm.
An Restaurant, Bankstown: Thursday 23 July, 9am to 11am
Mancini’s Original Woodfired Pizza, Belfield: Friday 10 July, 8pm to 9.20pm.
Woolworths Bowral: Saturday 11 July, 12pm to 9pm, and Sunday 12 July, 12pm to 9pm.
Hurricanes Grill, Brighton Le Sands, Saturday 11 July 6pm to 9pm.
Tan Viet Noodle House (also known as Crispy Chicken Noodle House), Bankstown: Wednesday 22 July – 1pm to 2pm
Bavarian Macarthur in Campbelltown, Saturday 11 July, 7.30pm to 9pm.
Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown: Saturday 11 July, 9.15pm to 12.40am.
Kmart Casula: Friday 10 July, 5pm to midnight.
Holy Duck! Chippendale: Friday 10 July, 7.15pm to 9.30pm.
Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland: Monday 13 July – 6pm to 8pm.
Guzman y Gomez, Hoxton Park: Sunday 12 July – 7.30pm to 9pm.
Club Malua, Malua Bay: Sunday 12 July – 12pm to 1.30pm.
Costco, Marsden Park: Sunday 19 July – 11am to 2pm.
Frankie’s Food Factory in Milperra, Friday 10 July, 1pm to 3pm.
Westfield Mount Druitt, Saturday 18 July, 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
Club Narooma, Narooma: Monday 13 July, 12.30pm to 2pm.
Rashays in North Wollongong: Saturday 11 July, 7pm to 9pm.
Love Supreme in Paddington: Tuesday 14 July, 5.30pm to 9pm.
The Village Inn in Paddington: Saturday 11 July, 6.30pm to 10pm
Milky Lane in Parramatta: Saturday 11 July, 2pm to 3pm.
Bankstown YMCA in Revesby: Thursday 9 July, 4pm to 8pm, and Saturday 11 July, 8am to 12pm.
Salamander Bay Shopping Centre, Salamander Bay: Wednesday 15 July.
Salamander Bay Woolworths, Salamander Bay: 17 July between 2.30pm to closing time, 18 July between 4pm to closing time, 19 July between 12.45pm to closing time, 20 July between 3pm to closing time.
Salamander Bay Shopping Centre, Salamander Bay: Wednesday 15 July
Pharmacy for Less Tahmoor: Sunday 12 July, 9am to 10.40am.

Zone Bowling Villawood: Saturday 27 June, 11am to 3pm.
Stockland Mall in Wetherill Park: Saturday 4 July, Sunday 5 July, Thursday 9 July to Sunday 12 July, Tuesday 14 July.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-covid-19-hotspots-list-of-regional-and-sydney-outbreak-locations/ar-BB17dY7q?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-sees-17-new-coronavirus-infections-over-past-24-hours/ar-BB17dH0s?ocid=msedgntp

Illegal BLM protest slammed as 'the most dangerous thing you can do in a pandemic'
The NSW Government has slammed an illegal Black Lives Matter demonstration in Sydney as "the most dangerous act that anybody could do during a pandemic".

Thousands of protesters are vowing to march in the CBD tomorrow, despite the Supreme Court blocking the demonstration, saying the risk of infection is too high.

Organisers have indicated they plan to lodge an appeal to the court's decision but say they will march regardless of the threat of large fines or jail.
NSW Police Minister David Elliott warned those planning to attend the rally that action by law enforcement will be swift.

"There will be no shortage of police officers and resources available to make sure this illegal gathering doesn't occur," Mr Elliott told Today.
"We have to make sure that these health orders are complied with or otherwise we will find themselves in a situation like they have in Victoria."

The protest was organised by the family of indigenous man David Dungay Junior, who died in Long Bay Jail in December 2015.

An estimated 500 people were expected to take part in the march at Sydney's Town Hall, prior to NSW Police lodging papers with the Supreme Court to ban it.

Organisers have indicated they now want to hold the protest in the Domain.

Mr Elliott said those who attend could face fines or six months in jail.
"It's actually arrogance and it's probably the most dangerous act that anybody could do during a pandemic is organise a mass gathering," he said.

Social distancing was virtually impossible and health authorities would find contact tracing extremely difficult if someone tested positive for COVID-19, he said.
"They can't contact everybody," Mr Elliott added.
"That is the big risk - that you're going to be marching alongside for a couple of hours with somebody whose identity they can't confirm and if they find out they test positive for COVID-19 it's impossible for us to tell everybody they need to be tested," he said.

In a statement, NSW Police urged protesters to strongly reconsider attending.
"The protest is now unauthorised," NSW Police said in a statement.
"Those thinking of attending – despite the Supreme Court decision and health advice – are strongly urged to reconsider their plans.
"While the NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals to exercise their right to free speech, large-scale events, such as these, are currently subject to restrictions under the Public Health Act.
"As such, police will not hesitate to take the appropriate action, if required."

When the court decision to block the protest was announced, Mr Dungay's nephew, Paul Silva, said his family planned to continue to fight for justice.
"Me and my family are disappointed about the outcome of the court hearing today but we will be appealing the decision to the Court of Appeal as we won't stop until there is justice for my Uncle's death," a statement said.
"The reason we are protesting is because after 5 years not a single person has been held accountable for the death of my uncle.
"The Police say they want to shut us down because they are concerned about peoples' lives but they don't care about black lives, are we not humans too?
"The Commissioner isn't interested in investigating my Uncle's death, all he wants to do is to shut me up and silence black voices. To stop us complaining about the way we are treated."

Barrister for the police Michael Spartalis argued all the evidence supported a prohibition on the gathering on public health grounds.

During three hours of deliberations on Thursday there was no mention of the dangers of coronavirus, and instead the focus was on what the police commissioner told Ben Fordham in an early morning 2GB radio interview.

Mick Fuller said this week the reason for the outbreak in Victoria was due to people travelling from public housing blocks to a Black Lives Matter rally in June.

However, Victoria Health have said there is no link between the rally and the recent spike in numbers.

Lawyers for the protesters argued the court should throw out the bid to stop the rally, claiming Mr Fuller "thwarted" the process when he told Fordham he had instructed officers to challenge the rally before the organisers presented their COVID-Safe plan.

The organiser's barrister Felicity Graham told the court he should "stay off the airwaves... before the statutory processes are fulfilled".

Police are arguing the rally is too great a risk to public health given the current outbreak.

On Thursday, Mr Dunngay's family vowed to push ahead with the rally regardless of the supreme court ruling.
"We're going to continue demanding justice for David Dungay Junior," his nephew Paul Silva said.
"The whole world has seen the footage of him being held down and begging for his life."

Mr Dungay Jnr's death had some parallels with that of George Floyd in the United States.

He was held down by prison officers and said "I can't breathe" before he died.

Earlier this year a Black Lives Matter protest went ahead after a NSW Supreme Court finding was overturned at the last minute.

More
Sydney Black Lives Matter protest appeal dismissed for public health reasons

The NSW Court of Appeal has upheld an earlier ruling that states the rally would be irresponsible given coronavirus restrictions.

Organisers of a Sydney Black Lives Matter rally have lost their appeal against a New South Wales Supreme Court ruling that their planned protest is prohibited.

The court on Sunday accepted the police argument that the possibility of community transmission of COVID-19 arising from the CBD rally made Tuesday's planned event too risky.

The NSW Court of Appeal on Monday afternoon rejected a challenge by the organisers which was primarily based on an argument that Justice Mark Ierace did not have the authority to prohibit the rally.

Chief Justice Tom Bathurst, sitting with Justices Andrew Bell and Robert Macfarlan, made no order as to legal costs after noting the challenge was a matter of public importance involving complex legislation.

The court will hand down its reasons as soon as possible.

Dominic Toomey SC, for rally organiser Paddy Gibson, unsuccessfully submitted to the Appeal Court that Justice Ierace erred in determining the Supreme Court had jurisdiction to hear the police prohibition application.

Despite the failed appeal, organisers still plan to go ahead with the rally, which will now be held in Sydney's Domain instead of at Town Hall.

A petition signed by 90,000 people will then be delivered to state parliament.

"Although NSW Police and the NSW Government have tried to silence First Nations people once again, we're not going to be silent," organiser Paul Silva, the nephew of Mr Dungay, told SBS News.

"Justice which really needs to be served for the death of David Dungay Jr."

The family of Mr Dungay have asked that people attending the rally abide by COVID-19 safety protocols.

Participants have been encouraged to wear masks, with hand sanitiser provided for those who can't bring their own.

Organisers will be asking attendees to register their attendance online to allow for contact-tracing.

Roughly 1,400 people have registered their intent to attend the rally on Facebook, with another 3,400 interested in participating.

<< we at least they are trying to do the right thing , face masks, hand sanitizer , register of attendee ( hopefully everyone will be honest with that ) . Still , IMO they should not go ahead when the covid19 situation in NSW ( esp Sydney ) is so close to becoming a run away situation like in Melbourne . Very selfish IMO .>>

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned anyone deemed to be defying a coronavirus health order would face a $1,000 on-the-spot fine.

"If we're taking adequate steps to say within the current COVID-19 laws, like social distancing in groups of 20, there's no reason for NSW Police to step in and issues fines to attendees," Mr Silva said.

He also confirmed organisers remain willing to suspend Tuesday's rally if the NSW government announces an investigation into Mr Dungay's death.

NSW Police Minister David Elliott welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision and urged people to stay away.
"The NSW Government urges both the organisers and anyone thinking of attending to stay away, abide by the law, and seriously consider the consequences of their potential actions," Mr Elliott said in a statement.
"A pandemic is no time to attend a mass gathering, no matter how honourable the cause."
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/sydney-black-lives-matter-protest-appeal-dismissed-for-public-health-reasons
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/sydney/illegal-blm-protest-slammed-as-the-most-dangerous-thing-you-can-do-in-a-pandemic/ar-BB17c64F?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
27 July in Qld

Qld bans residents from NSW hotspots
The Queensland government has warned borders will be slammed shut if more community transmission or clusters occur in the southern states.

The Western Sydney area of Fairfield is now banned from entering the sunshine state, adding to a growing number of New South Wales hotspots barred from Queensland.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/qld-bans-residents-from-nsw-hotspots/ar-BB17dIPd?ocid=msedgntp


Traveller busts through Queensland border, sparks emergency
A plane passenger from Sydney sparked an emergency at Gold Coast Airport after busting through a coronavirus border checkpoint, with police launching a rapid search operation to locate the person.

27-JULY-QLD-CRIM-BB17esqg.jpg

27-JULY-QLD-CRIM2-BB17esqj.jpg

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The man allegedly slipped through the checkpoint and made a dash towards Kirra Beach, but was unable to outrun police dogs.

It was later revealed a warrant had been issued for the arrest of the 24-year-old man to return him to prison.

It comes as swarms of police have been occupied vetting thousands of travellers from more than 100 Sydney coronavirus hotspot suburbs, including the newly-banned suburb of Fairfield.

Latest border figures show that more than one million travellers have applied for passes to enter Queensland since July 10, leaving Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on high alert.

"We will not hesitate if it gets out of control to slam the border shut," she said today.
Amid growing outbreak numbers in Sydney, Queensland's health authorities are not just concerned COVID-19 could be transmitted across the state border, but also that complacency among Queenslanders could risk a rapid spike in new cases.

The Queensland government has tonight launched a new public health campaign broadcast on televisions across the state that warns the pandemic is not yet over.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/traveller-busts-through-queensland-border-sparks-emergency/ar-BB17emhm?ocid=msedgntp

Jobs go begging across regional Queensland amid pandemic downturn
Employers across regional Queensland are struggling to fill vacant jobs, despite unemployment rising during the coronavirus pandemic.

In June, Queensland's unemployment rate hit 7.7 per cent. The national unemployment rate is 7.1 per cent.

But across industries such as hospitality, agriculture and construction, regional employers are seeking workers, with not enough to be found.

The last time the Waltzing Matilda Motor Inn in Charleville, in central-west Queensland, had enough cleaners was in March — before coronavirus restrictions.

The motel's general manager Martin Reinhard said they had never had any issues in finding staff before.
"Usually we have a good response. In the past, we've filled positions within the day," he said.
"On average, we would get four to five responses … at the moment, none."

Mr Reinhard said the struggle to hire staff had taken a toll on him and his wife.

"We're cleaning rooms in the morning and early afternoon, and then getting the kitchen ready for the next run on the restaurant," he said.

"It has been getting up at 4:30 in the morning and working until 10 o'clock at night for the past three months."

Jobs ripe for the picking
It has been the hardest year in memory to find workers for one kiwi fruit farm in Killarney, southern Queensland.

Without workers, farmer David Weier said he has had to prune his trees in the early hours and late at night, around his day job as an electrician.
"Usually I would have four or five workers here at the farm doing the pruning," he said.
"We advertised for workers about three weeks ago but we haven't had too many replies."

After two failed seasons due to hail and a lack of pickers, Mr Weier said he was desperate.
"The vines have to be pruned within the next fortnight or I may as well kiss this season goodbye as well," he said.
"I'm pretty stressed out and my wife is getting pretty stressed out."

Even the Gold Coast's booming construction industry is still struggling to find workers.

Recruitment agency director Fiona Watson said large companies were surprised.
"We have got roles that we are advertising and recruiting for where we just aren't getting applicants," she said.
"Particularly in construction, marketing and accounting, we are really struggling to fill roles."

'Happy to sit there'
Many employers feel the Federal Government's increased JobSeeker payments were acting as a major disincentive to work.
"They are happy to sit there on their $1,500 a fortnight," Ms Watson said.
"Or they are nervous that they're taking a role that may not have longevity anyway."

In Cairns, the tourism and hospitality industry was struggling, especially smaller businesses.

Hayes Recruiting Cairns business director Tracie Picton said employers were concerned that people wanted to stay on JobSeeker.
"It's hugely frustrating for employers right now," Ms Picton said.
"I've had examples where organisations haven't been able to reopen because they can't get the staff."

Mr Reinhard said, anecdotally, that seemed to be the case.
"Typically, as a cleaner, if you get 15 hours of work you'd make maybe $400 to $450 a week," he said.
"That's less than what you get on JobSeeker, so it would make more sense to be on JobSeeker."

But economists say the reasons are much more complicated.

'Handful of cases'
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the payments could amount to a disincentive to work, but recent changes were aimed at tightening the rules.

An Australian Government National Skills Commission survey found that, for the month until July 3, a lack of applicants was the biggest barrier to recruitment.

The data also showed that location was a larger factor in the regions than capital cities.

In an address to the Anika Foundation on July 21, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe said JobSeeker was not a major factor in lack of employment.
"There are no doubt some cases where people are getting JobSeeker and that reduces their incentive to seek out a job," he said.
"But I think it's important that we don't draw a lesson from just a handful of cases.
"The vast bulk of people who are on JobSeeker could not find a job because there were no jobs because the country was shutting down."

'A lot of contributing reasons'
Economist Pete Faulkner from the Queensland-based Conus Consultancy said it was not likely an army of potential workers were sitting around rejecting job offers.
"I wouldn't suggest there are no circumstances where that is true," he said.
"But there are probably a lot of contributing reasons."

Those reasons included workers being unable to relocate — especially interstate or to remote locations — a lack of appropriately skilled workers, and in the case of fruit picking no international workers or backpackers.

Mr Faulkner also said the JobKeeper subsidy could see people stay in roles they might otherwise have left.
"There's a whole variety of reasons why we could be seeing some employers struggling to find people to take on work," he said.
"But what I don't think is that we can draw a general case from perhaps a relatively small set of examples."

He said it was uncertain when the regional Queensland job market might return to normal given the wider ongoing economic situation.
"But I think anybody suggesting that it's going to be back to normal any time soon is probably kidding themselves," Mr Faulkner said.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/jobs-go-begging-across-regional-queensland-amid-pandemic-downturn/ar-BB17dlHG?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
27 July in WA

Tsusami of Thousands of Expat Aussies to soon have their visas expire and be compelled leave Indonesia are expected to arrive in Perth WA from Bali creating a Mandatory Quarantine resource crisis.
Western Australian officials are bracing for an influx of people from Bali as 3000 Australians still living on the holiday island have been given a deadline to leave Bali in Indonesia amid a raging uncontrolled covid19 pandemic in Indonesia and on Bali.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-thousands-of-aussies-to-arrive-in-wa-from-bali/vi-BB17equF?ocid=msedgntp

27 July in SA

SA Premier considering tougher border restrictions
South Australia Premier Steven Marshall is considering tougher border restrictions as the Victorian coronavirus crisis worsens.
Fears of second SA wave
There are growing fears South Australians could fall victim to a second wave of COVID-19 as residents are becoming dangerously complacent about the SA - Vic, SA - NSW borders, and about social distancing.
<< Cant say this is a surprise since SA Health permitted AFL tournament games and very large crowds ( 25k at the Adelaide stadium ) sending very mixed signals to SAustralians about the need to social distance and be careful , giving many SAustralians the false impression that in SA things were back to normal.>>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-fears-of-second-sa-wave/vi-BB17eu4y?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-sa-premier-considering-tougher-border-restrictions/vi-BB17efo3?ocid=msedgntp


Victorian found asleep in car after alleged SA border breach refused bail

A Victorian man accused of sneaking into South Australia remains in isolation behind bars. Shannon Muscat faced court today, charged with failing to comply with a COVID-19 direction.

The 39-year-old was found sleeping in his car in Renmark on Saturday, just hours after police had refused him entry at a border checkpoint.
Muscat was about to start a new job as a fruit picker in the Riverland, a SA court was told.

He applied for release, but the magistrate refused to grant him bail because of fears he would re-offend.

Muscat is in isolation in custody and will undergo COVID-19 testing.

He's expected to face court again next month.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victorian-found-asleep-in-car-after-alleged-sa-border-breach-refused-bail/ar-BB17eqpL?ocid=msedgntp


27 July in NT

NT to keep border closed to Greater Sydney for another four weeks
Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced that extra police officers will be recruited in the Top End to control the state borders .
He announced NT to keep border closed to Greater Sydney for another four weeks .
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nt-to-keep-border-closed-to-greater-sydney-for-another-four-weeks/vi-BB17dOkH?ocid=msedgntp

27 July Federal

27july aus

How does COVIDSafe compare to Europe's contact tracing apps?
COVIDSafe was sold as Australia's ticket out of lockdown. But almost three months since launch in late April, its impact is hard to measure. Despite 6.5M downloads by Australians ( estimated 25% penetration ).

Victoria has accessed data from the app almost 400 times, but health authorities are yet to point to any potential COVID-19 exposure that was not picked up by manual contact tracing.

In New South Wales, app data has been extracted 23 times. In one instance, a person whose contact details were unavailable during manual contact tracing was contacted using app data.
But COVIDSafe's ability to reliably transmit and collect encrypted codes using Bluetooth from other apps remains under scrutiny.

And there is another option.

In May, Google and Apple launched an exposure notification API or framework built into their devices' operating systems that allows health authorities to build their own apps, and ostensibly helps the technology perform better with less bugs and workarounds.

Germany and Ireland, as well as a handful of other European countries, have now launched their own COVID-19 exposure notification apps using the Google-Apple framework.

So how do they compare to COVIDSafe?

A centralised or a decentralised model
COVIDSafe and apps built using the Apple-Google API both deploy Bluetooth to create an encrypted log of random codes from other devices with the app, that come into close range.

But Ireland's COVID Tracker app and Germany's Corona-Warn-App differ when it comes to the next step.

Broadly, if someone tests positive for the virus and has one of those apps, they can voluntarily make their weeks of random codes available to the exposure notification system.

Each individual app regularly checks the exposure codes they have stored against ones the system has identified as belonging to an infected person.

If there is a match, they receive a warning notification on their phone and can then choose to get in touch with a doctor.

All the data processing is done on the device.

In contrast, if someone with COVIDSafe is diagnosed with the virus, health authorities may ask them to share their app's data with a central database. Then those random codes will be sorted into close contacts (1.5 metres for upwards of 15 minutes) and used by local health authorities to track potential exposures.

Ireland and Germany's apps operate more as a warning system and offer much less information to authorities.

That lack of centralised data collection is part of what makes security expert Vanessa Teague, chief executive of Thinking Cybersecurity, believe Australia should move to the Google-Apple API.

"It has this huge privacy advantage," she said.

And although we do not yet have sufficient empirical data comparing the performance of available models, she suggested it's likely apps built using the Google-Apple framework will work more reliably than COVIDSafe because the Bluetooth detection technique is built into the devices' operating systems.

"By work, I mean, when two people are near each other, the likelihood that it exchanges the pings it's supposed to exchange is likely to be a lot higher," she said.

Are apps built using the Google-Apple API a success?
Like in Australia, German and Irish authorities have been quick to boast about download figures.

Germany launched its app in mid-June. As of July 23, the Corona-Warn-App has registered 16.2 million downloads, according to the Robert Koch Institute, in a country with a population of more than 80 million.

Ireland's Health Services told the ABC that almost 1.4 million people have downloaded the app since July 7 — out of almost 5 million people — and 91 COVID Tracker app users have received an exposure alert.

But like in Australia, where the app has been downloaded more than 6 million times, there are few metrics publicly available to understand the app's contribution to pandemic control, or even how many people have the app open and working each day.
<< Was spruked by ScoMo to Australians as the way for Australia to get an "early mark" from covid19 restrictions and more people who installed CovidSAFE App the better and sooner the outcome >>

In Germany, about 660 people who were shown to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 had the opportunity to warn others via the app by July 20.

"However, we cannot say exactly how many people were warned because of the decentralized approach of the app," the president of the Robert Koch Institute Professor Lothar H. Wieler said in a recent statement.

Stephen Farrell, a computer security researcher at Trinity College Dublin, said questions remained for the Australian and European apps when it comes to the ability of Bluetooth to accurately gauge distance — and so, to accurately identify close contacts.

"It suffers that same challenges with Bluetooth proximity detection in terms of making it reliable in all sorts of contexts," he said. "Handsets in all different positions, in pockets, in handbags … walking, cycling."

Dr Farrell suggested it will ultimately be difficult to definitively measure the impact of this technology.

We need to know how many people who would have been missed by manual contract tracing are caught by the app, he suggested. And of those people, how many are false positives or true positives.

"I suspect mostly likely we won't ever know," Dr Farrell said.

Privacy concerns remain
As well as privacy bugs found after the launch of COVIDSafe, its centralised method of data collection has been an ongoing focus for security researchers.

But there is also concern in Europe that exposure notification apps built using the Google-Apple API could be used to track location, especially on Android.

The implementation of Bluetooth on Android has long (and wrongly, in her view) been "inextricably linked" to location permissions Dr Teague said, as some non-contact tracing apps use the technology to work out a user's location.

For example Bluetooth beacons in a shopping centre, she said, could be used to serve users with hyper-specific advertising.

"The implication is, if you're not going to let Google track your location, then you're not using Bluetooth scanning."

The COVIDSafe version of Android as well as apps made using the Google-Apple API ask for location permission when the app is downloaded — although all insist location is not recorded as part of the contact tracing process.

"In keeping with our privacy commitments for the Exposure Notification API, Google does not receive information about the end user, location data, or information about any other devices the user has been in proximity of," a Google spokesperson said.

Professor Alexandra Dmitrienko, head of Secure Software Systems Research Group at the University of Würzburg, is troubled that location services must be turned on when using the exposure notification API on Android.

While many people may choose to use products like Google Maps and have location services operating, she suggested those that do not are forced into a choice: allow location permissions when downloading the German app or give up the ability to use your country's public health app.

As more countries accept the Apple-Google solution, she is also concerned about the control being ceded to the two technology giants.

"As an expert in security and privacy, I see … that we give too much power to two American companies," she said.

Could Australia move to the Google-Apple API?
As it stands, Australia's COVIDSafe would have to fundamentally change its approach to use the Google-Apple API.

The companies' API rules stipulate that a government can only request and not require users to share personal information such as a phone number.

COVIDSafe requires these details upon sign up. Ireland's COVID Tracker app on the other hand asks only for opt-in metrics.

Minister for Government Services Stuart Robert said the Government is open "to improving [the] technology" if it maintains a key role for health officials in the process.

"The current structure of the Google-Apple API does not do that," he said.

"We will continue to work with Google and Apple, particularly to see if they can remove their barriers in allowing a sovereign tracing app — that has health professionals at its core — access to improved Bluetooth functionality".

Ultimately, it may still be too early to say whether any piece of technology can be the pandemic silver bullet so many countries are after.

Professor Dmitrienko thinks it's too early to know how effective these apps are.

"[The] general opinion is that this technique cannot really replace the manual contact tracing, but it can be complementary," she said.

"How effective it is? I think no one can tell at the moment."

But then, there's the price tag.

By some estimates, COVIDSafe has reportedly cost around $2.75 million in contractors fees, not including millions of dollars in advertising costs.

The Irish app cost €850,000 ($1.4 million).
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/how-does-covidsafe-compare-to-europe-s-contact-tracing-apps/ar-BB17dzkG?ocid=msedgntp

How coronavirus pandemic could trap young people in low-paying jobs
The coronavirus pandemic could trap young workers in low-paying jobs and have long-term consequences for their employment prospects, according to a report.

Australians under 35 have suffered the largest increase in unemployment when businesses around the nation closed their doors in March due to COVID-19.

And figures released on Monday by the Productivity Commission, a government economic research body, showed the careers of young people looking for employment during the pandemic may be affected for many years. 'Many young people have experienced unemployment recently, and are likely to face a reduced set of job opportunities as a result of the recession,' the Commission found.

'Workers could face long term consequences in the form of occupations lower on the jobs ladder and lower salaries than they might have expected in the early part of the century.'

'But the fact that [a] weak labour market lasted for a decade [after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis] means that many young workers will face long-term scarring.'

The Productivity Commission working paper, Climbing the jobs ladder slower: Young people in a weak labour market, found young people were struggling to find jobs in their desired occupation, even before the pandemic.
'We have seen substantial increases in university graduates in Australia over the last ten years or so,' Commissioner Catherine de Fontenay said.
'Unfortunately, for many graduates that has just meant more competition to enter their chosen profession.' he jobless rate for people between 20 and 24 climbed to 13.9 per cent at the start of the year, as more than 150,000 jobs were wiped out.

About 160,000 jobs were lost for people aged between 25 and 34, bringing the unemployment rate up by three points to 7.5 per cent.

Workers between 35 and 44 suffered an unemployment spike of 1.4 per cent, bringing the total for the age group up to 5.2 per cent with 64,000 job losses.

The Commission measured the projected job outcomes for unemployed professionals using data gathered following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

The research found that university graduates entering the job market during the recession struggled to gain positions that matched their qualifications.

The career prospects for people who accepted lower-paying jobs beneath their skill levels were impacted for at least a decade.

While the level of unemployment dropped in the decade after the GFC, people between 20 and 34 largely worked part-time and have struggled to find full-time positions.

The odds of a young person getting a job after the recession didn't improve until 2017, but the likelihood of a person over 35 getting a job remained static.

Wage growth for people under 34 also halved for about five years after the recession and left professionals with poorer job outcomes.

Salary increases for people over 35 slowed in the same period, but never receded.

'While young people's career prospects might have recovered once the labour market improved, such improvement is now unlikely for some time given the COVID-19 crisis,' the report found.

The jobless rate climbed from 7.1 per cent in May to 7.4 per cent in June, the highest level since November 1998, as the number of people without a job rose from 923,000 to 992,300, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed last week.

Australia now has close to one million people without work for the first time ever.

The number of unemployed Australians is now higher than in December 1992 when the jobless rate peaked at 11.2 per cent - the highest since the 1930s Great Depression - during the long aftermath of the 1991 recession.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/how-coronavirus-pandemic-could-trap-young-people-in-low-paying-jobs/ar-BB17dj6S?ocid=msedgntp

COVID coordination commission to become advisory board for JobMaker
Australia's COVID Coordination Commission will be re-geared into an advisory board for the JobMaker plan, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.
Under the rebrand of the commission, which was initially established to help manage resources during the initial phases of the pandemic, the agency will work internally within the Federal Government.

"This is the Jobmaker plan that is designed to get Australians in jobs to keep Australians in jobs and for those who have been unfortunately put out of a job because of COVID-19," Mr Morrison said.

"It is all about the recovery process and you need changes and initiatives across a broad range of supply side elements of the economy."

Former Fortescue Metals Group CEO Neville Power will continue in his role of chairman of the commission.

Also joining the commission will be the former head of Bendigo Bank, Mike Hearst.

Mr Power said the new advisory board would look to accelerate the number of jobs created and to preserve as many jobs as possible while still recognising coronavirus restrictions.

"Clearly, the health and safety of all Australians is the number one priority," Mr Power said.

"In parallel with that, we will be looking at how we can create as many jobs, get as many people back into work, as possible and learn to live with the restrictions of the coronavirus, physical distancing, personal hygiene and quick response to outbreak in businesses across Australia, whether they are in hospitality or mining or infrastructure development or housing construction."

Speaking to reporters at today's press conference, Mr Morrison addressed concerns over the escalation of coronavirus cases in Victoria's aged care homes.

Mr Morrison said the concerning situation in aged care reflected the state's problems with community transmission.

"When you have problems in aged care, it is a function of the community transmission," Mr Morrison said.

"All of this is incredibly important because when community transmission takes place, it is inevitable that it will find its way into the poor vulnerable parts of our community, in the aged care community is certainly one of those."

Mr Morrison said the national stockpile of facial masks has been utilised to address the growing aged care crisis in Victoria.

"We already have put 1.5 million masks into aged care facilities and about that number a bit more are also going into aged care facilities," Mr Morrison said.

"All efforts is being deployed to ensure that we are doing what is necessary in the aged care sector."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/covid-coordination-commission-to-become-advisory-board-for-jobmaker/ar-BB17dsUz?ocid=msedgntp

Federal Treasurer forecasts difficult economic recovery after coronavirus recession amid slump in population growth, low interest rates
Key points:
Population growth is expected to halve to 0.6 % in 2021
Josh Frydenberg says building a strong economy is key to encouraging people to have babies
The coronavirus crisis has led to the largest deficit since World War II

The Federal Treasurer is keen on a coronavirus baby boom, urging Australians to have more children if for no other reason than to help grow the population and economy.

While not going as far as former Coalition treasurer Peter Costello's infamous call for couples to have a child for the country, Josh Frydenberg said the closure of international borders had halved Australia's population growth.

Population growth has been integral to the almost three decades of economic growth prior to the deadly coronavirus pandemic taking hold and sending Australia into a recession.

"So I won't go as far as to say, like Peter Costello, 'one for the mother, one for the father and one for the country', but I can say that people should feel encouraged about the future and the more children that we have across the country, together with our migration, we will build our population growth and that will be good for the economy," he said.

"I think the best thing we can do to encourage more children being born across the country is obviously to create a strong economy for them to be born into."

For the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic read our coronavirus update story.
In his speech to the National Press Club, Mr Frydenberg said population growth was expected to slow to 0.6 % in 2021, the lowest rate since 1916-17.

His speech comes a day after Mr Frydenberg delivered the Government's economic update, revealing Australia recorded the biggest budget deficit since World War II and is on track to record an even larger one this financial year.

While the international border remains closed, one of the assumptions in Treasury's forecast is that it will reopen from January 1, 2021, to migrants and international students.
It is also based on the assumption Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire will only be in stage three lockdown for six weeks and will be well on the way to opening up their economies again by mid-December.

Mr Frydenberg said that, unlike during the global financial crisis, the Government does not have as many options available to it to kickstart economic growth and reduce unemployment rates.

"While we are seeing early signs of recovery in the job market, the unemployment rate will sit high for some time," he said.

"During the GFC, the Reserve Bank cut interest rates by 425 basis points. Today, this would be the equivalent of up to $100 billion in fiscal support over a 12-month period.

"We simply don't have that luxury this time around, we also don't have a strong flow of migrants to support growth."

The Treasurer said the Government's plan was instead to continue to provide its financial support and creating "the most dynamic and the most flexible" economy possible.

"The shock [in unemployment] is considerably sharper than what Australia experienced during the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s," he said.

"The falls in GDP and employment are around twice as big and occurred over a matter of months, not years."

Mr Frydenberg pointed to the overarching JobMaker plan and JobTrainer skills program, as well as the JobKeeper and JobSeeker schemes as ways the Government was supporting job creation or upskilling people while they were out of work.

"Without JobKeeper and our other measures, the unemployment rate would have been five percentage points higher than we have seen," he said.

"It has saved 700,000 jobs."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-24/treasurer-josh-frydenberg-baby-boom-economy-recovery-coronavirus/12489678

National Cabinet recommits to coronavirus suppression strategy amid outbreaks in Victoria, NSW
Key points:
National Cabinet has reaffirmed its commitment to a suppression strategy
State and territory leaders have agreed to boost data sharing to track virus responses
The Prime Minister says he expects any vaccine developed overseas to be shared globally

National Cabinet has doubled down on its commitment to a coronavirus suppression strategy, with Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly saying Australia's "ultimate goal" is to have no cases of community transmission.
While other parts of the world have attempted to eliminate the virus completely, Australia's strategy has been to aggressively test, trace and contain outbreaks.

Professor Kelly said in today's National Cabinet meeting, states and territories agreed to continue "aggressively" chasing down contacts and cases, despite the outbreak in Victoria and smaller clusters in NSW.

"The main issue today was to recommit to that suppression strategy, but to really demonstrate how aggressively we need to chase down every case, every day, to ensure that they are isolated, to make sure that the contacts of every case are also contacted themselves, and where necessary, be tested and isolate as soon as possible," he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said health authorities would not be deterred by setbacks that have seen some Victorians not engaging with health advice.

"If they don't answer the phone, we'll knock on the door. If they don't come for testing, we'll drive a truck to the end of their street and we'll test them there," he said.

"The way that you deal with this is you don't get frustrated about it, you don't wallow in concern about it, you just take action."

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the National Press Club that an elimination strategy would prove too costly.

"A strict elimination strategy would cripple our economy and require us to shut down many more sectors and not allow anyone to enter the country," he said.

"Treasury, using OECD estimates of the economic impact of full lockdowns, suggests a six-week Australia-wide hard lockdown could reduce GDP by around $50 billion."

Australia expects vaccine to be shared with the world
Mr Morrison said Australian biotech firm CSL would likely have capacity to reproduce a vaccine for Australians if one is discovered.

He said he expected that if a discovery was made in another country, that it would be shared among the international community.
"Any country that would hoard a vaccine discovery, I think, would not be met with welcome arms by the rest of the world," he said.

"I think there's an absolute obligation on whoever finds this to share it with the world."

He noted that when Australian scientists became the first in the world to replicate the virus that causes COVID-19, it was shared widely.

"We didn't restrict it, we shared it. We made sure that everybody could get it," he said.

More data collection on the horizon
State and territory leaders also agreed to bolster data collection and sharing to better track how each jurisdiction is managing cases.

"That not only goes to case numbers and things of that nature which we've had for some time, but how quickly cases are being identified, contacts are made, isolated, tracing done for known contacts and then isolation and testing of those," Mr Morrison said.

Leaders also agreed to strengthen rules for interstate travel for freight workers, upgrading the existing protocol into an enforceable code.

"It particularly relates to the movement of large freight across borders and the protocols needed for the drivers and how they act and how often they're tested and all of these types of things," Mr Morrison said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-24/national-cabinet-recommits-coronavirus-suppression-strategy/12489044

A million casuals to 'fall through big gaps' in JobKeeper 2.0 , and hundreds of thousands of refugees on temporary protection visas and foreign students remain uncovered by JobKeeper and JobSeeker.
Labor MP Peter Khalil says while many Australians would benefit from the government’s extension of the wage subsidy programs, a million casual workers will still fall though “some of the weak spots and the big gaps” in the JobKeeper program.

Under the move, JobKeeper support payments will be reduced to $1200 per fortnight towards the end of September with a lower payment of $750 for those working less than 20 hours per week.

Mr Khalil said Labor was going to push the government when it sat for parliament to “reconsider” those groups that were left out of the scheme.

“We will be constructive, we will work with the government to get economic stimulus out to Australians that need it, but we also need to play our role as an Opposition and hold the government to account and see where we can make this stimulus package better than it is," he said.

Mr Khalil also rubbished Scott Morrison’s concern that the JobSeeker program was disincentivising people to return to work, saying the Prime Minister was harking on “the old dole-bludger trope”.

“I don’t think it’s the case that they are quite happy sitting there on JobSeeker,” he said.

“I don’t think people on JobSeeker, the vast majority of unemployed Australians or people who have their employment suspended are saving up the JobSeeker cash every fortnight and putting it in a sock and then buying shares with it, that’s not happening.”
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/a-million-casuals-to-fall-through-big-gaps-in-jobkeeper-2-0/ar-BB171Ek3?ocid=msedgntp

Companies receiving JOBkeeper have laid off more than 700,000 excluded workers
Almost three-quarters of a million employees of companies receiving jobkeeper were laid off because they were ineligible for wage subsidies, according to an Australia Institute analysis of data in the Treasury review.

The Treasury review, released on Tuesday, reveals that between mid-March and the end of April half of all ineligible employees of companies claiming the $1,500 fortnightly payment were laid off.

The figures lay bare the impact of the government’s decision to exclude 1.1 million short-term casual workers and 1 million temporary visa-holders from the wage subsidy – exclusions that were opposed by Labor, the Greens and unions.

The Treasury review revealed that organisations claiming jobkeeper cut 5% of jobs held by eligible employees in the first fortnight after the policy was announced on 30 March “but these jobs have since been fully restored”.

Related: RBA governor says government must spend to limit severe 'economic scars’

“The job losses have been largely borne by ineligible employees in organisations that are jobkeeper recipients,” it said.

A Treasury graph showed when the policy was introduced, employees of companies that didn’t claim the payment made up 60% of the workforce, eligible employees of claimants were about 26% and ineligible employees of claimants 14%.

Based on the fact that ineligible employees halved from 14% to 7% of the workforce by the end of May, the Australia Institute calculated 723,700 people lost their jobs because they were ineligible for jobkeeper.

David Richard, a senior research fellow at the Australia Institute, said there was “unfortunately … a strong incentive in jobkeeper to dismiss non-eligible workers”.

“Jobkeeper was designed in a way that deliberately excludes whole sections of the community, including some of the most economically vulnerable people in the country,” he said.

“Too many workers in highly casualised and insecure industries, such as arts and entertainment, hospitality, retail and accommodation have been intentionally overlooked by this scheme and now we are seeing the consequences in black and white.”

Richard said the government “should be doing more to support those casual and non-resident workers who were often already struggling before the pandemic”.

On Tuesday the government announced it will extend the period but cut the rate of jobkeeper wage subsidies and the jobseeker coronavirus supplement.

Eligibility for jobkeeper was further narrowed, with businesses needing to requalify for the payment and the introduction of new lower rates for workers doing less than 20 hours a week, despite Treasury advice there was little clear benefit to a differential rate.

In April, Guardian Australia reported that 180 people were stood down at South Pacific Laundry. The company confirmed in emails to the Construction Forestry Mining Manufacturing and Energy Union’s manufacturing division that it had stood workers on visas down first “as they don’t qualify for the jobkeeper payment”.

The company disputed that it had targeted visa-holders but declined to answer questions about how many were stood down.

One Nepalese worker at the laundry, who declined to be named for fear he could not return to his job, told Guardian Australia the company was “unable to give us work because of the downturn in the business” but “they are still giving the work to people who are jobkeeper eligible”.

Andrew Giles, Labor’s multicultural affairs spokesman, said the case was an example of “why we need greater support for temporary migrants trapped in Australia during this pandemic”.

“We can’t allow people to fall through the cracks and become destitute,” he told Guardian Australia.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, food banks and restaurants giving away free meals have supported international students and other temporary visa holders locked out of federal government support, with a further spike in demand expected from Melbourne’s second lockdown.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/companies-receiving-jobkeeper-have-laid-off-more-than-700-000-excluded-workers/ar-BB173zED?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
28-Jul

New cases o/night in Victoria = 384
New cases o/night in NSW = 14
Total cases o/night in NSW & Vic = 398
Cumulated total of new cases in NSW & Vic since 10 June = 8290

28july.png


28july2.png


Australia's daily cases
28july-australia-daily-cases.png


Hospital situation
28july-hospitals.png


Australia's daily deaths
https://i.postimg.cc/76LwSRhw/28july-australia-daily-deaths.png

Australia's death demographics
28july-deaths-by-demograph.png


Australia's deaths by cluster
28july-australia-deaths-by-cluster.png


Australia's confirmed cases by demographics
28july-australia-confirmed-cases-demographics.png
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
28 JULY in VICTORIA
There are 4,775 active COVID-19 cases across Victoria — 769 of those are linked to aged care homes and 414 are health workers.
There are 683 active cases connected to aged care..
A total of 245 Victorians were in hospital, with 44 in intensive care.


Victoria records 384 new COVID-19 cases and six new deaths
Victoria's COVID-19 death toll now stands at 83 after 6 more people passed away as a result of the virus overnight.

The state recorded an additional 384 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, retreating slightly from yesterday's record-breaking high of 532.

4 of the 6 deaths were linked to aged care facilities.

Premier Daniel Andrews said he does not have confidence staff in the state's aged care facilities have the ability to keep residents safe from COVID-19.
"I cannot stand here and tell that I have confidence that staff and management across a number of private sector aged care facilities are able to provide the care that is appropriate to keep their residents safe," Mr Andrews said.
"If I could say that, I would."

About 200 aged care residents have been moved into hospitals following virus outbreaks.
"It will always be based - not on the judgement of premiers or prime ministers but - on the judgement of the treating doctors and medical teams," he said.
"Where there is no confidence in infection control, where there is no confidence that care can be provided to a suitable standard, then we will do everything we can to move those residents out."

He confirmed registered nurses have been sent to the St Basil's aged care home in Fawkner, which has been suffering from a major coronavirus outbreak.

Breakdown of Victoria's latest cases
Victoria's latest coronavirus outbreaks include:

88 cases linked to Estia Aged Care in Ardeer
86 cases linked to St Basil's aged care home in Fawkner
82 cases linked to Epping Gardens aged care
76 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth
62 cases linked to Menarock Life aged care in Essendon
53 cases linked to Glendale Aged Care in Werribee
50 cases linked to Estia Aged Care in Heidelberg
40 cases linked to Outlook Gardens aged care in Dandenong North
99 cases in Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham
89 cases linked to Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown
76 cases linked to JBS in Brooklyn
50 cases linked to Australian Lamb Company in Colac



Most elective surgery in Victoria halted
Elective surgery will be suspended in Victoria for category three patients in order to free up staff and hospital beds as the state continues to battle a rise in coronavirus cases, including in aged care.
"So it is with some regret, but a sense of absolute urgency that I need to announce that elective surgery other than for Category 1 and the most urgent Category 2 patients will be suspended forthwith," Premier Daniel Andrews said.
'We will do our level best to honour those booked surgeries, so scheduled surgeries, but that will not run for very long.
Victorian elective surgeries suspended as coronavirus cases grow
Victoria has recorded 384 new coronavirus cases and six more deaths, as hospital staff and Australian Defence Force medics are being sent into aged care homes overwhelmed by COVID-19 outbreaks.

The Federal Government is also sending Australian Medical Assistant Teams (AUSMAT) to the state, described by Health Minister Greg Hunt as "the SAS of the medical world", and has put a call-out for nurses from interstate to help.

Premier Daniel Andrews said two people aged in their 90s, three people in their 80s and one person in their 70s had died in Victoria, with four of those fatalities linked to clusters in private-sector aged care homes.

Mr Andrews also announced "with some regret" that elective surgeries would be suspended, except for category one and the most urgent category two procedures.

The suspensions will apply to public and private hospitals in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, which are under stage three restrictions.

Mr Andrews said the decision was made with "a sense of absolute urgency" to both free up Victorian health workers to go into aged care homes overwhelmed by outbreaks, and free up hospital beds to treat residents diagnosed with coronavirus.

"We will send our public hospital nurses in to provide the care that's necessary and we will facilitate with Ambulance Victoria the transportation out of residents who need to go to either one of our hospitals or a private hospital," he said.
"We have the better part of 200 residents that have already been moved from private sector aged care to clinical settings, hospitals, both public and private."

Mr Andrews said the state would do its best to honour scheduled surgeries, "but that will not run for very long".
"We will attempt to have your surgery done, but very soon all of that surgery will stop, so only the most urgent patients will be treated," he said.
Andrews flags more residents will be moved out of aged care
Mr Andrews said he no longer had confidence that staff and management across a number of private aged care homes could provide appropriate care to keep residents safe.

"Some of the stories we've seen are unacceptable and I wouldn't want my mum in some of those places," he said.

"We don't run this sector, but the residents in these homes are all Victorians.

"The Commonwealth Government have asked for help and that is exactly what my Government and our agencies will provide to them."

Mr Andrews said the State Control Centre would be "specifically and exclusively dealing with private aged care", including building a workforce that could go into facilities to "provide a higher degree of care and support".

He said registered nurses had already been sent to St Basil's Home for the Aged in Fawkner which has been linked to 86 coronavirus cases.

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos struggled to hold back tears as she spoke of the "distressing situation" in aged care homes.

She said attempts to control the outbreak at St Basil's had not been sufficient, which was why many patients had been transferred from the facility.
"We have 35 residents remaining, the vast majority of residents have been transferred to hospitals, largely private hospitals across Melbourne," she said.
"Personally I have found the last week very distressing to see the number of outbreaks that we have had across our aged care sector in Victoria and also the number of fatalities that we have had.
"I want to acknowledge the grief of all of those families who have lost a loved one, a very much-loved member of their family, in recent days."

The Premier said approximately 180 active cases were in regional Victoria, which is not subject to the stage 3 lockdown.

..
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victorian-elective-surgeries-suspended-as-coronavirus-cases-grow-by-384-with-six-more-deaths/ar-BB17fGT6?ocid=msedgntp

"If you're outside the most urgent of Category 2 or in Category 3 - although very little Category 3 surgery is being undertaken at the moment - then we will attempt to have your surgery done, but very soon, all of that surgery will stop. So only the most urgent patients will be treated.
"That is appropriate because that will free up beds and it will free up staff."

Additionally, nurses will be moved into a number of Victorian aged care facilities suffering from COVID-19 outbreaks following the suspension of some elective surgery in the state.

The decision follows a number of allegations of serious mismanagement across aged care homes battling COVID-19 clusters.
"Some of the stories we've heard, some of what's gone on in some of these settings is simply not acceptable," he said.
"It's not about blame, it's not about demarcations and having disputes about who is in charge of what. It's just about getting on and getting this done."

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos shed a few tears while speaking about the fatalities linked to numerous outbreaks across aged care in Victoria.
"I have to say personally I have found the last week very distressing to see the number of outbreaks that we have had across our aged care sector in Victoria and also the number of fatalities that we have had," she said.
"I want to acknowledge the grief of all of those families who have lost a loved one, a very much-loved member of their family in recent days.
"The situation in largely private aged care has been very, very concerning and we have taken steps today and in recent days to support that sector and to support the Commonwealth Government in its efforts."

Ms Mikakos confirmed 35 patients remain at St Basil's aged care home, with the vast majority being transferred to hospitals.
She admitted "steps have not been sufficient" to contain the outbreak at the facility.

Premier would not let his own mother stay in some Victorian aged care facilities
Premier Daniel Andrews says it is not "unreasonable" for hospitals to decline accepting aged care residents from coronavirus-infected homes.

He relayed not every resident with coronavirus would need to go to hospital.
"We will never have 50,000 beds we can simply hand over," he said.
447 active COVID-19 cases linked to aged care homes in Victoria .

Mr Andrews said private-aged care providers could not just handball their business to a hospital.

"You can't just say you're closing your doors and everyone will move to a public hospital.

"There have been some private providers - their first thing to do is to call triple-zero. I would always reserve the right to hospitals to make a clinical judgement."

However, he said the alleged mistreatment of residents inside aged care residences was "unacceptable".
"I would not let my mum be in some of these places," he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/premier-daniel-andrews-says-he-has-no-confidence-in-private-aged-care-covid-19-response/ar-BB17glrw?ocid=msedgntp


Children's Hospital outbreak 'very challenging'
COVID-19 test results from the Royal Children's Hospital NICU have so far come back negative following a coronavirus outbreak, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said.

It comes after four cases, including a baby, two parents and a healthcare worker tested positive.
"We've had a very challenging set of circumstances in the last 24 hours at the Royal Children's Hospital," she said.
"The latest advice that I have is that all the results have been received but one result that's still pending of the babies at the NICU and they have all come through as negative so I think that is very good news, very positive news that I wanted to share with the community, because I know that this particular incident is one that would have caused a great deal of distress to many."

Update
Ms Mikakos said there was some good news about the outbreak at the Royal Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit, where a baby, two parents and a health care worker tested positive yesterday.

She said all other babies in the unit had tested negative.

"I think that is very good news, very positive news that I wanted to share with the community because I know that this particular incident is one that would have caused a great deal of distress to many," she said.

Refusing Victorian's right to exercise 'like prison'
Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton has clarified that people who have tested positive to COVID-19 in Victoria are allowed to leave home for exercise.
"Otherwise it is detention and we do not have detention for cases in Victoria," he said.
"you are effectively putting them in prison"
"They are entitled to exercise within their home and their garden, ideally. People who have no garden and have no other option - they have a right to exercise.
"So the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities is clear that if you are not giving people an option to exercise than you are effectively putting them in prison and that is not something that can be done for a case of coronavirus or for anyone else for that matter."

Victorians who test positive to COVID-19 are contacted and interviewed by the Department of Health and Human Services within 24 hours, Professor Sutton confirmed.

The reassurance follows concerns of delays from health authorities and inaccurate results.

Professor Sutton said people who were not able to be contacted would receive a doorknock from Defence personnel.
"There can be a number of reasons and from 10,000 active cases, 10,000 cumulative cases in Victoria, there will be many people who have been unable to be contacted for whatever reason."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victoria-records-384-new-covid-19-cases-and-six-new-deaths/ar-BB17g45y?ocid=msedgntp

Fed govt would support greater restrictions in Victoria: Hunt
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the federal government would support the Andrews Government if it enforced greater restrictions on Victorian residents.

Mr Hunt echoed Premier Daniel Andrews' comments suggesting Victoria was already in Stage Four as a result of the implementation of mask-wearing.
"Effectively, the move to population-wide mandatory masks represents that. If more restrictions are required, the state will take them and the federal government will support them," he said.
"It's going to be a difficult period but in the end we'll get there."

Mr Hunt said Victorians would only see an easing of state restrictions if people maintained the use of masks, social distancing, hand hygiene and remained at home.
"If we can get tracing to the level where each case is not just being contacted but fully followed through... those are things that are going to get it down," he said.

Jobs fall amid rise in Vic virus cases
Employment fell 1.1 % between mid-June and mid-July, with the biggest loss suffered in Australia's second most populous state of Victoria which is seeing a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.

Total payroll jobs decreased 2.2 % in Victoria as additional COVID-19 restrictions were re-introduced, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed on Tuesday, .

Nationally, payroll jobs are 5.6 % below mid-March levels, when Australia recorded its 100th confirmed COVID-19 case, forcing it to introduce strict mobility restrictions.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/jobs-fall-amid-rise-in-vic-virus-cases/ar-BB17fYlm?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/fed-govt-would-support-greater-restrictions-in-victoria-hunt/ar-BB17fEtr?ocid=msedgntp

PM cuts short Qld trip as COVID-19 situation worsens in Vic
PM Scott Morrison has cut short his Queensland trip to return to Canberra, citing the ongoing and worsening situation in Victoria.
"I'll be returning to Canberra, obviously, to work closely with our Department of Health and Minister Hunt, as well as Minister Colbeck, to ensure we're doing everything we can to address that situation in Victoria, particularly in relation to aged care," he said.
"I had been planning to be in Queensland for the next few days because we really are dealing with a health crisis and we are dealing with an economic crisis."

PM said there was significant quantities of PPE provided to the aged care sector in Victoria with more to be provided.
"An important part of the process we have been following has been to transfer those who have COVID, in particular, out of aged care facilities into both public and private hospitals," he said.
"This is a very important part of the plan that is being implemented, that relieves the stress on those facilities where there are patients - I should say residents - who are able to be accommodated in those facilities in single rooms in appropriate facilities."

The PM made the announcement at Walker Seafoods in Mooloolaba, Qld, which he visited as part of the nation's economic recovery effort.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/morrison-cuts-short-qld-trip-as-covid-19-situation-worsens-in-vic/ar-BB17g0PU?ocid=msedgntp

Bunnings worker tests positive for coronavirus in Melbourne
A Bunnings worker has tested positive for coronavirus in Melbourne's southeast.

The employee worked at the Frankston store and was a close contact of someone outside of Bunnings who had also tested positive.

They have not been rostered on for more than a week.

Since the employee last worked, the store has undergone 14 deep cleans using disinfectants alongside the routine cleans that occur daily.
An additional clean was conducted on Sunday as a precaution.

Bunnings Chief Operating Officer Debbie Pool confirmed the employee had tested positive.

'The team member has not worked at the store for seven days and the Department of Health and Human Services has advised that the risk to the team and customers is very low,' Ms Poole said.
'And importantly, the team member was wearing a face mask during their last shifts - as were all of our team at the store.
'We’re doing everything we can to support our entire team at Frankston.'

Team members who were in close contact with the employee have gone into self-isolation at home and will be provided with paid leave.

All employees in the Victorian stores have been required to wear a mask since July 18.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/bunnings-worker-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-in-melbourne/ar-BB17g97I?ocid=msedgntp

Regional Clusters Growing

Bendigo residents urged to wear face masks
As Bendigo residents are urged to wear face masks, a civil liberties and human rights group says there is no "human right" being breached by being made to wear the covering.

Bendigo Health is urging residents in Central Victoria to wear a face mask in public despite it not being a directive from the Victorian Government.
Outside of the lockdown hotspots, the State Government is encouraging regional Victorians to wear masks in situations where they cannot physically distance.

Bendigo hospital chief medical officer Diana Badcock said the Central Victorian community was at risk as COVID-19 numbers across the region continued to rise.
"The time has now come for Bendigo and the wider community, for the community to start thinking about masks being just part of what you wear every day," she said.
<< not yet mandatory in Bendigo , but a very effective means of reducing the Reff and perhaps slowing or even stopping community transmission of covid in the region , so the ADVISE is to obtain a mask ( surgical is good ( Delta Reff = 0.7 ) or an N95 ( Delta Reff >= 0.95 )) and to wear when every outside the home where there are other people).>>

There are 21 active cases of coronavirus in Central Victoria after two were added to both the Greater Bendigo and Macedon Ranges' records on Monday.

Most outbreaks linked to workplaces
Almost all of Don KR Smallgoods workers in Castlemaine have been tested for COVID-19 after an outbreak at the meat processing plant began last Thursday.

Castlemaine Health confirmed 10 cases were now linked to the outbreak and over 600 employees have returned negative results.

Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett said there was no need for regional Victoria to return to lockdown because there was no evidence of community transmission, but said face masks should be considered.

She said most outbreaks were linked to workplaces.
"The message for people though is there could be cases in the local community once you know you've had a number linked to a workplace," Professor Bennett said.
"That means that people just need to be extra on guard and think about wearing masks."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/bendigo-residents-urged-to-wear-face-masks-but-no-human-right-is-being-breached/ar-BB17glVP?ocid=msedgntp

Coronavirus cases aren't coming down despite Victoria's lockdowns. Experts seek to explain why
The epicentre of Australia's coronavirus outbreak, Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, is coming up on three weeks into lockdown.

Residents must stay home except for essential shopping, care, exercise, study or work reasons, and on Thursday it became mandatory to wear a mask in public places.

Despite these actions, daily new case numbers have stayed stubbornly high.
So why hasn't Victoria's lockdown brought case numbers down more dramatically? And what else could we be doing to stop the spread?

We put those questions to the experts. Here's what they said.
Masks may be changing our behaviour
By now the case numbers were hoped to be dramatically lower, says Dr Philip Russo, president of the Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control.

But the fact we only have a loose lid on infection doesn't come down to the Government's response; it's squarely on the public, Dr Russo says.
"Clearly people aren't following the guidelines and perhaps there's a sense that they're not going to be bothered too much if they do get the infection," Dr Russo says.
"There's some really obvious disobedience displayed on social media."

It's pleasing that mask-wearing has been largely embraced in Melbourne, but Dr Russo worries people will have a new false sense of confidence and leave their house more and more.
"Although we're all wearing masks now we still need to continue to only go out for the four reasons (to shop for food, for medical treatment, exercise or work and study).

"It may be giving them a sort of false bravado to think they are protected and can go out as much as they like."
Compliance appears to be a 'when it suits me' idea for some and the daily hype and hysteria online is distracting people from the key messages, Dr Russo says.
"It's still has to be about distancing, hygiene and staying at home."

Pressure to turn up to work
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says "far too many people" are going to work while sick, instead of getting tested and staying home while waiting for a result, labelling it "the biggest driver" of coronavirus transmission in the state.

The problem has been particularly prevalent in aged care, the Premier says.

Julie Leask, a social scientist who specialises in risk communication and nursing at the University of Sydney, says this reluctance to call in sick is largely linked to how financially stable people feel.

"For example, for casual workers ...isolation after a test could mean no work, less chance you will get a shift in future, and considerable financial stress. In that situation, it's easy to rationalise a scratchy throat as just being a bit of a cold," she says.

Professor Leask says casualisation and presenteeism — working while ill — was already a problem in the health industry so we couldn't expect it to be resolved overnight.

"This is something we already knew — pandemics and epidemics throw light on existing vulnerabilities."
Weak lines of communication with culturally and linguistically diverse people could also be a setback, but Professor Leask stressed each state was in urgent need of behavioural data to fully understand people's attitudes.

"We need better evidence on where the vulnerabilities are occurring. Having data on the biggest barriers to needed behaviours will tell governments where they need to most improve processes."

More full-scale lockdowns were needed
Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, epidemiologist and World Health Organisation member, says there's one major reason case numbers keep spiralling upwards.

"It's simple, the ring-fencing wasn't done properly. If you lock down people you actually have to keep them there, you don't let them leave," she says.

Professor McLaws believes full-scale lockdowns, like those implemented in public housing, should have been applied in hotspots weeks ago so people weren't leaving for work .

"You basically just let the virus walk out then.

"But if you're going to do the 'lite' version of ring-fencing you should at least mandate that people wear masks to work."

Aged care, distribution centres, meatworks, cool stores and warehouses have driven most of the second wave in Victoria, but Professor McLaws said this could have been avoided if authorities had learnt from mistakes elsewhere.

"We knew that aged care was an area of severe underemployment and many staff work across facilities. If we didn't learn that from Tasmania, we should have learnt that from NSW. But still those workers weren't required to wear masks in the early phase."

Professor McLaws says she understands there are a multitude of reasons why some workers feel pressured to attend work so the best approach is to change the work environment.
"If you can't put up perspex barriers then make sure all workers are wearing face shields... but really what should have been done is experts visiting factories and the like to assist employers."

Notwithstanding the mistakes made, Professor McLaws says Victorians should "hold their mettle" as not enough time has passed.

We haven't seen the full effect of masks yet
It's been less than a week since the introduction of mandate mask wearing, so the benefits of that aren't being seen in the daily case numbers yet, says Hassan Vally, an epidemiologist at LaTrobe University.
"We're only four days, five days since that happened. I've always had it in my head that come Wednesday, this week, we would probably see the drop associated with mask wearing," Dr Vally says.
"That's probably the easiest thing to explain. And then it gets really messy after that."

One thing that seems to go hand-in-hand with a rise in daily case numbers is a call for stage four restrictions, but Dr Vally says that's premature, and a blunt instrument.
"If it was that easy a decision, every single person would make that. We'd all give up four weeks of our life to stop this horribleness that we're in right now.
"But I don't think it's as easy as that and there's a huge cost associated with shutting everything down."

More effective, he says, is targeted shutdowns based on good evidence.
One of the issues is aged care, which can't simply be shut down, and authorities are working on improving infection control measures in that sector.

"There's an extraordinary amount of effort being done to limit the spread of cases through these workplaces and aged care centres."

Despite the complexity of the Melbourne outbreak, Dr Vally is hopeful the shift in the curve will be evident soon.
"We're still not seeing rapid doubling," he says.
"I remain very optimistic that we will maybe have a few more days of hovering around this level and it might even go a little bit higher but then I really feel like towards the end of this week ... we'll start to see some positive results."

Bad luck
The numbers in Victoria may look bad, but they would have been many times worse without intervention, says Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, an epidemiologist at the University of Wollongong.

Just how much worse is impossible to say, but outbreaks in other parts of the world with similar population densities to Melbourne have seen exponential increases with thousands of cases a day, Mr Meyorwitz-Katz says.
"I understand people's frustration that they're making these sacrifices [but] without these actions, if we had everyone still mingling like we were a few weeks ago, we would expect to see far more
numbers than we have seen already."

He says the continued rise in cases is probably a sign that a lot of people were infected early on in the outbreak, and the after effects of that are still trickling through.
"Most likely, what we're seeing now is an artefact of the last few weeks and we would expect those cases to stay at this level for a while longer, I would guess, because these people were infected not today, not yesterday, but maybe even a week ago or more," he says.
"It's really a matter of patience."

As for why it's happened in Victoria? Bad luck, on the most part.
<< Something cultural in how Melbournians behave or the gullibility of a section of the community to covidiot conspiracy theories or to ape what they've seen happening overseas ? >>

"Unless you have zero circulating cases, which fortunately some states in Australia have managed to maintain, there's always the potential, even if there's a very small risk, of having an outbreak. But it can happen.
"I think it could have happened anywhere."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2020-07-28/coronavirus-vic-lockdowns-why-arent-cases-coming-down-experts/12495100

Homeless ( Protecting them from Covid19 )

Coronavirus hotel housing for Victoria's homeless gets extension amid calls to make it permanent
A program to shelter homeless Victorians in hotels during the coronavirus pandemic has been extended until April next year, to the great relief of welfare agencies.
"This will be a life-saving measure," said Bevan Warner, the CEO of Launch Housing.
"It means the 2,000 people who were sleeping rough and are now in hotels and motels will have somewhere to ride out the pandemic, at least until April 2021."

The hotel program was swiftly set up in the early days of the pandemic.

Outreach workers combed the streets and parks of Melbourne and other capital cities looking for rough sleepers, offering them shelter in hotels and empty student accommodation.

Around 7,000 homeless people were given shelter through the program.

Social workers soon noticed another added upside, aside from safety.

By having their clients in one location, rather than constantly on the move, they could make much faster progress putting them on a path to permanent accommodation.
"If we go back to their sleep site, they may not be there and you may not see them again for months," Launch Housing outreach worker Dana McGrory told the ABC in June.
"They can be really hard to get your hands on."

In New South Wales, 100 people were successfully transitioned off the streets into permanent accommodation between April and June — in a state that usually only manages around 200 such cases in a year.

In South Australia, Neami National was placing around six people a day in June — well above its usual rate of around 11 a month.

Bevan Warner was one of the leaders of the campaign to make the program permanent — arguing that the pandemic had shown there was a way to solve homelessness in Australia for good, and for less money than the status quo of leaving people on the streets.
"It costs more in police call-outs, and having doctors and nurses treat people in emergency wards, than it does to provide people with a home," he said.
"With the 1,000 clients that we have currently in emergency accommodation, we'd be saving $15 million a year."

Those numbers are backed up by a 2015 University of Queensland study that calculated savings of more than $13,000 a year for each homeless person taken off the street, because they had fewer health problems and less trouble with the law.

The $150 million package announced by the Victorian Government covers hotel accommodation for around 2,000 homeless people until next April, as well as the cost of leasing 1,100 properties on the private rental market.

Those properties are intended to become permanent homes for people who leave emergency accommodation.
"It's a sign that we, as a community, have the ability to build back better from this pandemic. Homelessness is solvable, but not without more homes and more support and this announcement does both," Mr Warner said.
"Melbourne can be a world leader in ending homelessness and these former rough sleepers are being given a very significant opportunity to move ahead with their lives."
<< Truly an example to the other wealthy industrialised nations where some full through the cracks of housing safety nets when they fall on hard times >>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/coronavirus-hotel-housing-for-victoria-s-homeless-gets-extension-amid-calls-to-make-it-permanent/ar-BB17gdpc?ocid=msedgntp

Age Care Homes situation

Victoria coronavirus wave causing confusion in aged care facilities
An aged care resident hospitalised with COVID-19 says she has not been able to contact her friends in the facility, as family members of a different resident say they feel "left in the dark" about the situation inside the nursing home.

A surge in coronavirus infections in Victoria's aged care sector has prompted grave concerns about staffing in the industry, and authorities have warned more residents will die before the pandemic ends.

Yesterday, the State Government reported there were 683 active cases across 61 aged care facilities in Victoria — numbers Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton described as "disturbing".

Epping Gardens Aged Care resident Shirley, who did not want her last name reported, was tested for coronavirus last Thursday after developing a fever and sore muscles.

She was transferred to hospital shortly afterwards.
"We didn't know what was going on until we read about it," she said.
"We had no idea how bad it was."

The Epping Gardens facility in Melbourne's north was yesterday connected to a total of 77 infections, making it one of the largest aged care outbreaks in the state.

This time last week, there were just two cases linked to the Epping Gardens cluster.

Shirley has tried to find out the status of other residents but has not had any luck.
"I can't even find out if any of my friends are in here [hospital] because we're not told anything," she said.
"I'm trying to get in touch with someone in there [Epping Gardens] so I can find out what's going on — find out who's left and who's not."


'I really wish I could see her': Family desperate for update
Other families of residents in facilities connected to large clusters also said it was difficult to get updates about their loved ones.

Luci Larubina, whose 85-year-old mother Elsa is in Epping Gardens, said she did not know there were any cases in the facility until she read the news yesterday.

Elsa tested negative to coronavirus, but Ms Larubina only found that out when she and her son Patrick visited the facility in person.
"We tried ringing them, they never answered my phone calls, so I said to Patrick, 'Let's go,'" she said.
Ms Larubina and Patrick said they felt like they were "left in the dark" about the situation in the nursing home.
"I really wish I could see her," she said.

Families grieve the loss of aged care residents to coronavirus
Spiros Vasilakis' mother, Maria was a resident of the St Basil's Home for the Aged. She contracted COVID-19 and died last week
.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/grave-concern-over-virus-hitting-aged-care-homes/vi-BB17g1jM?ocid=msedgntp

The ABC made several attempts to contact Heritage Care, the aged care provider that operates Epping Gardens, but received no response.

Its chief executive told Nine yesterday there was a severe shortage of trained staff and that the facility needed help to cope with the outbreak.

Concerns about communication at St Basil's Home for the Aged in Fawkner, which has been linked to 84 infections, have also been raised in recent days.

Three weeks ago, 92-year old Theo Makridis went to St Basil's for some respite care, as he struggled with advanced stages of cancer.

When he left his home, it was the last time his family would see him in person.

The day his family decided to keep Mr Makridis at St Basil's, the management of the facility was taken over by the federal Department of Health.

His daughter Rita Makridis told the ABC she struggled to get information about her father's health and the care he was getting during the week.

On Saturday, Mr Makridis passed away. The cause of his death is still unknown.

Ms Makridis still doesn't know if her father was ever tested for COVID-19.
"There's an expectation they're meant to be helping but families are just being torn apart," she said.
"We just wanted some answers and information."

In a statement, St Basil's published on Friday, its chief executive said it was difficult to get information from the federal team that had taken over the facility to share with relatives.

Mental health concerns for residents who can't see their families
In facilities that haven't seen coronavirus outbreaks, residents have reported concerns about staffing and the effect of not being able to see people's loved ones.

Merle Mitchell, a resident at the Waverley Valley Aged Care facility, which has not had a coronavirus case, said she worried "dreadfully" about the impact restrictions on visitors would have on residents' mental health.
"We thought we got through the first [restrictions] and then things settled down a bit," she said.
"And the shock now of not being able to see family and friends physically has had a profound mental impact with people who may have occasionally gotten depressed, but are now suddenly very depressed."

The 85-year-old also said aged care staff were under immense pressure because of an increased workload.
"Because we're now sitting in our rooms and have to have everything brought to us, they're now working twice as hard as they used to," she said.
"I think also, for the residents, who can't join the dots and understand what is happening, I think their confusion is probably causing extra work for the staff."

Debra Nicholl, an advocacy manager at Elder Rights Advocacy in Victoria, said the pandemic had highlighted pre-existing issues with staffing in the sector.
"People were already concerned about the level of care that was being provided," she said.
"So now to be in a situation where they're not able to get in to see their loved ones as regularly as they might have, their concern is just ten-fold."

She said communication from providers at a time like this was especially important.
"People get worried if they don't know what's happening, and so the quicker accurate communication can get out to families of residents, the better," she said.
"And the more often providers can do that, the better."

Ms Mitchell said she saw aged care workers were getting exhausted.
"It's really important that we recognise the extra burden that the staff are coping with at the moment, and there's no end in sight," she said.

In a statement on Friday, Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the Commonwealth and Victorian governments were "taking all possible steps to ensure that the residents receive the care they need, and that their families are being kept up to date about the situation at the home and in relation to their loved one".
"The Australian Government is working hard to ensure there are sufficient numbers of skilled staff for every shift at St Basil's Home for the Aged — both clinicians and personal care workers — to provide safe, quality care to all residents," Mr Colbeck said.
"The rostered staff are being supported on site by specialist, in-reach medical staff provided by DHHS, and their clinical expertise is highly valued."
<< And ADF personnel have been trained up to fill gaps ( often at literally 20mins notice ) in the aged care homes ( ABC 7pm News ) >>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/victoria-coronavirus-wave-causing-confusion-in-aged-care-facilities/ar-BB17fD3S?ocid=msedgntp

Aged care residents turned away from Victorian hospitals as coronavirus cases surged
Vulnerable aged care residents were being turned away from Victorian public hospitals as coronavirus cases surged, 9News can reveal.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said some facilities had attempted to admit residents only to be "blocked or deferred by the Victorian system," labelling it "unacceptable".
"We have stepped in, the Prime Minister, myself, and the Aged Care Minister, to make sure every resident who needs care is given that access to the Victorian hospital system," Mr Hunt said.

9News has been told the Victorian Government had come under increasing pressure to open up more hospital beds and shutdown elective surgeries to free up nursing staff for a workforce severely impacted by the pandemic.

At least 340 aged care workers in Victoria have coronavirus, with support staff brought in from the Australian Defence Forces and South Australia ( relief workers from SA Health and SA Age Care Homes ) .

Mr Hunt also told 9News a Federal Government-ordered review has found an outdated system is to blame for a delay in returning some test results in Victoria. There have been reports of results taking as long as eight days to be returned.

Chief Scientist Alan Finkel discovered private pathology labs still have to manually phone in results to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, unlike automated email systems used in other states.
"We've asked the chief scientists Alan Finkel to look at it," Mr Hunt said.
"Professor Finkel has identified this as one of his recommendations to improve that flow in Victoria."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/aged-care-residents-turned-away-from-victorian-hospitals-as-coronavirus-cases-surged/ar-BB17gw3Q?ocid=msedgntp

Paid pandemic leave has just been granted to Australian aged care workers – and unions are calling for it to be extended to everyone
Two weeks of paid pandemic leave have been extended to aged care workers in the latest Fair Work decision.
The conditional special leave will be available to those who are either displaying symptoms or have coming into close contact with a confirmed case.
Unions are now calling for the measure to be extended to all workers to protect against further spread of the coronavirus

As the coronavirus continues to cause havoc in aged care homes, their workforces have been granted some industrial relief.

Aged care workers around the country will receive two weeks of pandemic leave, available until September, to enable them to self-isolate when required, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has ruled.
"There is a real risk that employees who do not have access to leave entitlements might not report COVID-19 symptoms which might require them to self-isolate, but rather seek to attend for work out of financial need," it said in its decision.
"This represents a significant risk to infection control measures."

Finalising the decision this week, workers on three different awards will be granted the special leave from Wednesday and will be able to take it if they show symptoms or have close contact with a confirmed case.

It'll be conditional on workers being 17 years or older and cannot be used in tandem with JobKeeper payments or other types of leave, such as unused annual leave.

If not directed by the government or their employer to self-isolate, workers will need to provide a medical certificate to use the leave, with the amount paid to be the weekly average of their last six weeks of earnings.

The leave is the latest Fair Work decision in a burst of industrial relations changes to prepare the workforce and employers to deal with the challenges of the pandemic.

It comes after a sustained campaign by the union movement to implement pandemic leave widely to workers who would otherwise be tempted or financially compelled to work despite potentially being infected.

Enlivened by this win, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is now calling for it to be extended to all workers.
"We welcome this decision but it still does not remove the trap door for casual workers with irregular hours, or workers in other industries," secretary Sally McManus said.

With eight in ten Victorian cases linked to the workplace, McManus described pandemic leave as "a circuit breaker to stem the rate of transmission".
"No worker should be left considering if they should go to work with mild symptoms to pay the bills," she said.

There are likely many in that position. An independent survey of 1,000 Australians — commissioned in June and provided to Business Insider Australia — found that nearly four in 10 Australians would go to work with symptoms that could either present as flu or COVID-19. Around one in three said they'd go to work with a cough.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/personalfinance/paid-pandemic-leave-has-just-been-granted-to-australian-aged-care-workers-and-unions-are-calling-for-it-to-be-extended-to-everyone/ar-BB17fVrw?ocid=msedgntp

Hospitals

Doctors fear 'unacceptable risk' on Melbourne coronavirus ward without specialist N95 masks
Key points:
Doctors at the Alfred who care for COVID-19 patients want N95 masks which provide the "best level of protection"
The hospital says they are reserved for those preforming an "aerosol-generating" procedure on coronavirus wards
The Royal Melbourne Hospital requires all clinicians working on those wards to wear an N95 mask

Doctors on Australia's coronavirus frontline at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne believe they are at unacceptable risk because they do not have adequate protective equipment, forcing some to steal specialised masks from other areas of the hospital or buy their own.

Respiratory and infectious disease doctors have requested specialised N95 masks for when they assess and care for infected patients on The Alfred's COVID-19 ward, but have instead only been given standard surgical masks
<< Delta Eff`~ 0.7 cf Delta Eff >= 0.95 for N95 masks >>.

The N95 masks, which can be purchased at hardware stores or pharmacies, are more protective than the commonly used surgical mask, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention filter out at least 95 per cent of airborne particles.

The Department of Health's website said a P2/N95 mask should be used instead of a surgical mask for, "frequent close contact with patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19".

There are currently 400 health workers with the virus in Victoria and many more are in self-isolation.

One doctor, who did not want to be named, told the ABC his colleagues did not have access to N95 masks to review their patients, despite repeatedly requesting them.

Doctor doesn't feel safe, protected when assessing COVID patients
He said when appropriately fitted the mask provides clinicians with "the best level of protection in an easy-to-wear device".
"Respiratory and infectious disease doctors are having to buy their own supplies and bring them in or TAKE them from Code Blue trolleys which is a danger in itself, because they won't be stocked adequately when required," the doctor said.
"I have elderly and vulnerable family members and I don't feel safe or protected when treating and assessing the COVID-19 patients."

A spokesperson for the Alfred Hospital confirmed the N95 masks are only being provided to staff performing a specific procedure on the COVID-19 wards.
"Alfred Health carefully follows both the national and state-wide guidance that describes what PPE, including the type of mask, is most appropriate in different clinical situations," a spokesperson said.
"Under current guidance, staff in a COVID-designated area performing an aerosol-generating procedure would wear an N95 mask."

But the Australian Government's COVID-19 PPE guidelines also state healthcare workers in, "frequent or close contact with suspected or confirmed cases should wear an N95 mask instead of a surgical mask".

In stark contrast, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, which is treating about 40 per cent of Australia's COVID-19 inpatients, now requires all clinicians who work on COVID-19 wards to wear an N95 mask."While the local prevalence remains high, we require all clinicians who work in hot COVID areas [hot wards and screening wards] and all clinicians involved in AGP's [aerosol-generating procedures] to wear an N95 mask AND a face shield," an email from the Royal Melbourne Hospital's Executive Director, Dr Cate Kelly said.
"Staff who work in other clinical areas are required to wear a surgical mask and a face shield."

Doctors at the Alfred Hospital said while some healthcare workers were given liberal access to N95 masks, anyone treating patients infected with coronavirus should be given the same personal protective equipment.
"I have one of the worst jobs for exposure," the doctor said.
"I don't know how my family would cope if I ended up intubated in ICU because my hospital couldn't be bothered to protect me."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/doctors-at-melbourne-hospital-say-ppe-for-covid-19-inadequate/12497390

Schools

Tensions over school attendance in Melbourne
Parents and principals are at odds with the Victorian government, demanding VCE and speciality school children learn from home ( because the on off and on age cycle of closures of schools where staff or students turn up covid positive are high disruptive to effective learning and it's there experience it's better to revert to in home - e-schools , home workpacks , remote ed ).
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/grave-concern-over-virus-hitting-aged-care-homes/vi-BB17g1jM?ocid=msedgntp
<< The situation in Victoria in schools has become so chaotic and disfunctional that's it's pointless keeping them open for face to face all day education , it is risking the healths and lifes of students, families, and teachers and school staff, and mass public transport workers ( trains, buses, trams ) excessively for little economic gain ( a lot of parents are now on furlough or have been let go ) . >>

Anxiety levels in Melbourne schools ‘extreme’ as more campuses close after students test positive for COVID-19
Two more students have become infected with coronavirus at a secondary school in Melbourne’s north.

Epping Secondary College notified staff and families on Monday night that three students had tested positive for coronavirus since the start of term three and “all relevant” students and parents had been contacted.

The school also advised the contacts would await further details from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The McDonalds Rd campus remains closed.

It comes after the nearby Lalor Secondary College shut on Monday after one of its students tested positive for COVID-19.

The schools join more than 50 that have shut in the past fortnight.

Australian Principals Federation president Julie Podbury said the alarming rate of school closures was producing “a new level of anxiety”.
“This is a new level of anxiety that had not been anticipated,” she told 3AW.
“Over 50 secondary schools closed, one school has even shut three times and another was told to reopen today but overnight told contact tracing hasn‘t yet happened. The anxiety level is extreme.”
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/anxiety-levels-in-melbourne-schools-extreme-as-more-campuses-close-after-students-test-positive-for-covid19/news-story/18eee85198c6382bfc4826a3033ee589

Civil disobediancy or stupidity or something more sinister

Is there a campaign by a small group of die hard covidiots and conspiracy theorists or ultrarightwing ultralibertarians trying to sabotage the Victorian L3 / L4 Melbourne covid19 suppression campaign ( intent on the misguided believe that Victoria ( and Australia) should let the pandemic run it's course un-shackled to achieve natural herd immunity ? Chatter online ( Twitter , Facebook ) is this may be the case .

Some evidence

Liberty Victoria advocates for the rights and freedoms of people when it believes they are threatened by governments and organisations.
Its vice president Julia Kretzenbacher, who is a barrister, says being made to wear a face mask is not a breach of human rights.
"It may be a limitation on someone's right but that's a limitation that is reasonably necessary for the broader human right of the right to life and the right to health," she said.
"It's not an onerous requirement, it's quite a small requirement, and there are exceptions for people who are legitimately not able to."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/bendigo-residents-urged-to-wear-face-masks-but-no-human-right-is-being-breached/ar-BB17glVP?ocid=msedgntp

I wont be cutting and pasting extracts as I am aware there as similar all be more aggressive responses by some covidiots in other countries and I do not wish to give them ideas or in anyway encourage them (accidentially)

There is now a wealth of science that proves wearing masks is a very effective at reducing Reff in the community , and wearing a mask has diddly to do to with liberty or human rights of the persons asked to wear the mask , no one has the right to endanger other in their community by actively refusing to wear a mask .


This is being used as an excuse by some serially disobedient covidiots. The effect is their actions will cause Reff to increase .

"Karens"
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-07-28/face-masks-bunnings-viral-video-covid19-coronavirus/12496434
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/bunnings-won-t-back-down-over-anti-maskers-in-victoria-stores/ar-BB17fF0k?ocid=msedgntp

Bunnings Karen also tried the same stunt at a chemist the next day.

Her behavior really enraged many Victorians and Australians , the PM , the CMO , the Victorian Premier , the Victorian Police Commissioner , the Victorian and Federal Ministers of Health , and doctors , with most calling for her to dealt with by the Victorian Police and to be taken out of circulation to protect the wider community in Melbourne under Lev 4 and mask mandate.

Summary of public and government response :

Do you have a right to not wear a mask?
In Melbourne under L4 restrictions with the Victorian Government Pandemic Health Act MANDATING wearing masks when outside :
Answer is NO.

It's breach of Vic Health Act and police have the obligation to
1) ask why no mask (some people with health conditions and doctors' certs to prove this are exempt , you are not required to wear a mask if it makes your job dangerous (is against workplace OHS regulations) , or if you are engaged in strenuous exercise )
2) ( if no exeption or good reasonable excuse ) a warning will be issued and the cops will require you to provide your details and WILL TELL YOU put one on immediately ( if you don't have one most Melbourne cops have one for you ) ,
otherwise
3) if you cant prove 1 or refuse 2 , THEN you are in breach of the act and subject to an on-the-spot $200 fine and will be arrested if you refuse to provide details ( liable to other substantial fined this too , and if it refuse to cooperate or resist arrest in anyway ).
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/do-you-have-a-right-to-not-wear-a-mask/ar-BB17eWdk?ocid=msedgntp

And "the Karen" has been dealt with
Melbourne Karen is FURIOUS after being arrested ( and fined ) for not wearing a mask
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/melbourne-karen-is-furious-after-being-arrested-for-not-wearing-a-mask/ar-BB17glO6?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
A lot going on in NSW, QLD , SA and also in government today 28 July .


28 July in NSW

NSW sees 17 new coronavirus infections over past 24 hours, Potts Point restaurant worker tests positive
Key points:
NSW Health says 1 new case visited both Pritchard's Hotel and Mounties
The other is a worker at The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point
Over 22,000 tests have been done in the last 24-hour reporting period

Health authorities say two new coronavirus cases are linked to restaurants and bars in Sydney's eastern suburbs and south-west.

The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point has closed for cleaning after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

Anyone who attended the restaurant between July 23 and July 25 is being asked to quarantine for 14 days after their visit.

It's the second restaurant in the suburb to be linked with the virus after 2 other cases were confirmed at the Thai Rock restaurant in Potts Point.

NSW Health warned anyone who lived in Potts Point or had recently visited the area, to get tested if they developed coronavirus symptoms.

NSW Health has been contacting people who attended Mounties, at Mt Pritchard in Sydney's south-west and Pritchard's Hotel in the same suburb, after a patron who attended both venues tested positive for COVID-19.

Those who visited Mounties at the following times are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days:

July 23 between midnight and 3:00am
July 24 between 11:00am and 3:00pm and between 8:00pm to midnight
July 25 between midnight and 3:00am
Anyone who attended the bistro of Pritchard's Hotel on July 23, between 7:00pm and 7:45pm is urged to get tested if they develop any symptoms of coronavirus.

Sydney yacht club closed, coronavirus alert extended after Potts Point restaurant outbreaks linked
NSW Health has ramped up its alert for people who have eaten out in Potts Point over the past week, after confirming a link between the Thai Rock and Apollo restaurant outbreaks.

2 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 dined at the Thai Rock restaurant and days later at the Apollo restaurant.

In a statement, NSW Health said it "now believes this links the two outbreaks".

The 2 new cases also visited the Cruising Yacht Club Australia (CYCA) in Rushcutters Bay, NSW Health said.

NSW Health has now upgraded its advice to ask anyone who visited the Apollo restaurant on July 22 to isolate and get tested, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not.

Anyone who attended the CYCA on July 23, 24 and 26 is advised to monitor for symptoms and get tested if they develop
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/sydney/sydney-yacht-club-closed-coronavirus-alert-extended-after-potts-point-restaurant-outbreaks-linked/ar-BB17gMuV?ocid=msedgntp

The new cases add to 17 confirmed infections announced earlier on Monday.

Eight of the cases are returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, and four are linked to a funerals cluster in Sydney's south-west.

There are three new infections linked to the Thai Rock cluster in Wetherill Park.

Thai Rock Wetherill Park and Potts Point are under the same management.
One of the new infections remains under investigation.

NSW Police fined six venues in the Illawarra for breaching public health orders and licensing regulations during the pandemic.

A venues in Figtree was fined $5,500 after patrons were seen standing together and drinking in groups.

Under COVID-19 health orders, licensed venues cannot allow customers to drink or be served alcohol while standing.

Other venues in Shellharbour, Dapto and Gerringong were fined for being overcrowded, not enforcing physical distancing and not having COVID safety marshals on site.

Chief health officer, Kerry Chant, urged people across the state to redouble their efforts to stop the spread of the virus by getting tested and avoiding non-essential travel and large gatherings.She said while most cases have been linked to known clusters, community transmission continues.

"This is a critical time over the next three to four weeks and if we can all play our part in changing behaviours and reducing interactions it will help us control the spread of COVID-19," she said.

"This is an anxious time. I think this is a critical time where we need the community to modify their behaviours."

NSW Health issued a warning that anyone who attended the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point between Wednesday, July 15 and Saturday, July 25 needs to be immediately tested.

It says they must also self-isolate for 14 days since they were last there, after a diner who visited the restaurant on Friday, July 17 tested positive last week.

A restaurant staff member has now also tested positive.

There are now nine cases relating to church and funeral services between July 16 and 19 in south-west Sydney which were reported on Saturday.

A couple who tested positive after the Bankstown funeral gatherings are known to have dined at two restaurants.

Anyone who visited the Tan Viet Noodle House Cabramatta (AKA Crispy Chicken Noodle House) between 1:00pm and 2:00pm on Wednesday, July 22, or An Restaurant Bankstown between 9:00am and 11:00am on Thursday, July 23 should watch for symptoms and get tested if they appear.
More detail in eateries
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/another-sydney-restaurant-shut-due-to-covid-19/vi-BB17fGzj?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/new-coronavirus-cases-found-at-separate-sydney-venues/ar-BB17fDJF?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-three-more-sydney-venues-close-due-to-covid-19/vi-BB17fykE?ocid=msedgntp

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian expressed sympathy for those attending funerals but warned that the risk of spreading the virus remained high at large gatherings.
"We know that funerals are terribly emotional time for people but please, unless it's your immediate household you cannot have physical contact — whether it's a wedding, a funeral or whether you're out socialising with friends," she said.
"It is so important for all of us not to let down our guard because when you let down your guard the virus can take hold and spread.
"Our lives can stay at this level of freedom and economic stability and continuity if all of us continue to do the right thing which is so critical."


A student at Georges River Grammar School in Sydney's south-west who tested positive yesterday is also linked to the funerals cluster, NSW Health says.

The school has been closed for cleaning, and close contacts are being asked to self-isolate.

NSW Health is continuing to appeal for anyone who attended the affected funeral services to immediately self-isolate and get tested regardless of symptoms.

The services are:

St Brendan's Catholic Church at Bankstown for one hour on July 16 from 6:30pm
Ausia Funeral Services at Fairfield East on July 17 between 1:00pm and 8:00pm
Funeral service at St Brendan's Catholic Church, Bankstown for one hour on July 18 from 10:00am
Burial service at St John of God Lawn at Rookwood Cemetery on July 18 between 11:30am and 1:00pm
Our Lady of Mt Carmel Catholic Church at Mt Pritchard for one hour on July 19 from 7:30am
Testing in the area is available at Fairfield Hospital and a drive-through clinic at the Fisher Street car park in Cabramatta.
6 linked to funerals cluster
six are linked to the funerals cluster in Sydney's south-west
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/fourteen-new-coronavirus-cases-in-nsw-six-linked-to-funerals-cluster/ar-BB17fGHY?ocid=msedgntp

One new case acquired their infection in Victoria and another is a returned overseas traveller in hotel quarantine.

There were 16,009 tests conducted in the reporting period.

Passengers who were on flight JQ506 from Melbourne to Sydney on July 25 this year are being asked to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms of the virus, NSW Health says.
A woman in her 30s who tested positive for COVID-19 was a passenger on the flight.
She is in isolation and contact tracing is underway.
Virus alert for passengers on three Sydney flights
NSW authorities have issued COVID-19 alerts for three flights which landed in Sydney last week.

Passengers who sat in rows 16, 17, 18 ,19 and 20 aboard flight Emirates flight EK414 which left Dubai and arrived in Sydney on Monday, July 20 are now considered close contacts of an infected person, NSW Health said today.

Alerts have also been issued for travellers who sat in rows 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 on Jetstar flight JQ506 which left Melbourne and landed in Sydney on Saturday, July 25, and for passengers who sat in rows ​19, 20, 21, 22, 23 on Garuda Airways​ flight GA712, which arrived in Sydney from Jakarta on Wednesday, July 22.
Passengers who sat in those seats are now considered to be close contacts of an infected person and must self-isolate and get tested if symptoms develop.

Travellers on these flights are probably in self isolation, either at home under regulations of their NSW border permit or in hotel quarantine.

Earlier this months, the number of overseas arrivals flying in to Sydney Airport was further reduced by the NSW Government to stop a second wave of COVID-19 reaching the state.

Just 350 passengers are now permitted to disembark at the airport each day.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the decision was necessary to allow authorities to focus their resources on stamping out community transmission.
"NSW is the gateway to Australia and it is important that passengers returning home do not overrun the capacity of NSW Health and hotel quarantine," she said in a statement.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/sydney/virus-alert-for-passengers-on-three-sydney-flights/ar-BB17g2Qk?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-27/nsw-sees-17-new-coronavirus-cases-over-past-24-hours/12494158

BLM Protest scheduled for Sydney

NSW Premier appeals to BLM protesters
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has appealed with Black Lives Matter protesters to find different ways to express their views as the state remains at a ‘critical point’.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-nsw-premier-appeals-to-blm-protesters/vi-BB17fQ2M?ocid=msedgntp

6 protesters arrested at Sydney Black Lives Matter march
Key points:
Protesters at the Black Lives Matter protest were demanding justice for David Dungay Jnr
The Dunghutti man died while in custody at Long Bay Jail in 2015
6 people were arrested at the march after it was ruled unlawful amid COVID fears

Police have arrested 6 people, including organiser Paddy Gibson, at a Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney.

5 of those arrested were handed penalty infringement notices.

Mr Gibson was put in the back of a police vehicle before the rally was due to start at 12:00pm.

After he was fined $1,000 for breaching a public health order, Mr Gibson was whisked into State Parliament through the back entrance by Greens MP Jenny Leong.

Police Commissioner Mick Willing said it was unfortunate that people had to be arrested, and he urged protesters to stop breaching public health orders.
"As we said all along, we are not anti the right to protest. This is about public safety. At the end of the day, we are in the middle of a pandemic," he said.
The rally was ruled unlawful by the NSW Supreme Court on the weekend, which was upheld at a last-minute appeal on Monday.

Supporters said they would march anyway while observing social distancing and other health and safety protocols like wearing masks.
"Stand on your own. Stand in a group that is smaller than 20," Mr Gibson said on Monday.
"Come and have your lunch in the Domain in Sydney tomorrow.
"It's not illegal to have your lunch in the park in the city of Sydney still even under the COVID-19 pandemic … we'll be continuing to raise our voice for justice."

Previously Mr Gibson told the ABC the protest was being held to demand justice for David Dungay Jr and other black people who have died in custody.

Mr Dungay died in Long Bay Jail in 2015 after five guards restrained him, and, a registered nurse gave him a powerful sedative. He was 26.

There was a large police presence at the Domain in preparation for the rally, including riot and dog squads.

But just after noon, organisers said police move-on orders meant it was over before it could begin.As demonstrators were marched out of the Domain by police, organisers told the crowds to "disperse, disperse".

Organiser of Black Lives Matter protest dragged from rally
The organiser of a Black Lives Matter protest has been dragged into a police car at an illegal rally in Sydney.

Paddy Gibson was arrested at the Domain, in the city's CBD, by NSW Police along with a number of other protesters.
"Leave now, don't come near me, don't come near me," Mr Gibson shouted at the small crowd as he was removed by police.
"Tell the people to cancel the rally, leave the Domain, don't come near me."

Yesterday, the NSW Supreme Court dismissed Mr Gibson's appeal to hold the march.

Despite this, he, along with other organisers, said it would go ahead anyway.
"You are in breach of the public health order by congregating in the Domain in a group of more than 20 people," police said over a loudspeaker before the arrests.
"If you do not immediately disperse from the Domain you will be detained, and legal action will be taken.
"You must immediately leave the Domain, you are breaching the Public Health Order."

The organisers posted to Facebook, telling people not to come to the Domain.
"Hi all, organisers have been arrested and fined and a move-on order has been issued for the entire area - We recommend that anyone who was on their way to the Domain does not come anymore," the post read. "We will be back."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/organiser-of-black-lives-matter-protest-dragged-from-rally/ar-BB17fMmu?ocid=msedgntp

Some protesters headed to Hyde Park, which is about a 10 minute walk from the Domain, but they did not congregate as police officers trailed them.

After the protesters were detained, a post on the event's Facebook page, Justice For David Dungay Jnr, instructed people on the way to the march to stay away instead.
"We are now appealing for people NOT to come to the Domain.
"Please share spread the word the rally is OVER."

Lawyer Yashvi Shah watched the rally from the NSW Supreme Court and said she could see many more police officers than protesters.
"What I saw from many metres away were protesters socially distancing from each other, and every single one of the protesters I saw were wearing masks and were peaceful, not causing any chaos," she said.

Among the crowd on Tuesday was the nephew of Mr Dungay.

The family of Mr Dungay presented a petition of signatures to the NSW Government this afternoon calling for charges to be laid against the guards involved in his death.

Mr Dungay's mother Leetona Dungay said the petition had "more than 100,000" signatures.

She said Tuesday's rally was "a bit scary".
"We showed them a sign that we weren't going to give up and [we would] get justice and charges and changes."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/sydney-black-lives-matter-protesters-detained/12498034

NSW Outback

Security control and temperature checks at COVID-19 restricted cattle sale in Casino
28july-outback-BB17ga-LZ.jpg

The Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange used security to control and maintain COVID-19 requirements

The Casino All Breeds Bull and Female Sale usually attracts more than 500 people, but COVID-19 restrictions at the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange (NRLX) resulted in reduced numbers for its 22nd year.

NRLX operations manager Brad Willis said 350 people had signed COVID declarations, had their temperatures checked to gain entry, and although not mandatory face masks and hand gloves were supplied.

Two security guards were on site to assist in crowd management with social distancing of 1.5 metres expected from bidders and breeders.
"On the declaration form they all take responsibility that they're to maintain their own social distancing and that's their own personal responsibility," he said.
"It's been a long day, you definitely try and encourage people as much as possible, getting around to them all and trying to push the point it can be a battle."

Only registered buyers with a wrist band were allowed entry to bidding lanes and vendors, a maximum of two people per stud, were allowed entry but restricted to cattle laneways.

Lusty Angus bull tops sale
Bruce Lyle from Ellangowan sold 18 bulls, at an average of $7,000, with Prime Time Lusty P48 topping the sale at $10,500.
"He's just clicked over two years of age, and has been a lovely calf since he was born, just an easy-going, solid fellow, never been a minute's problem, and a good Angus type, easy to fatten and plenty of flesh in him," he said.
"We come here and our motto is one bid will buy them, as soon as we get one bid they're on the market and I believe that this year the right bull made the top money."

Lusty was purchased by Yulgilbar Station at Baryulgil to use in its Sangus program.

Charolais breeder forced to watch online
The sale, which saw 100 bulls sell to an average of $6,220, was streamed online for the first time via StockLive with 70 bidders registered.

With husband and son inside the complex, Helen Trustum from Bentley had to watch her eight two-year-old bulls sell online from an outside building.
"We've had an exceptionally good day, our top bull came in at $10,000, so we're very, very happy," she said.
"I watched it down in the Ramsey & Bulmer office and on the screen, so I felt as if I was still here, but it was disappointing.
"But on the whole with the numbers that are here, hundreds of people here, they've done exceptionally well with all the COVID restrictions."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/security-control-and-temperature-checks-at-covid-19-restricted-cattle-sale-in-casino/ar-BB17gfD6?ocid=msedgntp


Quarantine breach on South Coast

Border Control Order breaches for refusing COVID-19 compliance checks attracts fine, court date
Key points:
Police take action against a couple for refusing to comply with mandatory COVID-19 checks
Officers allege the couple, who recently returned from Victoria, breached a public health order by leaving their home several times while in self-isolation
The 36-year-old man will face court later in the year, the 37-year-old woman has been fined $1,000

A man and woman from the New South Wales South Coast who filmed themselves refusing a COVID-19 compliance check after returning from Victoria have been fined and ordered to attend court for breaching quarantine for a third time.

The video, which was widely shared on Facebook before being removed, showed Lake Illawarra officers attending the Kiama Heights home, south of Wollongong, to check its occupants were self-isolating.

The occupants, a 36-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, refused to open the door for the officer or answer his questions.
The couple repeatedly asked the Leading Constable to provide his name, badge number, and personal liability insurance.
They then accused the officer of trespassing on their property and said they planned to "go after" him personally.

Fined $1,000 and issued court notice.

Lake Illawarra Police said it was the third time the couple had refused to comply with officers since they returned from Victoria with their two children earlier this month.
Police alleged the couple breached the public health order by leaving their home on several occasions during the mandatory self-isolation period.

Under the NSW Health COVID-19 Border Control Order, people who cross from Victoria into NSW must self-isolate for 14 days.

Police attended the home and issued the 36-year-old man with a Future Court Attendance Notice for failing to comply with the health guidelines multiple times.

He is due to appear in Port Kembla Local Court on September 23.

The 37-year-old woman was handed a $1,000 Public Infringement Notice for failing to comply with the guidelines a single time.

In a statement, Lake Illawarra Police said it would continue to conduct proactive visits to ensure compliance with all orders under the Public Health Act.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/kiama-couple-fined-video-refusing-covid-19-compliance-check/12500206

Calls by medical experts to make mask wearing mandatory in NSW

Experts urge NSW to make masks mandatory to avoid VIC style outbreak
A leading infectious disease expert believes New South Wales is at 'real risk' of a second wave of coronavirus if masks aren't made mandatory.

University of NSW professor Raina MacIntyre believes community transmissions could rise rapidly and masks should be worn immediately.
<< Surgical Masks have an efficiency of ~ 70% , and N95 masks have an efficiency of > 95% , so if everyone wore a surgical mask the effective change on Reff would be Delta Reff ~ 0.7 , , this mean if Ro = 5.7
>> you get Reff ~ ( Ro x (1-Delta Reff )) ~ 1.71 so the number of people in each infection is reduced from 5 to 6 down to 1 to 2 per spread .
>> and for N95 masks Delta Reff > 0.95 , so in this case you get Reff < ( Ro - (1-Delta Reff)) = 0.3 so at to get 1 infection the spreader needs to interact with 3 people .

IT'S VERY CHEAP , even if the NSW government sends face masks out in a bulk mail out to every NSWelsman on the Australian Census Lists , IT'S A NO BRAINER !>>
'Pre-emptive measures such as using face masks early should be used in NSW, the earlier you use it, the more effective it will be,' she told the Financial Review.

'It WILL likely save NSW from going the same route as Victoria.'

Professor MacIntyre's warning comes as NSW Health recorded nine locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,400.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2020-07-11/the-who-says-airborne-spread-of-covid-19-possible-what-now/12443268
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/experts-urge-nsw-to-make-masks-mandatory-to-avoid-vic-style-outbreak/ar-BB17fP4l?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
28 July in SA



New coronavirus case confirmed in woman who moved from Victoria to South Australia
The latest South Australian case of coronavirus has been confirmed in a woman aged in her twenties.

Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said the woman was allowed to moved with her family from Victoria to South Australia on Saturday.

The move was approved because she was starting a new job.

The woman was tested in line with requirements for all people arriving from Victoria to have a test within 24 hours.
"Our system has worked ... there has been no exposure to any South Australians in terms of being a close contact," Professor Spurrier said.
"This family came straight over to a relative's house.

"There is no risk at all to the South Australian public from this case."

The woman has been moved to a "medi-hotel" where she'll have medical support, and the rest of her family remain in quarantine.

The announcement leaves South Australia with three active cases and 448 total cases.

Restrictions tighten from tonight
Last week, a South Australian man who returned from Victoria as an essential worker and had been self-isolating tested positive.

Another two cases were recorded in travellers who recently returned from overseas and had undertaken a quarantine period.

From midnight tonight, South Australia residents who are not essential travellers will no longer be able to cross the border from Victoria.

Victorians to be banned from South Australia
There has been a rush at the South Australian border as residents scramble to get home before new restrictions come into effect.
From midnight Tuesday, Victorians will be banned from the state unless they have a special exemption.

Those who live within 40 kilometres will be allowed to cross.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victorians-to-be-banned-from-south-australia/ar-BB17fTOp?ocid=msedgntp

SA boarding students return home from Victoria ahead of new COVID-19 restrictions
A school in western Victoria has organised a bus to return its South Australian students home in a last-minute dash to the border this afternoon.

From just after midnight tonight, South Australians will no longer be allowed return home from Victoria unless they are essential travellers — boarding school students do not qualify.

About 20 students from SA's south-east South attend Hamilton-Alexandra College, located in Hamilton, in western Victoria.

Principal Andrew Hirst said parents had to choose between rushing their children home or not seeing them until border restrictions relaxed.

"[Families] are currently making the difficult decision between leaving their child in Victoria, possibly until Christmas, or bringing them home and returning back to more isolation and the possibility of remote learning," he said.

"We're recommending that families take their children back and just watch and respond over the next two weeks, and just sit back and monitor developments.
"Because … there's no issue in the boarders returning back to Hamilton, but there is [an issue], obviously, getting back across the South Australian border."

Dr Hirst said the school had arranged for "a bus and trailers and horse floats" to return the SA boarders home.

Unsettled by uncertainty
Danielle England will be waiting at the border this afternoon to receive her daughter, Georgina England, and take her home to the family farm at Keilira for mandatory quarantine.

Mrs England said it had been a very intense couple of days for boarding school parents.

"It is a really hard decision and we don't know what the world looks like," she said.
"We're making decisions on the fly.
"We don't know if Georgina will be home for a week, two weeks or six months.
"We had initially thought … stay at school, you're really happy over there.
"But when we spoke with her, she was very adamant that she wanted to come home — and I think the thought of not knowing when next you will come home was really unsettling."

School hopes for change
The school is hopeful some exemptions will be sorted out to allow South Australian students to return home after the tougher restrictions are imposed.

Dr Hirst said the school had been supported by the Federal Education Minister and local member, Dan Tehan.
"He's been in touch with John Gardner, the Education Minister in South Australia, also with South Australia Health, and we're making some leeway now into an understanding that there may be exemptions given for the children to return home in the September-October holidays," Dr Hirst said.
"They need to sit their VCE examinations, and that will be very difficult to do in South Australia."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sa-boarding-students-return-home-from-victoria-ahead-of-new-covid-19-restrictions/ar-BB17g1GX?ocid=msedgntp

It's among a raft of new restrictions designed to prevent Melbourne's surging coronavirus crisis spreading west into the neighbouring state.

Who is allowed to enter South Australia under new COVID-19 border restrictions?
South Australians will not be able to return to their home state from Victoria unless they are essential travellers, starting at one minute past midnight tonight.It's among a raft of new restrictions designed to prevent Melbourne's surging coronavirus crisis spreading west into the neighbouring state.

The laws will take effect this evening after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday announced 549 new cases of COVID-19 in the state.

Here is a run-down of the new restrictions and how they might affect you:

What are the new restrictions?
Earlier this month, South Australia imposed a "hard border" that prevented Victorian residents from entering the state unless they were deemed essential travellers.

South Australians have been allowed to return home since then, but have had to quarantine for two weeks and undergo two mandatory coronavirus tests.

As of 12:01am Wednesday, the border is becoming harder, with South Australian residents who are staying in Victoria barred from returning to SA unless they are essential travellers.

However, people will still to be able to enter South Australia from other states from that time.

Those entering from New South Wales and the ACT will still have to quarantine and undergo mandatory testing.

International arrivals must undertake two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine at their own cost.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/who-is-allowed-to-enter-south-australia-under-new-covid-19-border-restrictions/ar-BB17fyos?ocid=msedgntp

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday announced 549 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, and a further 384 on Tuesday.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/new-coronavirus-case-confirmed-in-woman-who-moved-from-victoria-to-south-australia/ar-BB17gweK?ocid=msedgntp

Aged Care

Bonney Lodge's accreditation automatically extended without assessment during COVID-19
A state-run aged care facility in South Australia's Riverland has had its accreditation automatically extended for six months, despite failing two requirements of the aged care quality standards in February this year.

Bonney Lodge and Hawdon House in Barmera also of the accreditation standards in mid-2019, and was due to be reassessed by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) before the start of next month.

Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) chief executive Wayne Champion, who represents the facility, said the automatic extension occurred because of the pandemic.
"Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ACQSC is currently not undertaking site visits for accreditation purposes" he said.
"As a result, the ACQSC have extended the current accreditation for six months, commencing from August 2, 2020."

Mr Champion said this was to allow enough time for a safe re-accreditation visit to occur and a decision on the facility's future to be made by the commission.

Outcomes not met
In June last year, it was revealed the Barmera aged care facility failed 21 of 44 expected outcomes, including in the areas of staff development, clinical care, specialised nursing care needs, and behavioural management.

This led to a year being stripped off Bonney Lodge and Hawdon House's original accreditation period, which was due to expire in September 2021.

The outcome system has since been remodelled, meaning Australian aged care facilities now need to meet 13 aged care quality standards.

An ACQSC assessment at the start of the year found the approved provider of the Barmera service was non-compliant with two requirements of the new standards.

This included managing complaints and processes and diabetes care, which Mr Champion said referred to one specific patient.

Network chair Peter Joyner said the February assessment "did not identify any area of immediate risk to any consumer".
"[It's] their way of saying it's fine tuning, but the essentials of how the aged care process [works] in our areas is good," Dr Joyner said.
"It just needs to be a little more programmed so if you give out medication for pain relief, you automatically log in and go back in quarter of an hour to check that it's all effective."

While it's business as usual at the facility for now, Mr Champion said he expected the accreditation would be extended beyond the automatic six-month period, because changes had been made.
"Staff at Bonney Lodge and Hawdon House will continue to work on service improvements," he said.
"We look forward to sharing these with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission when an accreditation visit occurs."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/bonney-lodge-s-accreditation-automatically-extended-without-assessment-during-covid-19/ar-BB17fMkW?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
28 July in QLD

Ongoing coronavirus threat prompts Annastacia Palaszczuk to warn Queenslanders against travelling to NSW
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has issued her strongest warning yet against travelling south of the border amid the ongoing threat from COVID-19.
"I would advise Queenslanders at the moment, to not travel to New South Wales," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"Now is not the time to leave Queensland — now is the time to stay in Queensland."

Ms Palaszczuk said while the border to NSW remained open for now, the Government continued to monitor community transmission of coronavirus in Sydney very closely.
"People have been stopping me and telling me they support our stance on the borders, and if we have to take stronger measures we will do that in the interests of protecting people's health," she said.

28july-qld1.png


For now, three Sydney local government areas remain declared hotspots — Liverpool, Campbelltown and Fairfield — as well as the entire state of Victoria.

Interstate people who have been inside a hotspot within the past 14 days are banned from entering Queensland.

Any returning Queensland residents who have been in a hotspot must hotel quarantine at their own expense.

'I'm not getting into that conversation': PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison side-stepped the issue of border controls during a flying visit to Queensland today.

Earlier in the crisis, Mr Morrison openly criticised Ms Palaszczuk for not having open borders, but said today he respected the state's decisions on the matter.
"States are making their own decision about when they decide to put up borders or not," Mr Morrison said.

"They assert their right to do that and I'm not getting into that conversation."

Mr Morrison said when there were severe outbreaks, such as in Victoria, it was prudent to close the border to that state.

Ms Palaszczuk yesterday warned she would "slam the border shut" on New South Wales if community-acquired COVID-19 cases continued to rise there.

At the moment, all states except New South Wales have had multiple incubation periods without community transmission of COVID-19.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/coronavirus-queensland-premier-warns-against-nsw-travel/12495720

QLD Police Staffing Issues

9% of all Queensland police staff needed for coronavirus duties for foreseeable future
28july-qld2-BB17fwkl.jpg

Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski says every effort would be made to facilitate the deployment of officers who self-nominate.

One in nearly every 10 police will be assigned to the coronavirus pandemic response for the foreseeable future, with warnings from Queensland's top disaster cop the fight "is far from over".

The ABC has obtained an internal memo sent to all Queensland Police Service (QPS) staff, pleading with command posts to support the special COVID-response that could impact operational decisions for the "foreseeable future".

In the email, State Disaster Coordinator and Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said at least 9% of staff from all areas, across each region, would be allocated to the crisis duty.
"Our 'business as usual' has changed and we are operating and living in challenging times — we may not even be halfway through this fight — it is far from over," Mr Gollschewski said in the email.
"Failure to keep the virus out of our community will see the reintroduction of harsher restrictions for all of us — this is a responsibility of our entire organisation."

Staff from across the state were being asked to "self-nominate" for up to month-long deployments across Queensland, for duties that included:

Border control
Airport passenger screening
Hotel quarantine security
COVID-19 directive and compliance investigations
Logistics, strategy and planning

Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said the executive leadership team had been advised it needed to "ensure a 9 per cent allocation of staff to the COVID-19 response across all areas to ensure each region and command is not unfairly or detrimentally impacted by their ability to undertake their required policing functions or duties".
"It is my expectation of leadership that if a member self-nominates for deployment and is called upon, every effort is made to facilitate the deployment, which at times may be short notice," he said.
"I accept this may require local rostering adjustments and potential shift in your response to local core responsibilities."

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the measures would help avoid restrictions being tightened.
"We are in unprecedented times and we as police know that by playing our part, we can hopefully keep Queensland open for business and avoid the lockdown returns we have seen in the COVID-infested southern states," Mr Leavers said.
"To return to a lockdown in Queensland is something we are trying to avoid."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nine-per-cent-of-all-queensland-police-staff-needed-for-coronavirus-duties-for-foreseeable-future/ar-BB17fAYj?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/queensland-police-coronavirus-duty-self-nominate-9pc/12493046

Coronavirus sees Riverfire axed from Brisbane Festival; lasers to light up skyline instead
Brisbane Festival is set to go ahead this year, but the city's skyline will look different with Riverfire being scrapped to avoid large crowds gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival's artistic director, Louise Bezzina, told ABC Radio Brisbane the iconic fireworks display was irreplaceable.
"It's an event that brings out the masses and unfortunately in a year like this, it's not a possibility," she said.
"It would take an absolute miracle for us to be able to do Riverfire."

But the show must go on, and laser and light shows are set to bring Brisbane's sky to life across the three-week event in Riverfire's absence.
"The closest thing is the Night Sky laser light and sound installation that will beam off 12 buildings across the CBD for two hours each Friday and Saturday night," Ms Bezzina said.
"It will be absolutely beautiful."

The installation has been designed to avoid people gathering and staying together in one place.

Instead, people will be able to take in the display from numerous vantage points or while moving around the city.
"We are working extremely hard to make sure that everything we do is COVID safe, and we are working very closely with Queensland Health, who have been wonderful in providing lots of great advice," Ms Bezzina said.

While some events are online, the majority of the festival's program is live.

Homegrown talent driving the festival
Ms Bezzina said while organising a major event in a pandemic "has not been a walk in the park", there had been a silver lining for local artists with only one international artist to feature.
"We're resilient in the arts and we just found a way to keep the party going," she said.
"We've got 700 local artists employed, which is the biggest number of artists from this city that we've ever employed.
"There is amazing talent in this city and it's wonderful to be able to showcase it."

She said most festival events were free this year to ensure there was no barrier for people who have been doing it tough.
"I think we just really need some joy in our lives, and artists need employment more than ever."

The festival will run from September 4 to 26.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-sees-riverfire-axed-from-brisbane-festival-lasers-to-light-up-skyline-instead/ar-BB17g7xr?ocid=msedgntp

Grey nomads, recent travellers in north-west Qld urged to get COVID-19 tests
Coronavirus testing for people who are not showing symptoms is set to become available in the state's north.

North West Hospital and Health Service acting chief executive Karen Murphy said testing would be made available in regional areas to anyone who wanted it.
"The majority of testing we have done to date has been for people presenting with cold or flu-like symptoms," Dr Murphy said.
"These pop-up clinics are for those people who are asymptomatic but want to be tested for COVID."

Dr Murphy said it is possible for people to contract COVID-19 and test positive for the virus without showing any signs of illness.
"There still could be significant numbers of people in the communities who have had very mild symptoms and got over it quickly, or in fact had no symptoms but still carry the disease," she said.
"We're not going to know that unless we try and increase our testing numbers."

Travellers told to get tested
Dr Karen Murphy said while testing was now available to everyone, the health service was focused on testing people who had recently been out of the region.
"People who have travelled to Brisbane and back… we believe it's a good idea for them to get tested even if they are asymptomatic," she said.
"For grey nomads and travellers… we would be more than welcome to offer them testing.
"It's about getting as many people tested as possible just to make sure we have no underlying silent disease."

Pop-up clinics go remote
Testing will be made available throughout the north-west, with swabs being sent to Cairns daily for results.
"That machine can test 600 tests in a day," Dr Murphy said.
"Results are usually [returned] between the day of testing and up to two days.
"If you are asymptomatic and have no illness then you don't need to self-isolate, but if you feel unwell you should be staying at home anyway."

Clinics will be held in Mornington Island, Karumba, Julia Creek, Burketown, Camooweal, Gregory, Doomadgee, Cloncurry and Dajarra through August.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/grey-nomads-recent-travellers-in-north-west-qld-urged-to-get-covid-19-tests/ar-BB17fY7Q?ocid=msedgntp

QLD Outback ( Pesty Big Birds )

28-july-emu-wants-to-come-into-the-pub.png

Queensland pub bans entry to pesky emus
The birds may be barred from entering the Yarraka Hotel, but they found their way into this interview with pub owner Gerry Gimblett.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-pub-bans-entry-to-pesky-emus/vi-BB17fW2l?ocid=msedgntp

Far North Queensland & Torres Strait

Torres Strait leaders want tighter border controls as coronavirus cases rise in Papua New Guinea
28july-torres-strait-map-11457534-3x2-large.jpg


Key points:
The Mayor of Torres Shire says tighter border controls are needed to stop the spread of COVID-19 from PNG
There are at least 62 confirmed cases of coronavirus in PNG but there could be "thousands" more
PNG nationals can still travel to Torres Strait islands for emergency medical treatment

A mayor in Far North Queensland says she is concerned about COVID-19 entering Australia from nearby Papua New Guinea.

PNG has recorded its first suspected coronavirus death in the capital Port Moresby, which has entered a 14-day shutdown.

Torres Shire Mayor Vonda Malone said border controls might need to be tightened to stop PNG nationals entering the Torres Strait for emergency health care.
"The treatment of PNG nationals really needs to be looked into," Cr Malone said.
"We've had the humanitarian approach, but how can we ensure that the treatment is not on our shores but on PNG shores?
"With the heightened cases, now that we're in this unfortunate position, we need to revisit and see if there are other measures, stricter measures that need to be put in place."
There have been at least 62 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in PNG, the majority over the past 10 days, but Prime Minister James Marape warned there could be thousands of other cases yet to be identified.

Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott, whose electorate covers an enormous area of Cape York, said he understood the concerns of Torres Strait leaders.

"It is a very porous border we have up here, not just PNG but also Indonesia as well," he said.

"There's always a possibility of people coming across and making their way here, but I do take comfort that the Government is doing enough to control the borders."

Travel ban except for 'emergencies'
Before the pandemic, residents of 13 PNG coastal villages could visit island communities under the Torres Strait Treaty without a passport or visa.

A ward in Port Moresby Hospital with women on beds
Port Moresby General Hospital has been implementing infection controls. (File photo)(Supplied: ChildFund)
A team of Australian medical specialists will be sent to PNG next week to help with the country's coronavirus response.

Minister for International Development Alex Hawke said eight medical specialists will be sent to Port Moresby.
"Now that we have an outbreak of course the Government is announcing today that we're sending an AUSMAT team to Papua New Guinea to help with the PNG Government's response further due to this concerning rise in cases that we've seen in the last few weeks," Mr Hawke said.

Warren Entsch, whose federal electorate covers the Torres Strait, said the government banned all travel between Torres Strait and PNG islands in February under coronavirus restrictions.

However, he said PNG nationals could still travel to the Torres Strait for "medical emergencies".
"If someone is bitten by a Papua black snake or there is a problem with a birth, they will of course come across for those emergencies," Mr Entsch said.

He said Australia had also been sending supplies to PNG islands that traditionally relied on Torres Strait trade in order to stop non-essential travel between islands.
"They've sent me the shopping list of everything they needed and that's being distributed," he said

Queensland's Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Craig Crawford, said Australia should increase its support to PNG.
"[Torres Strait islands] are the only part of Australia that shares an international border so close — you can physically see PNG from some of the islands," he said.
"If we can actually put Australian experts on the ground in Port Moresby that are experts in being able to help them manage the outbreak they have got, that will put us in a far better position to be able to make sure that we can protect the borders."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/torres-strait-mayor-fears-coronavirus-transmission-from-png/12498124
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
28 July in WA , no covid news in NT and Tas today.

WA at risk of losing legal bid by Clive Palmer to bring down coronavirus border, Premier admits
Key points:
Clive Palmer's border challenge will face a final decision later this year
The Premier says there are no guarantees over the court outcome
WA was the only state to see payroll jobs grow over the past month

WA Premier Mark McGowan has admitted his state is at risk of losing a legal challenge to its border closure, as lawyers for mining magnate Clive Palmer continue to argue Western Australia must reopen.
Mr McGowan said if WA lost the High Court battle over whether the border closure was unconstitutional, the state would have no choice but to abide by "the law of the land" — but cautioned that would leave WA facing a significantly increased coronavirus risk.

Mr Palmer's challenge to the border closure is being heard in the Federal Court this week and is due to proceed to the High Court later this year for a final decision.

Mr McGowan has long insisted WA's legal position was strong, but admitted there were no guarantees over the outcome.
"The legal advice is that our case is very, very arguable," he said.
"But when you go into a court case, the result can go either way. You cannot control it.
"If the High Court rules that the borders have to come down that is the law of the land, and I am sure the Police Commissioner would enforce the law of the land.".

'We don't trust anyone's arrangements': McGowan
Mr McGowan said he would seek advice on what steps the Government could take if the court ruled the border closure unconstitutional.

Mr Palmer's legal challenge is being assisted by the Federal Government, a move that has infuriated Mr McGowan — who has repeatedly called for the Commonwealth to "back off".

The Premier also distanced himself from admissions by Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson on the opening day of Mr Palmer's case, who conceded there was little public health justification for keeping borders closed to states that had eradicated community spread of the virus.
"You would be trusting their arrangements and we don't trust anyone's arrangements," Mr McGowan said.
"You could have a hodgepodge of arrangements … but it's very confusing. We have a very straightforward system."

Why is Clive Palmer trying to tear down WA's coronavirus border with the rest of Australia?
Failed Queensland ( crooked - who raided the funds of QNI who he was CEO of and largest shareholder at the time forced the refinery into insolvency and robbed employee superfunds )mining magnate ( failed federal independent party leader ) Clive Palmer's challenge to WA's hard border is making headlines again this week as the case is heard in the Federal Court.
( Who tried to big note himself by buying millions of doses of the infective anti mararial drug sprooked by Trump )
failed businessman and former federal MP Clive Palmer made headlines when he donated nearly 33 million doses of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to help fight the novel coronavirus in Australia
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-21/has-hydroxychloroquine-helped-australia-flatten-the-death-curve/12256996

Mr Palmer has been highly critical of the WA Government's decision to shut its doors since he was personally affected.

But what's the dispute all about?
In May, Mr Palmer was denied entry to the state after the McGowan Government shut WA's borders the previous month to all but those deemed essential travellers.
He had wanted to come to WA for a series of business and political meetings, including one with Senator Mathias Cormann.

However, police commissioner Chris Dawson did not grant him an exemption to enter the state.
Mr Palmer then lodged a writ against the decision in the High Court, claiming closing the WA border was an unconstitutional "act of stupidity".

What are Clive Palmer's interests in WA?
Through his company Mineralogy, Mr Palmer owns the lease over the Sino Iron project at Cape Preston in the Pilbara, which is operated by Chinese company Citic Pacific.
The open-pit mine produces magnetite, a type of high-grade iron ore, that is exported to China.

28july-ore-processing-plant-7504996-3x2-xlarge.jpg

Citic Pacific Mining's Sino Iron project near Karratha
<< I did some consulting work on some advanced MIMO control systems at this plant in the ball mill and thickening plants in 2012 , using knowhow gained at Newcastle Steelworks (bar, bloom and rod mills scale handling plants and ore sintering plants ) and at the DRI Plant ( Benfield gas plant , pelleting and water plants ) at Hedland >>
https://citicpacificmining.com/our-operation/processing


Mr Palmer won a lengthy court battle with Citic Pacific in 2018 that allowed him to reap hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties annually from the Chinese company.
And why does he so desperately want to come to WA?

Here's what you need to know.

Why is Clive Palmer trying to open WA's borders?
In May, Mr Palmer was denied entry to the state after the McGowan Government shut WA's borders the previous month to all but those deemed essential travellers.

He had wanted to come to WA for a series of business and political meetings, including one with Senator Mathias Cormann.However, police commissioner Chris Dawson did not grant him an exemption to enter the state.

Mr Palmer then lodged a writ against the decision in the High Court, claiming closing the WA border was an unconstitutional "act of stupidity".

.
What are Clive Palmer's interests in WA?
Through his company Mineralogy, Mr Palmer owns the lease over the Sino Iron project at Cape Preston in the Pilbara, which is operated by Chinese company Citic Pacific.

The open-pit mine produces magnetite, a type of high-grade iron ore, that is exported to China.

Mr Palmer won a lengthy court battle with Citic Pacific in 2018 that allowed him to reap hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties annually from the Chinese company.

Mr McGowan had threatened to intervene in the long-running dispute between Mineralogy and Citic — which he believed was detrimental to the state — by altering the terms of state agreements covering the mining project, sparking a war of words with Mr Palmer.

The billionaire believes he was denied entry to WA for political reasons, and says he has valid reasons for wanting to visit the state.His UAP website boasts he has a "full floor office in Perth's Exchange Plaza, a home in Perth and is a member of the South Perth Yacht Club."

But with a state election coming up in just eight months, Mr Palmer also has his sights set on the polls.

The former federal MP's party may stand a chance of becoming a major disrupting influence on a re-elected McGowan Government if he manages to secure a canny preference deal and win a seat or two in the Upper House at the March 2021 election.

What is the legal basis for the challenge?
Mr Palmer's argument centres on section 92 of the constitution, which allows for free movement of people and trade between the states.

He argues that stopping him from travelling to WA is a breach of his constitutional rights.

Mr Palmer had initially also challenged Queensland's decision to keep its borders closed, but dropped his court action after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reopened state borders on July 10 to all but Victorians.

He says keeping the borders open between all states is "a matter of national importance", and closing them threatens the economy."The WA Premier needs to act now to ensure a successful future beyond COVID-19 by opening his borders to allow trade and travel from Australian states into WA," Mr Palmer has said.

"The WA economy must keep growing and moving forward especially during the COVID-19 downturn. This is crucial for the survival of the domestic economy and for the whole of Australia."

While Mr Palmer's writ was filed in the High Court, the case is in the Federal Court this week for a three-day hearing to establish the facts of the case, as the parties could not agree on this.

Once this is concluded, it will move to the High Court.

What are his chances?
Sydney University constitutional expert Anne Twomey says the hearing will look at the technical and medical advice the WA Government relied on when it made the decision to shut the border on health grounds.

WA tried to get the Federal Government to release information on the effect border closures had on the the spread of coronavirus, but was unsuccessful, with Justice Darryl Rangiah ruling it was too late to get the information in time.

The Federal Government had argued from the outset state borders should remain open — until the escalating outbreak in Victoria forced it to concede closing the NSW-Victorian border was appropriate.

Professor Twomey believes this concession could be "really helpful" to WA's case in the High Court.

However, she cautions the state will have to show it was reasonable in the circumstances to implement a complete border closure, rather than a partial closure such as that adopted by Queensland and the Northern Territory, where the borders are open to anyone outside of Victoria.

What does the Premier think?
As you might imagine, Mr McGowan is not impressed.

"[I'm] pretty angry that Mr Palmer and the Liberal Party are putting us through this," Mr McGowan said today.

"We're just trying to ensure the health of Western Australians and protect our economy within our hard borders. I mean, it's appalling."

He says Mr Palmer — who in an interview with a weekend newspaper said coronavirus was a "beat-up" and the risk to most people was negligible — is a "menace" to the state.
The Premier's hardline stance on the border has proved popular with the public, despite the economic impact on many businesses..

A Newspoll in late April found his approval rate had soared to an unprecedented 89 per cent, and there are fears next year's election will be a whitewash for the conservative parties.

But Mr Palmer is having none of it, arguing the state "will face very uncertain times" when JobSeeker and JobKeeper supplements are stopped.
"Mark 'The Menace' McGowan knows the mortality rate for West Australians hasn't increased because of COVID-19 yet he continues to mislead the people of WA for political grandstanding," Mr Palmer said in a statement to the ABC.

What if Clive Palmer succeeds?
The Premier did not mince words when asked about that possibility today.
"If Mr Palmer and the Liberal Party are successful, the virus comes back in, then potentially people will die," he said.
"I don't want to see that happen."

He also hinted at stricter measures for all West Australians if the border were to reopen anytime soon.
"If we don't win the High Court action and it breaks out here, then we'll have to put in all the suppression measures across Western Australia," he said.

This could potentially include a return to earlier restrictions including tight limits on the number of people allowed to gather together, or even some form of lockdown.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/why-is-clive-palmer-trying-to-tear-down-wa-coronavirus-border/12495706

WA only state to see jobs grow
The State Government has repeatedly argued WA's border closure has allowed it to reopen more than any other state, fuelling greater economic activity.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data has pointed to modest signs of recovery in WA, which was the only state to see payroll jobs grow over the past four weeks.

Payroll jobs are now down 3.1 per cent in WA since mid-March, the smallest decline in the nation, although the 7 per cent wage drop in the same period is Australia's biggest.
But Mr McGowan admitted the economic recovery would be a very slow process.

"We are trying to arrest a very difficult situation," he said.

"We are not sugar-coating this. It is a serious situation confronting the country."

TAFE investment aims to boost industries
His comments came as the Government announced it would spend $167 million on TAFE infrastructure as part of its recovery plan, to improve or rebuild existing facilities across the state.

Mr McGowan said the decision would ensure Western Australia could address skills shortages and encourage people into the training sector.

Education Minister Sue Ellery said bricklaying, infection control and cyber security were among the sectors with a need for a boosted workforce.
"This is about making cheaper training available to West Australians in the best training facilities available," she said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-28/wa-may-be-forced-to-open-coronavirus-borders-by-high-court/12495046

WA schools set to help power local communities as part of coronavirus recovery
West Australian schools are set to become virtual power plants, creating cheaper and cleaner electricity for surrounding communities.

On Sunday, the State Government announced a further $2.7 billion in coronavirus stimulus funding under its WA Recovery Plan.

It included $66 million for renewable energy initiatives such as $4 million to transform 10 South West and Perth schools into virtual power plants.

Bill Johnston, the Minister for Energy, said using schools as virtual power plants was a first for the state.

Synergy will install batteries at the schools to store solar power which can be used by residents in the community.

Premier Mark McGowan said he expected the initiatives would create thousands of jobs.
Efficient electricity
Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said he welcomed the funding.

He said the virtual power plant system would save communities money on electricity bills while better utilising the energy produced by the schools' solar panels.

"Schools are on leave for about 12 weeks every year and on weekends, and so you don't want to lose that electricity," Mr Grimes said.
"At the moment it gets produced and then exported to the grid but it's not actually used."

Mr Grimes said power captured by batteries during those down times could be used by the community at night and during the summer when electricity was the most expensive.

Power to the people
Renewable energy action group Augusta Margaret River Clean Community Energy had been pushing for more renewable energy in the region.

Chairwoman Lyn Serventy welcomed the funding and said producing and using power in the region would present multiple benefits to the community.
"It's a great way of reducing costs, improving efficiencies, creating jobs and, of course, improving our renewable footprint," she said.
"You can use that energy where it's created rather than sending it through the grid an enormous distance and using it somewhere else; it's a much more efficient use of power generation."

Other energy initiatives included a broad rollout of power systems and battery systems throughout regional WA and installing solar panels on bus stops and social housing properties.

The Government and Synergy are finalising the schools to be involved in the program.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/wa-schools-set-to-help-power-local-communities-as-part-of-coronavirus-recovery/ar-BB17g4JP?ocid=msedgntp

WA rental shortage leaves hopeful tenants desperate as coronavirus pandemic bites market
Jessica Slater has been facing knockback after knockback as she tries to secure her own private rental property.

The 32-year-old proud Noongar-Yamatji woman has been couch surfing while she looks for her own home, but says time is running out.
"I'm going to be homeless," Ms Slater said.
"All this coronavirus stuff, no one really wants anyone staying [on their couch].
"They're concerned for their health and their families. I understand that, I definitely do."

Ms Slater said the difficulty she faced entering the private rental market, or even share accommodation, was immense.

On top of competition for properties, she said she had faced discrimination based on her Aboriginal heritage.
"We only apply because we are going to pay our way," she said.
"It feels like I can't put that next foot in front, like it's blocking and blurring my future."

Pandemic migrants among those seeking rentals
For prospective renters in Perth like Ms Slater, the market is only getting tougher.

New figures from the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) show the number of properties for lease shrank by 27 % in the June quarter.

Compared to this time last year, listings are down almost 50 per cent for the Perth metropolitan area.

REIWA president Damian Collins said the vacancy rate was dropping week by week.

"It's certainly a landlord's market and even though we haven't seen any significant rent increases yet, I think over the next 12 months rents will finally start to rise again," he said.
"It's a combination of factors that's caused the rental reduction and why we've got a bit of a shortage of rental properties.
"One of them is the lack of investors. We haven't seen a lot of investors buying new stock or buying new stock off the plan from developers for a number of years in Perth."

Another of the big factors in reduced rental stock has been West Australians coming home during COVID-19, like Ms Slater who returned to Perth from Queensland.
"We've seen a lot of people return to Western Australia who otherwise might have stayed over east or overseas, and we haven't seen the brain drain that we're accustomed to with a lot of young people leaving the state," Mr Collins said.

He said even if rental prices increased as expected in WA, in line with demand, the state would remain affordable compared to other Australian cities.
"I know for some people it will be challenging, but for most people it's still going to be very affordable," Mr Collins said.

Potential 'tsunami' awaits amid job losses
Shelter WA acting chief executive Lisa Kazalac said the continued drop in rental vacancy rates was concerning.
"This is a massive issue for people who are on low incomes who are in housing insecurity situations, who have rental stress situations, where they're spending more than 30% of their household incomes on rent," she said.

COVID-19 had demonstrated it was not just people previously trapped in poverty who were vulnerable, Ms Kazalac added.
"All of us, through income loss, can be vulnerable to housing insecurity. That's the reality," she said.
"If we can't keep people in their homes, then we're really looking at a potential tsunami of more housing crisis."

Calls go unanswered as distress grows
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the phones have been ringing non-stop at Tenancy WA.

Its executive manager Carmen Acosta said the community legal centre had been forced to hire another person to cope with the demand, with 90 per cent of calls received relating to financial stress from COVID-19.

Calls for help that would usually be returned in a week cannot be handled for two or three weeks because of the number of people in distress.
"These are individuals that have lost their job, cannot afford their current rents. Even with the freeze on rental properties, they're still finding it difficult," Ms Acosta said.
"JobKeeper and JobSeeker has certainly assisted so many individuals, and without that I don't know where we would be right now."

Ms Acosta said the end of the moratorium on eviction was the biggest concern for tenants. The moratorium is due to end on September 29, when WA's state of emergency declaration is currently set to be lifted.

The State Government has said it would continue to monitor the policy and may consider revising the moratorium end date.

In a further bid to assist households under rental stress from COVID-19, the State Government has offered $30 million worth of grants of up to $2,000 to cover four weeks' rent.

The Government has not provided figures on how many applications have been made for the rental relief grants, or how many have been successful.

Other COVID-related assistance measures, including land tax relief for landlords, have been plagued by low take-up.

Mr Collins said it was likely some rental stock would be freed up in the next 12 to 18 months as people took up homebuilding incentives from the state and federal governments, and increased rents would mean more investors wanting to get involved.
"It'll help with the supply and provide more rental accommodation for people," he said.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
29-Jul

New cases o/night in Victoria = 295

Many news readers and commentators are euphoric , thinking the 2nd wave in Victoria has peaked.
I don't think so , not on one big swing in daily positives.


New cases in o/night in NSW = 19
Total new cases o/night in NSW & Victoria = 314
Cumulated total new cases in NSW & Victoria since 10 June = 8604

29july.png


A comment on why NSW is coping much better than Victoria
<< The opinion of epidemiologists is that this is behaviourally driven to a large part compounded by mass rallies, poor control of quarantining, poorer contact tracing and a breakdown in aged care infection control protocols ( no one seems to have learnt from the experiences in Sydney's first wave and those overseas where there have been cataclysmic death rates in aged care facilities, and a higher level of non-secure employment in Victoria , and a tardy response in locking back down in Victoria , whereas in NSW contract tracing is very good at locking down clusters very quickly after NSW's experience in the 1st wave so covid has not managed to become as deeply imbedded in NSW's community as it has in Victoria. >>

Daily confirmed cases in each state over last 2 weeks
29july-daily-cases-by-state-1.png

29july-daily-cases-by-state-2.png


For all of Australia
https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-current-situation-and-case-numbers#at-a-glance


29july-2.png


Situation in hsopitals
29july-hospitals.png

In Victoria there is a newborn , and 3 people in their 20s in ICU .
Intensitists warn that Victoria is NOW at risk of having all Victorian ICUs overwhelmed if the situation in age care is not contained soon , the situation in aged care facilities is now regarded as a national health disaster
ABC 730REPORT


Daily deaths for Australia
29july-australia-daily-deaths.png


Deaths by demographic in Australia
29july-deaths-by-demography.png

<< Epidemiologists report that the contact tracers have found that typical teenagers or someone in their 20s will have an average 30 - 40 contacts who can potentially be spread to , whereas mature adults will have an average of 10 contacts who can potentially be spread to. Herein lies a huge danger as the under 30s are the largests group and spreading covid more widely because of their behavioral treats and presumed invulnerability to the virus. >>

Deaths by cluster in Australia
29july-australia-deaths-by-cluster.png


Confirmed cases in Australia by demographic
29july-australia-confirmed-cases-demographics.png
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
29 July in Victoria

Daniel Andrews brushes off PM's 'Victoria wave' claim after 295 new Covid-19 cases and 9 deaths
9 more people in Victoria have died from Covid-19, taking the death toll from the virus in the state to 92, but there are signs infections are dropping with 295 new cases announced on Wednesday, about 55 linked with community transmission.

Victoria's death toll nears 100 after nine more die
Victoria's COVID-19 death toll has risen to 92 after another nine people died overnight.

The deaths include 2 people in their 90s, 5 in their 80s, 1 in their 70s and 1 in their 60s.
7 of the fatalities were from the private sector aged care, where there are more than 800 linked cases.
"We send our love and support and condolences and best wishes to each of those families," Premier Daniel Andrews said.
PM: We have seen "distressing" situations in Victoria's aged care
Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, says the Federal Government is keeping an eye on the coronavirus crisis in Victoria's aged care sector.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/pm-we-have-seen-distressing-situations-in-victoria-s-aged-care/vi-BB17iP2E?ocid=msedgntp

It comes as Victoria recorded a dip in COVID-19 cases, with 295 new cases overnight, taking the state's total to 9304.

There are 307 Victorians in hospital, including 41 in intensive care.

'Expect a knock on the door'
Any Victorian who tests positive can expect a knock on the door, Mr Andrews said, confirming his government would be cracking down on anyone breaking quarantine.
He said dozens of Victorians were not home when doorknocked by public health authorities and the Australian Defence Force.

The Department of Health and Human Services and defence personnel visited 500 homes after people could not be contacted by health authorities.
There were 29 cases where people did not answer upon being doorknocked.
"They've been referred to Victoria Police," Mr Andrews said.
"If you are supposed to be at home isolating, you are supposed to be at home doing just that."
Victoria's team of door knockers will increase from 58 to 90 today.

Today's case number is a significant drop from the 532 infections on Monday. It is the first time daily cases have dropped below 300 for nine days.

Cases in regional Victoria low but troubling
Victoria has 804 active COVID-19 cases in aged care across the state, including 502 active infections in the health industry.

800 Victorians linked to aged care have coronavirus
7 of the 9 new COVID-19 deaths in Victoria are linked to private ( for profit and serverely understaffed and poorly managed ) aged care facilities

27 aged care facilities with infected residents in Vic

440 aged care residents have tested positive in Victoria and there are currently 27 aged care facilities with infected residents. 4 of these aged care facilities have been declared as 'high risk.'
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/800-victorians-linked-to-aged-care-have-coronavirus/vi-BB17jejE?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/27-aged-care-facilities-with-infected-residents-in-victoria/vi-BB17j3j7?ocid=msedgntp

Aged Care services highly susceptible to outbreaks
CEO of Leading Age Services Australia Sean Rooney says it is a 'national priority' to protect vulnerable Australians in Aged Care services.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/aged-care-services-highly-susceptible-to-outbreaks/vi-BB17j4Df?ocid=msedgntp

Victoria's public hospitals share staff with aged care homes
Department of Health Secretary, Professor Brendan Murphy, says priority will be given to meeting the staffing needs of every Victorian residential aged care facility with public hospital staff.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victoria-s-public-hospitals-share-staff-with-aged-care-homes/vi-BB17izIR?ocid=msedgntp

ADF medics and interstate nurses sent to Victorian facilities
Dr Tony Bartone is President of the Australian Medical Association praised the response of ADF medics and volunteer interstate nurses sent, but says more staff is needed.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/adf-medics-and-interstate-nurses-sent-to-victorian-facilities/vi-BB17iEqe?ocid=msedgntp

The 195 active cases in regional Victoria was "still low", Mr Andrews said, but remained concerning.
"We are confident that we have those in hand, but it is a concern to us to see any cases in regional Victoria," he said.
"That's why I'm so grateful to regional Victorians who continue to do the right thing to keep those numbers low."

He implored Victorians to not go to work if they feel sick.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/victoria-s-death-toll-nears-100-after-nine-more-die/ar-BB17iFSV?ocid=msedgntp

29july-cops-enforce-masks-BB17jc-Er.jpg

Police officers in protective face masks patrol in Melbourne, the first city in Australia to enforce mask-wearing to curb a resurgence of COVID-19

The figures came as the PM, Scott Morrison, made pointed comments about the outbreak, saying what is occurring is not a “second wave” but a “Victorian wave” that is impacting the national economy. The premier, Daniel Andrews, responded: “What it is called is not a concern to me.”

The CHO, Prof Brett Sutton, said the bulk of Victoria’s cases were linked to aged care, and while the number of new cases was far below the record 532 announced on Monday, it was too soon for the state to be confident it had passed the peak of the second wave. “Community transmission cases have remained relatively stable, but not at super high levels,” Sutton said.
“The real contribution in today’s numbers, as for the last week or two, have been outbreak-driven, and so the aged care numbers, the increase in each of those facilities on a daily basis, will be a significant contributor.” He said community transmission “hasn’t gone down as much as I would have liked”.
“I certainly wouldn’t say we have definitely passed the peak. We absolutely have to keep watching every day,” Sutton said.

On Wednesday afternoon the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, insisted the sector had been “immensely prepared” but that difficult issues in an outbreak were “inevitable”.
“We have had, prior to the Victorian outbreak, less than half-a-percent of facilities affected … as we have warned from the outset, any sector can be vulnerable,” he said.
“What we see, though, is of course community transmission leads to the transmission into workplaces.
“Today has had more difficult news and there will be more difficult news to come over the days and weeks ahead. This is the sad but inevitable part of a major outbreak, as we have seen all around the world. However, importantly, there has been real progress, real progress in cooperation and protection for and in relation to our beautiful older Australians.
“It has been one of our extraordinary achievements that outside of Victoria we have been able to protect and to prevent against this, but where there is major infection, then that reaches in to all different elements and parts of the community.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Morrison described the situation in Victoria’s aged care system as “distressing”. “It has principally come through the infection of staff,” the prime minister said.
“It is very distressing first and foremost to the families of those who have loved ones in aged care facilities,” he said. “The most vulnerable in our community have always been our highest concern when it comes to managing the health issues associated with this pandemic.”

Morrison said 150,000 aged care workers had now completed an online training course on infection control. He said what was occurring was not a “second wave” but a “Victorian wave”.
“It is clear that the Victorian wave that Australians are now experiencing – that’s how I honestly have to describe it, there’s not a second wave that’s going across the rest of the country, that is not occurring. There is a significant Victorian wave, but that Victorian wave is impacting the national economy more broadly.”

Responding to the comments, Andrews said: “What it is called is not a concern to me. The only thing I am focused on is defeating this virus.”

Nurses had filled some 400 aged care shifts across the sector to address shortages caused by aged care staff being off work due to being infected with or exposed to the virus, he said. Hundreds of residents in the worst affected homes had now been transferred to public and private hospitals.
“In general terms, the best way to understand this effort is that if it’s an emergency transfer, those residents will go to a public hospital,” Andrews said. “If it’s a planned transfer where there can be some lead-in time, they will go to the private sector.”

The federal aged care minister, Richard Colbeck, told ABC radio the particularly devastating outbreak at St Basil’s aged care home should be investigated.
“There’s a lot of concern, fear and passion in the community about it,” he said. “I was on a Zoom meeting with families on Sunday night and there were quite a few questions and those people deserve to have their questions answered.” Eighty residents have been moved out of the home.

On Wednesday afternoon, Colbeck told the ABC that the government was “looking at” providing emergency home care packages for families that wanted to remove loved ones from aged care.
“I don’t have the capacity to interfere with the national priority system that exists for home care packages but there are mechanisms we do have and we are having some conversations with some families about taking their family members home,” he said. The minister also stressed families could have confidence in the sector.

Prof Brendan Murphy, the secretary of the federal health department, said aged care could not be completely protected from sustained community transmission. “Despite all the preparation, the infection control planning, the deployment of PPE [personal protective equipment], the pandemic and infection control plans that every facility has created, the restrictions on visitors, staff screenings, all of those cannot protect against [the virus],” he said.
“On top of that, there are already many hospital and healthcare workers who have contracted the coronavirus and there are many hundreds of hospital staff in quarantine and isolation. So the loss of staff with the virus, the loss of staff who are in quarantine, both in the aged care and hospital setting, has a huge strain on the workforce supply.”
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/daniel-andrews-brushes-off-pm-s-victoria-wave-claim-after-295-new-covid-19-cases-and-nine-deaths/ar-BB17iVLS?ocid=msedgdhp

Hits young people hard too

'No idea when – or if – they'll make it home': Stark warning as young Victorians battle virus
26 Victorians aged under 40 — including 10 people in their 20s — are battling coronavirus in hospital.

5 are in intensive care young people and are critical and Premier Daniel Andrews warns some may not survive.

The premier posted a stark tweet tonight saying the new figures showed coronavirus was not an illness that only affected older people.

https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1288418316348882945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
"To anyone who still thinks this only affects older people: It doesn't."

According to health data released today, 10 people in their 20s and 2 people aged under 20 were in hospital with COVID-19.

A child aged under 10 was also having hospital treatment.

It comes after a newborn baby was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the Royal Children's Hospital NICU ward this week.

Royal Melbourne Hospital doctor Sarah Whitelaw previously told Today young people were not immune from the deadly virus.
"For us over the last couple of weeks, we have been very confronted by the number of young, very sick people that we are seeing with COVID and the increasing numbers of those," Dr Whitelaw said.
"Unfortunately, the virus doesn't discriminate. Some very young children will get the virus and some of them will get sick." And many young people in harder hit countries have died or been permanently disabled and have long ( life long ? ) effects from their encounter with covid19 .
<< this is not a decease of the respiratory system ( that's just it's main way into the bodies of it's victims , it's having extreme effects on the immune system, the blood, the heart, the brain, the kidneys, the liver and "long haulers are the rule rather than the exception", and it not understood if lifelong immunity is produced in survivors , and there have instances of people have even more severe relapses after being discharged from hospital and deems covid19 negative. >>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/young-people-infected-with-covid-19-fight-for-life-in-victorian-hospitals/ar-BB17jfl7?ocid=msedgntp
<< this comes with many younger covidiots claiming covid19 is a hoax or no worse than a dose of the seasonal flu >>

Nurse used to temperature check Woolworths staff contracts COVID-19
A nurse deployed to check staff members' temperatures at a Melbourne Woolworths has tested positive to COVID-19.

The nurse who had been working at Craigieburn's Highlands Shopping Centre in the city's north was confirmed to have contracted the virus on Tuesday.

The nurse had last worked at the Woolworths store on July 24 from 7am to 6pm.
'The case has been deemed low risk due to the level of contact the nurse had with staff members. We are not aware that the nurse has transmitted COVID-19 to anyone else at the Centre,' the centre said.
'As per protocol, Woolworths completed a deep clean of the store (on Monday) as an additional precaution Highlands Shopping Centre has also undergone a detailed deep clean overnight in the common areas.'

Woolworths had deployed nurses to some of their Melbourne stores and customer fulfillment centres in July.

The health care teams were used to check staff members' temperatures as part of compulsory COVID-19 measures.

It comes as Victoria is set to record fewer than 300 cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, giving hope that the worst of the second wave has passed.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/nurse-used-to-temperature-check-woolworths-staff-contracts-covid-19/ar-BB17ikxG?ocid=msedgntp

Tradie fined for driving to get butter chicken will contest penalty
The Melbourne man slapped with a hefty fine for driving more than 30km from his home to buy butter chicken says he will contest the penalty.

Noel Atkinson, 48, is accused of flouting stay-at-home orders when he drove 32km from Werribee in Melbourne's west to the CBD to pick up a meal from Indian restaurant Desi Dhaba on July 18.
https://i.postimg.cc/Kc6pCZPp/29july-*****-tradee-BB17h-Kc5.jpg
<< if brains were dynamite , he wouldn't have enough to blow his safety helmet off - if he bothers to wear one on the job >>
Within metres of the restaurant, Mr Atkinson was stopped by police and slapped with a $1,652 fine.
29july-covidiot-indian-lover-BB17h-U5f.jpg

'It's a bit hefty. I'm going to contest it. Have my day in court and hopefully I can get the magistrate to waive the fine,' he told A Current Affair.
<< Good luck with that . Everyone in Melbourne was well aware of the covid19 restrictions , the $1652 fine will end up being several thousand dollars because he'll end up copping legal costs, court fees , police fees on top , local court magistrates don't suffer selfishly *****ic people or like having their valuable time wasted by the likes of Mr. Atkinson who thinks the rules don't apply to him >>

He was one of 74 people who were hit with fines for breaching lockdown that day.

As a tradesman, Mr Atkinson travels 100km every day for work and thought driving 32km for butter chicken would have been acceptable under the stay-at-home orders.
'I thought you could travel for food. The rules aren't specific. They need to be more black and white, not grey,' he said.
'I didn't realise I was (breaking the rules). If I knew I was, I wouldn't have done it. I would have stayed home.'
<< pretty lame excuse IMO , and I think the cops thought so too , going to get some butter chicken is not an essential activity >>

Desi Dhaba owner Amit Teteja said he was taken aback by Mr Atkinson's dedication to getting his butter chicken and will now provide him a year's worth for free.

Indian restaurants across the city have latched on to the trending topic by rolling out marketing campaigns for their delivery services, such as 'save $1,650 by staying home'.

The strict lockdown was reintroduced in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire on July 8 to stem the tide of rising coronavirus cases.

There are thousands of police and military personnel checking vehicles at roadblocks across Melbourne while the lockdown is in place.

Police have also conducted thousands of spot checks at homes, business and public places across the state.

Residents are only allowed to leave their homes for work, food, medical reasons or for exercise.

Residents in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire must also wear a mask or face covering when they're not at home, unless exempt.

People in the locked-down areas who do not wear a mask when outside their residence for 1 of the 4 allowed reasons face a $200 fine.
<< The Vic Police have been very lenient and issuing formal warnings as well offering free surgical masks to those they encounter who are maskless who don't have a mask on their person >>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/tradie-fined-for-driving-to-get-butter-chicken-will-contest-penalty/ar-BB17hP4j?ocid=msedgntp

Regional SW Victoria - SA border

Large police presence along small stretch of Glenelg River alongside SA-Victorian border welcomed
29july-gkeneg-riv-BB17j6uk.jpg

Donovans resident Jack Houlihan says there's plenty of police presence along the Glenelg River border

Police have ramped up controls at the eight-kilometre stretch of the Glenelg River that runs alongside the South Australia-Victoria border with boat, aerial, and road patrols.

The river is almost wholly in Victoria, with only a slight bend entering the state at the small town of Donovans in the south-east.

Resident Jack Houlihan said police enforcing pandemic border controls had not missed the small stretch of the river.
"Aerial police have been around, I've seen the blue and the white plane. They were doing the back roads and all over the old bush, which is a lot here," he said.
"Apparently they were here about a week ago, there was a police patrol boat.
"I think Victorians would be allowed to go through here and continue up the river because most of the river is in Victoria and this is the only eight kilometres, a little bend, that goes into South Australia.
"So I would imagine that the Victorians would be allowed to go along, but not to get off [in South Australia]."

Large police presence
Mr Houlihan said he was pleased to see so many police around.
"They're down here about three times a day, just checking cars, checking everybody," he said.
"So that's the way we want it."

He said it was important for keeping coronavirus out of the state.
"It's the only way, you know," he said.
"I suppose a lot of people, some of them, try to get through the forest up there, that get in and have been caught.
"There'll be some that would get through that don't get caught … and that's happened along the river too.
"But at the moment it's safe. So hopefully we can keep it that way.
"We think the coppers are doing very well, and I don't mind seeing them every day here three, four times a day."

South Australia Police said there are a number of border control stations established, including one on the Glenelg River at Donovans.
"Additionally, police conduct mobile patrols in border areas to ensure that people crossing the border do so in compliance with the current direction," a statement said.
"The police plane also regularly conducts fly-overs of border area and surrounds including the Glenelg River."

Mr Houlihan said he was especially grateful for the patrols given the older population that lives at Donovans.
"We're feeling safe at the moment and I hope it stays that way because I'd hate to get it," he said.
"I don't think we'd be around, the elderly people, it would clean us out here I think.
"Hopefully the more the police are here, the less that we'll have people coming across that may spread it."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/large-police-presence-along-small-stretch-of-glenelg-river-alongside-sa-victorian-border-welcomed/ar-BB17j45Q?ocid=msedgntp

Victorian MP Ali Cupper the independent state MP for Mildura threatens to challenge legality of border restrictions in High Court
A Victorian politician says she has sought legal advice on mounting a High Court challenge to state border closures if governments do not make life easier for divided cross-border communities.

Ali Cupper, the independent state MP for Mildura, has argued for weeks the local government area surrounding the north-west Victorian city should be included in a "travel bubble" allowing movement into South Australia and NSW.

But since then, the SA and NSW Governments have , leaving Mildura residents unable to travel to Adelaide and needing permits to cross to satellite communities on the other side of the Murray River.

Ms Cupper has asked the Federal Government to intervene, hoping temporary borders could be drawn up to limit travel without dividing cross-border communities.

If that did not happen, the MP said two university professors and a QC had advised her she could challenge the legality of border closures based on section 117 of the constitution, which says states cannot subject anyone to any "disability or discrimination" based on the state a person comes from.
"They said it's difficult to know how a court would go, especially in terms of reluctance to get involved or get in the way of governments exercising powers amid such extraordinarily uncertain circumstances, but certainly they said you don't know until it's tested," Ms Cupper said.
"The further time goes on, the more difficult it's going to be to argue that those hard lockdown measures are proportionate given they affect those people in the cross-border communities with virtually no cases of COVID far more than they do anyone else and they are simply not proportionate to risk."

Could it succeed?
Constitutional expert Anne Twomey from the University of Sydney said the validity of any new threat to state border closures in the High Court was likely to depend on the outcome of Clive Palmer's challenge against the West Australian border closure.
"The first thing is if you were starting a challenge now, it would be a bit pointless unless you could get yourself joined in with the Clive Palmer one because you'd be so far behind in terms of timing that it wouldn't be much help because the High Court will decide, presumably, the main issues on the Palmer case," Professor Twomey said.

She said Mr Palmer's challenge, which the Federal Court was hearing evidence for this week and the High Court was likely to hear in October, was based on "the more obvious section to challenge under" — section 92, which relates to trade, commerce and the movement of people across state lines.

Two other challenges did raise breaches of section 117 as a possibility and were dropped after Queensland ended its hard border closure, but not before the relevance of section 117 was discussed at a directions hearing.
"And the Chief Justice pointed out, well, that the problem is you're not able to get into the state for the discrimination to apply, so it might be that section 117 doesn't work at all in relation to border restriction rules and that really, section 92 is the provision that's directed at that," she said.

Palmer case looms large
As the Prime Minister warns states about constitutional problems with border closures, one MP is threatening to take two of them to court.

Professor Twomey said recent changes to border closures, such as South Australia denying entry to even its own citizens from Victoria and Queensland and the Northern Territory applying measures based on COVID-19 hotspots, would likely strengthen their defences to any section 117 challenge, but not section 92.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Mr Palmer's challenge, a point WA Premier Mark McGowan this week.
"I warn the states and territories that if they make arbitrary positions on borders that they are likely to find themselves in this situation, that someone is likely to bring a case and this may well be a constitutional position and that would not be to their advantage," the Prime Minister said.

Whether the WA verdict would have ramifications for the NSW or South Australian border closures would depend on how the High Court makes its decision and how specific its findings were to the West Australian situation, Professor Twomey said.

She said the "immense difficulties" authorities would face trying to "ring-fence" zones other than state borders could be a factor.
"Really, in the end, what it comes down to is: are these laws reasonably necessary to protect public health or is there something else that you could be doing that has a lesser burden to people moving across state borders?" she said.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victorian-mp-ali-cupper-threatens-to-challenge-legality-of-border-restrictions-in-high-court/ar-BB17j3Ii?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
29 July in NSW

Nineteen new cases of coronavirus in NSW
10 of today's cases were linked to the Thai Rock cluster in Wetherill Park, bringing the cluster's total to 85 confirmed cases.

NSW recorded 14 new cases on Tuesday as several virus clusters across Sydney continue to grow.

There are currently 101 active cases being treated by NSW Health, including 5 patients in intensive care.

Around 2,800 NSW cases have recovered from the virus.

2 of the cases were linked to the sister restaurant Thai Rock in Potts Point, bringing that venue's total to seven.
1 staff member at the Apollo restaurant in Potts Point was also confirmed to have coronavirus, and one case was linked to the Crossroads Hotel cluster in Casula, bringing it to 57.

NSW Covid-19 hotspots
New South Wales has seen an uptick in community transmission of coronavirus in recent weeks, putting the state on high alert to prevent further spread.

Many cases can be traced back to the Crossroads Hotel cluster and the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, but new locations have cropped up in the news briefings each day.

Here is an overview of the state’s current hotspots and what to do if you’ve visited them.

List of outbreaks in NSW
If you were at the following venues on these dates you must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, even if your test is negative.

St Brendan’s Catholic Church, Bankstown: Thursday 16 July – 6.30pm to 7.30pm, Saturday 18 July – 10am to 11am funeral.
Batemans Bay Soldiers Club: Monday 13 July, Wednesday 15 July, Thursday 16 July, Friday 17 July.
Plus Fitness Campbelltown: 9am to 10am, Saturday 11 July.
West Leagues Club Campbelltown: Friday 10 July 8pm to midnight, Sunday 12 July, midnight to 2.30am.
Crossroads Hotel Casula: Friday 3 July to Friday 10 July.
Planet Fitness Casula: Saturday 4 July to Friday 10 July.
Ausia Funeral Services, Fairfield East: Friday 17 July – 1pm to 8pm
Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harris Park: Wednesday 15 July – 5.30pm Mass, Thursday 16 July – 6pm Mass, Friday 17 July – 1pm funeral and 6pm Mass.
Anytime Fitness Gym, Merrylands: Tuesday 14 July – 8.30pm to 10.30pm
Mounties, Mount Pritchard: Thursday 23 July between 12 midnight and 3am, Friday 24 July between 11am to 3pm and 8pm to midnight; Saturday 25 July midnight to 3am (test if you show symptoms)
Our Lady of Mt Carmel, Mount Pritchard: Sunday July 19 – 7.30am to 8.30am
Picton Hotel in Picton: Saturday 4 July, Sunday 5 July, Thursday 9 July, Friday 10 July.
Thai Rock Restaurant, Potts Point: Wednesday 15 July to Saturday 25 July inclusive if you attended this restaurant for two hours or more.
The Apollo in Potts Point: Wednesday 22 July to Saturday 25 July
St John of God Lawn, Rookwood: Saturday 18 July – 11.30am to 1pm burial.
Cruising Yacht Club Australia, Rushcutters Bay: Thursday 23 July 6pm-7.30pm, Friday 24 July 3.30pm-5pm and Sunday 26 July 4pm-5.30 pm
Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park: Thursday 9 July to Sunday 12 July, Tuesday 14 July.

If you were at any of the following locations on these dates, monitor yourself for symptoms and self-isolate and get tested if symptoms occur.

C1 Speed Indoor Karting, Albion Park: Saturday 11 July, 6pm to 7pm.
McDonald’s Albion Park, Wednesday 15 July, 2pm to 2.30pm.
An Restaurant, Bankstown: Thursday 23 July, 9am to 11am
Mancini’s Original Woodfired Pizza, Belfield: Friday 10 July, 8pm to 9.20pm.
Woolworths Bowral: Saturday 11 July, 12pm to 9pm, and Sunday 12 July, 12pm to 9pm.
Hurricanes Grill, Brighton Le Sands, Saturday 11 July 6pm to 9pm.
Tan Viet Noodle House (also known as Crispy Chicken Noodle House), Bankstown: Wednesday 22 July – 1pm to 2pm
Bavarian Macarthur in Campbelltown, Saturday 11 July, 7.30pm to 9pm.
Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown: Saturday 11 July, 9.15pm to 12.40am.
Kmart Casula: Friday 10 July, 5pm to midnight.
Holy Duck! Chippendale: Friday 10 July, 7.15pm to 9.30pm.
Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland: Monday 13 July – 6pm to 8pm.
Guzman y Gomez, Hoxton Park: Sunday 12 July – 7.30pm to 9pm.
Club Malua, Malua Bay: Sunday 12 July – 12pm to 1.30pm.
Costco, Marsden Park: Sunday 19 July – 11am to 2pm.
Frankie’s Food Factory in Milperra, Friday 10 July, 1pm to 3pm.
Pritchard’s Hotel bistro, Mount Pritchard: 23 July between 7pm to 7.45pm
Westfield Mount Druitt, Saturday 18 July, 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
Club Narooma, Narooma: Monday 13 July, 12.30pm to 2pm.
Rashays in North Wollongong: Saturday 11 July, 7pm to 9pm.
Love Supreme in Paddington: Tuesday 14 July, 5.30pm to 9pm.
The Village Inn in Paddington: Saturday 11 July, 6.30pm to 10pm
Milky Lane in Parramatta: Saturday 11 July, 2pm to 3pm.
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta: Sunday 19 July
Potts Point: NSW Health is asking all people who live in or have visited the Potts Point area in the past two weeks (as of 28 July) to get tested if they have any symptoms of Covid-19 at all.
Bankstown YMCA in Revesby: Thursday 9 July, 4pm to 8pm, and Saturday 11 July, 8am to 12pm.
Salamander Bay Shopping Centre, Salamander Bay: Wednesday 15 July.
Salamander Bay Woolworths, Salamander Bay: 17 July between 2.30pm to closing time, 18 July between 4pm to closing time, 19 July between 12.45pm to closing time, 20 July between 3pm to closing time.
Salamander Bay Shopping Centre, Salamander Bay: Wednesday 15 July
Pharmacy for Less Tahmoor: Sunday 12 July, 9am to 10.40am.
Zone Bowling Villawood: Saturday 27 June, 11am to 3pm.
Stockland Mall in Wetherill Park: Saturday 4 July, Sunday 5 July, Thursday 9 July to Sunday 12 July, Tuesday 14 July.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-covid-19-hotspots-list-of-regional-and-sydney-outbreak-locations/ar-BB17iFN5?ocid=msedgntp

Coronavirus case at Westfield Hurstville nail salon, alert extended after Potts Point restaurant outbreaks linked
An employee at a Sydney nail salon inside the Westfield Hurstville shopping centre worked two days while infectious with COVID-19.

The Profession Nail salon conduced a deep clean and public health officers confirmed appropriate cleaning and other COVID-Safe measures were in place.

The employee worked on July 22 and 23 while infectious.

All close contacts of the confirmed case have been identified and directed to self-isolate for 14 days and casual contacts have been notified of the need to monitor for symptoms.

NSW Health yesterday ramped up its alert for people who have visited Potts Point over past weeks, after confirming a link between the Thai Rock and Apollo restaurant outbreaks.

Two people who have tested positive for COVID-19 dined at the Thai Rock restaurant and days later at the Apollo restaurant.

In a statement, NSW Health said it "now believes this links the two outbreaks".

The two new cases also visited the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) in Rushcutters Bay, NSW Health said.
29july-potts-pt-BB17g-MXB.jpg

The yacht club has since been closed for deep cleaning.

NSW Health has expanded its advice to ask anyone who visited the Apollo restaurant on July 22 to isolate and get tested, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not.

Previously, its alert ran July 23-25, asking people to self-isolate for 14 days.

NSW Health confirmed the couple and a staff member of Apollo as three new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.

It has also issued an alert over the following dates for anyone who attended the CYCA:

Thursday, July 23 between 6:00pm and 7:30pm
Friday, July 24 between 3:30pm and 5pm
Sunday, July 26 between 4:00pm and 5:30pm
The Thai Rock alert covers anyone who dined there between July 15 and July 25.

Anyone who visited the restaurant for more than two hours has been asked to get tested.

Anyone who dined for less than two hours should monitor for symptoms and get tested if they appear.

A pop-up clinic has been set up at 349 Crown Street, Surry Hills. It will be open seven days a week from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

Another clinic will open from midday Wednesday at Rushcutters Bay Park.

Potts Point on full alert
It comes as cases linked to the Potts Point area continue to grow.

Earlier on Tuesday NSW Health reported a confirmed COVID-19 case among someone who attended the Fitness First gym on July 20.

A number of bars and restaurants in the neighbourhood have either closed as a precaution for cleaning, or reverted to takeaway.

The Roosevelt bar and restaurant and Dear Sainte Eloise wine bar in Potts Point, both a short distance from the Apollo, have said they are closing for deep cleaning and to test staff.

Meanwhile, a school in Parramatta, Western Sydney, will be closed on Wednesday after a student tested positive for COVID-19, the NSW Department of Education said.

Bayanami Public School will undergo thorough cleaning tomorrow, the department said.

"The school is working closely with NSW Health to establish close contacts," a department spokesperson said.

NSW Health continues to urge people to "redouble" efforts to stop the virus spreading, as community transmissions continue to develop.

There are 75 cases linked to the Thai Rock outbreak at its sister venue in Wetherill Park, including four new ones reported on Tuesday.

The Crossroads Hotel outbreak has stabilised at 56 cases.

Another 15 cases are linked to an outbreak around funeral services in south-west Sydney over July 16 to 19.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/coronavirus-case-at-westfield-hurstville-nail-salon-alert-extended-after-potts-point-restaurant-outbreaks-linked/ar-BB17h32T?ocid=msedgntp

3 were linked to the funeral gatherings cluster near the Bankstown area, and 2 of the cases were returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

There were 18,543 tests conducted over the reporting period.

NSW Health's Jeremy McNulty said he was "particularly worried about the Potts Point cluster" which has now grown to seven confirmed cases.
"We are at a knife's edge, a critical point" Dr McNulty said.
"But the majority of cases so far are linked together which is fantastic news because it means we can help understand the transmission dynamics and the risk."

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has tightened restrictions on gyms, announcing all venues now require a permanent marshal at all times.
"All gyms need to have a COVID-marshal in place, including gyms who have a business model where no staff are present," she said.

Gyms and fitness centres will also have to register their COVID Safety Plan.

Ms Berejiklian said she would be further tightening current restrictions if NSW cases continued to increase.
"If we don't all do the right thing, we will go down the path of having more cases, then having to consider additional measures to reduce those cases.
"I ask everyone to think about the alternate scenario and what that would mean for our state."

Ms Berejiklian said she wanted to see the amount of businesses that had registered as COVID-safe to steeply increase in the state.
"If I walk into a venue and I'm not comfortable with how COVID safe that venue is, I'd leave. I expect patrons to do the same."
NSW tightens gym restrictions
Gym restrictions in NSW have been tightened after health authorities confirmed 19 new cases of coronavirus across the state.

Greater Sydney will become a COVID-19 hotspot from 1:00am on Saturday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today confirmed.
"From 1:00am Saturday, more hotspots will be declared and no one from Sydney will be allowed into Queensland," she tweeted.

When asked about the Sydneysider ban in Queensland, Ms Berejiklian indicated she had not been briefed by Ms Palaszczuk prior to the ban.
"That’s a matter for the Queensland Premier, but it would have been nice if she told me," Ms Berejiklian added this morning at a press conference.

Meanwhile, health authorities confirmed a staff member at a nail salon in a Westfield in Sydney's south worked for two days while infectious with coronavirus.

The confirmed case worked at Profession Nail, located within the shopping centre at Hurstville on 22 and 23 of July.

South Eastern Sydney Local Health district confirmed the case was part of the funeral cluster in south-west Sydney.
"All close contacts of the confirmed case have been identified and directed to self-isolate for 14 days and casual contacts have been notified of the need to monitor for symptoms," deputy director Vicky Sheppeard said.
"There is no broader risk at Westfield Hurstville."

Eighteen pharmacy staff from St Vincent's Private Hospital have returned negative tests for COVID-19, after attending a Potts Point restaurant less than two weeks ago.

The group has been in self isolation after dining at the Thai Rock restaurant on Friday, July 17.

They will remain in isolation for a further three days as per the health advice.
Gyms in New South Wales will need to have a 'hygiene marshal' on-site at all times from this Saturday
Gyms in New South Wales have new guidelines to follow from Saturday August 1.
From that date, they will have to register their COVID-19 Safety Plan and have a hygiene marshal on duty at all times.
The hygiene marshal will ensure social distancing is enforced and equipment is cleaned after it is used.

Gyms in New South Wales will soon need to have a staff member present at all times to ensure coronavirus safety measures are maintained.

Gyms and fitness centres in the state will have to register their COVID Safety Plan and have a dedicated hygiene marshal on duty at all times, in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

These marshals will ensure social distancing is enforced, equipment is cleaned after use, and hand sanitiser is available for gym-goers.

The new rules will come into effect from 12.01am on Saturday 1 August.
"We also want to extend now the requirement that all gyms need to have a COVID marshall in place at all times, that includes gyms who currently might have a business model where they don't have any staff present," New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian said. "That can no longer continue from Saturday morning."

NSW minister for customer service Victor Dominello said in a statement businesses have to take reasonable steps to reduce the virus spreading or they could face a fine or closure.
"Gyms play a crucial role in the promotion of health and fitness across our community but they are not immune to this challenge," he said.
"Without proper COVID safeguards they may present a transmission risk and that is why we need operators to put their customers first by registering their COVID Safety Plan."

In New South Wales, it is mandatory for hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes and cellar doors to register as a COVID Safe business but for other businesses, it's optional. It involves completing a COVID-19 Safety Plan then registering online as a COVIDSafe business.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/smart-living/gyms-in-new-south-wales-will-need-to-have-a-hygiene-marshal-on-site-at-all-times-from-this-saturday/ar-BB17j15J?ocid=msedgdhp&fbclid=IwAR1aE225zvt5Cf2XebuOxMdFkjwEhtRtXtBfNPJRjX7SZREfZAadX75PIK4

Schools
Sydney school closes after child's COVID-19 case
Bayanami Public School in Parramatta is closed today for cleaning after a child tested positive for COVID-19, the NSW Department of Education says.
29july-wsydney-primary-school-BB17im-Yz.jpg

Bayanami Public School in Parramatta will remain shut on Wednesday after the NSW Department of Education was advised of the child's positive test late Tuesday.
'The school will be non-operational for the on-site attendance of staff and students to allow time for the school to complete the contact tracing process and have the school cleaned,' a statement read.
'Additionally, close contacts of the case will be notified to undertake a 14-day self-isolation after their last contact with the case and undertake testing for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms.
The primary school said on-site teaching and before-school and after-school care would be cancelled as health authorities scrambled to trace the child's contacts.

The department will give a further update on Wednesday advising when the school will reopen for on-site classes.

NSW Health urges staff, parents and students who feel unwell or suffer flu-like symptoms to get tested.

Nearby testing clinics include Jeffrey House Clinic at 162 Marsden Street, Parramatta and The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sydney-news-sydney-school-closes-after-child-s-covid-19-case-a-new-vision-for-sydney-s-second-cbd-released/ar-BB17idH8?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/sydney/western-sydney-school-closed-as-student-tests-positive-to-coronavirus/ar-BB17iBsO?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nineteen-new-cases-of-coronavirus-in-nsw-as-gym-restrictions-tightened/ar-BB17iCyH?ocid=msedgntp



Protecting workers at Abattoirs in NSW

Fletchers International Exports in Dubbo taking extra steps to stay COVID-19 free
A Dubbo abattoir says it is taking every precaution to avoid the spread of COVID-19 as seen south of the border.

Roger Fletcher, who owns Fletcher International Exports, said they have been on the front foot from the beginning of the outbreak.
"We've been working on this for months now," he said.
"Temperature checking of a morning, wearing masks, talking to our people, it's been a team effort."

Clusters of COVID-19 infections in abattoirs are rising in Victoria.

The latest Department of Health data shows approximately 300 cases are associated with abattoirs in various locations around the state.

The Australian Lamb Company outbreak in Colac, outside of the lockdown zone, has risen to 47 infections.

Today, the Victorian Premier confirmed another 295 cases and nine deaths of coronavirus in the state.

Dubbo's distance an advantage
Mr Fletcher said Dubbo's distance from metropolitan Sydney is an advantage in preventing a COVID-19 outbreak.
"We are in a better position being in a regional area — I think it's terribly difficult for those abattoirs in the middle of cities," he said.
"The sites where there's been breakouts have been in the city part of Victoria where there's a lot of peopl,e and a lot of them are workers who are coming and going at the same time."

The family-run abattoir employs 700 people locally in Dubbo.

The company operates two processing facilities in Dubbo and the other near Albany in Western Australia.

Combined, the plants process over 4.5 million head per year.

Health issue not meatworks
Mr Fletcher said the outbreak in Victorian abattoirs is not a meat processing issue, but a health issue.
"We try to keep a constant workforce, we don't have external contractors," he said.
"We are much better off than Victoria and the US where it has been rife."

In a statement the Australian Meat Industry Council said "well-respected international agencies including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Australia's Food Standards agency (FSANZ) have publicly stated that there is no evidence to suggest that coronavirus is transmitted in food."

It said "the meat industry is uniquely positioned as one of the premier industries where food safety and hygiene is part of our core business."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/fletchers-international-exports-in-dubbo-taking-extra-steps-to-stay-covid-19-free/ar-BB17jh5c?ocid=msedgntp

Calls to mandate mask wearing in NSW

There shouldn't be a wait 'on the mandating of mask wearing'
Mandatory mask wearing, particularly in densely populated places like Sydney, would help avert a second wave of COVID-19, according to UNSW Global Biosecurity expert Professor Raina MacIntyre.
"Ideally we shouldn't be waiting before we mandate masks," Professor MacIntrye told Sky News host Peta Credlin.

Professor MacIntrye said the wearing of masks shouldn't be an "either/or recommendation".
"Masks should not be just an either/or recommendation when you can't socially distance".
"All the evidence shows that you need to use all of the interventions together for maximal effect".

Residents of Melbourne are currently required to mask up when leaving home or risk a fine.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/there-shouldn-t-be-a-wait-on-the-mandating-of-mask-wearing/ar-BB17jwfC?ocid=msedgntp

Contact tracing requirement to run business in NSW chaotic

Contact tracing by some Australian businesses is as good as 'useless' and putting customer information at risk, a data expert has warned
Nearly one in three Australian businesses are failing to comply with their own state's contact tracing requirements, a new study suggests.
Even those that do may prove "useless" with information unverified, as well as possibly incorrect and improperly stored.
The data comes as New South Wales and Victoria both grapple with a rising number of coronavirus cases.


The data you're giving pubs, cafes and restaurants might be doing little to actually counteract coronavirus outbreaks.

Despite being a major focus of Australia's response, almost one in three Australian businesses are failing to actually comply with government requirements, according to a new study commissioned by tracing app SafeEntry.

"Our research from July indicates that 30% of businesses do not have contact tracing or a record keeping system that complies with their state government directives," spokesperson Linda Manoukian told Business Insider Australia. "Even more concerning [is the fact] 21% of businesses with customer foot traffic do not use a tracking system at all."

Interestingly, the complacency that has set in among businesses appears to have spiked in areas where COVID-19 has not.

One in three businesses in Western Australia, which has recorded 659 confirmed cases since March, doesn't have any kind of contact tracing at all. Compare that to one in seven in New South Wales, where cases are again rising.

The latest spate is already testing the state's capacity.

"New South Wales has had an exemplary response to the pandemic and is doing an incredible job with contract tracing and testing ... but if the numbers get large, they will overwhelm the ability of contract tracing to work," Gabriel Metcalf, CEO of think tank Committee of Sydney, said.

Certainly, ineffective and inconsistent tracing will only hamper the containment effort there and around the country.

Manoukian, a psychologist by training, claims the situation is only exacerbated by the window for human error.

"Simply adopting a QR code does not make a business compliant," she said. "If personal details are incorrect, this would undermine the process of contact tracing. Therefore, if a business does not verify the data, the data is in fact useless."

While most businesses have rushed to get some sort of system up and running quickly in order to reopen, they may not be effective if they're ever called upon.

"Contact tracing only really works if every business implements a centralised system that both verifies patron information and reliably records and stores this information," Manoukian said.

"Currently, [it] is a long and arduous task of interviewing a person and attempting to record all movements the person made for a period of time. It also relies heavily on a persons’ memory of where they have been, which can generally be unreliable."

Certainly, there are also legitimate privacy concerns over what happens to that data once it's given. Nearly one in two Australian business owners report a noticeable discomfort among customers to pass on their details every time they enter a venue.

"Customers do not have any control over how a business chooses to store their personal information. They rely on the business to adhere to state government directives and delete this information after a time-limited period," Manoukian said.

"Storage isn’t necessarily electronic, and if it is, it is not necessarily stored securely on a server in Australia."

Requirements differ from state to state, with records to be kept for anywhere between a few weeks to a few months before they're meant to be disposed of or deleted.

But with businesses still behind the eight-ball, and a recent spike of cases in Victoria and New South Wales, there's clearly a long way to go.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/smart-living/contact-tracing-by-some-australian-businesses-is-as-good-as-useless-and-putting-customer-information-at-risk-a-data-expert-has-warned/ar-BB17j4Kd?ocid=msedgdhp

State borders

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian not told about Queensland coronavirus hotspot ban on Sydney areas
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she was not briefed by her Queensland counterpart over Sydneysiders being banned from entering the state due to COVID-19.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today declared 31 new local government areas in Sydney as COVID-19 hotspots for people from her state.

From 1:00am on Saturday "no one from Sydney will be allowed into Queensland", Ms Palaszczuk tweeted.The ban comes as two women from Queensland who returned after travelling interstate were found to be infected with coronavirus and are now being cared for in hospital.

Ms Palaszczuk said there would be a "thorough police investigation" into how the two 19-year-old women returned to Queensland from Melbourne via Sydney.

"I'm absolutely furious that this has happened. That these two people have gone to Victoria, have come back and have given misleading information to authorities," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said she was unaware of the decision to declare Greater Sydney a COVID hotspot before it was announced.

"That's a matter for the Queensland Premier, but it would have been nice if she told me," she said.

"I note that the cases they've announced today are all from Victoria, and the case from South Australia is from Victoria," Ms Berejiklian said.

"In the end, it hurts the smaller states if you don't interact with NSW, it hurts us less if you talk about the economy."

The tightening of restrictions means Queensland residents returning from COVID-19 hotspots in the past 14 days will be forced into hotel quarantine at their own expense.

Anyone else will be turned around at the border.

Ms Palaszczuk admitted the ban would be inconvenient for families who might have events planned in the next few days, but Queenslanders "should not be travelling to Sydney", she said.

"We must protect Queenslanders. Your safety comes first and we are in extraordinary times at the moment," she said.

"We have to do everything we can."

Meanwhile, Ms Berejiklian said she would be further tightening current restrictions if NSW cases continued to increase.

The state has 19 new cases amid a growing cluster in Potts Point restaurants, and the Premier wants more businesses to register as COVID-safe.

However she said NSW was in "the strongest position in the nation".

"It's always finding that right balance — making sure that the virus is in check but that we're also providing sufficient freedoms for our residents," she said.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-premier-gladys-berejiklian-not-told-about-queensland-coronavirus-hotspot-ban-on-sydney-areas/ar-BB17iNae?ocid=msedgntp

Woman arrested after video boasting about dodging COVID-19 checkpoint and NOT complying with Border restrictions on the NSW - Victoria Border
Police have arrested a woman whose covidiot video rant went viral nationally after she boasted about not disobeying police instructions to provide proof of identity and residential status or to stop at a COVID-19 checkpoint on the NSW - Victoria border . She has done this several times.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-woman-arrested-after-video-boasting-about-dodging-covid-19-checkpoint/vi-BB17jGXK?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
29 July in QLD

Queensland records 3 cases of COVID019 today.
The third reported case is a known close contact of the two 19-year-old women who had recently returned from Melbourne and failed to quarantine.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-records-3-cases-of-covid019-today/vi-BB17j8tf?ocid=msedgntp
A criminal investigation is underway after 2 COVID-19 infected teenagers caused the entire Sydney area to be banned from entering Queensland.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-greater-sydney-banned-from-queensland/vi-BB17jfbW?ocid=msedgntp
Third coronavirus case in Queensland confirmed with list of locations in Logan and Brisbane released
29july-chatwood-y-BB17jsz-W.jpg

Queensland has recorded a 3rd case of coronavirus in Logan, south of Brisbane, after 2 girls who had travelled from Victoria tested positive overnight.

Queensland school closed after positive virus case
A female employee at Parklands Christian College in Logan, south of Brisbane, returned a positive result forcing the closure of the school.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-queensland-school-closed-after-positive-virus-case/vi-BB17ifOx?ocid=msedgntp

Queensland Health said the woman, 22, was a close contact of one of the two 19-year-old women who tested positive.

She is an employee of YMCA Chatswood Hills Outside School Hours Care in Springwood — both it and the associated school, Chatswood Hills State School, have now been closed for cleaning.
"Queensland Health is working closely with the school and the care centre, both of which have temporarily closed until further notice," a statement from Queensland Health said.

Queensland Health also urged anyone who was at the locations below at the relevant times to "immediately self-quarantine and contact 13 HEALTH".
29july-qld-girls-flights.png


At this stage, the Department of Health is advising residents of Brisbane's southside to be "alert but not alarmed".

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said, in particular, residents of Logan, South Brisbane or Springfield should stay home if they feel unwell, and immediately arrange to be tested.
"As always, we strongly recommend everyone with symptoms, particularly people who have travelled interstate recently, to immediately get tested," Dr Young said.
"Vigilance is key to keeping community transmission out of Queensland."

Due to the new cases, Queensland Health has also immediately locked down aged care facilities in Brisbane's southside.

The directive means aged care facilities in the 'metro south' locality will not be allowed to host visitors until an alternative directive is made.

In a letter to parents and staff, the principal of Chatswood Hills State School, David Teale, said the school would be closed tomorrow.

Mr Teale said the school's outside hours care service was working closely with Queensland Health to identify any close contacts of the woman with COVID-19.

There are currently eight active cases of COVID-19 in Queensland, with four of those in hospital.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/brisbane/third-coronavirus-case-in-queensland-confirmed-with-list-of-locations-in-logan-and-brisbane-released/ar-BB17j9q1?ocid=msedgntp

Queensland declares Greater Sydney out off bounds
Queensland has been declared off-limits to Sydneysiders after three people tested positive to coronavirus.
The declaration stretches from the city, to the outer suburbs, to the Blue Mountains and north to the Central Coast.
The move is set to impact the Queensland tourism industry.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/qld-tightens-border-restrictions-to-greater-sydney/vi-BB17jgKH?ocid=msedgntp
Saturday deadline for anyone returning to Queensland from Greater Sydney
Queensland residents have until 1am Saturday to return from Greater Sydney or they will have to stay in hotel quarantine for 2 weeks at their own expense.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-saturday-deadline-for-anyone-returning-to-queensland-from-greater-sydney/vi-BB17jljy?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-three-queenslanders-infected-with-covid-19/vi-BB17jb3r?ocid=msedgntp

Unbelieveable - special dispensation to pro-sports ( mainly AFL & NRL ) teams remains in place despite worsening situation in NSW & Victoria ( all about $ and keeping TV networks happy , but playing Russian Roulette with Qld fans lives and the health of the larger QLD community ).

NRL's travel exemptions to remain despite Queensland declaring Sydney a coronavirus hotspot
he NRL's exemptions for its teams travelling to Queensland will stand, despite the Palaszczuk Government declaring Greater Sydney a coronavirus hotspot.

The Queensland Premier announced today that the state would close its borders to all residents of Greater Sydney from 1:00am on Saturday.

But the NRL has been given an assurance from the Queensland Government that the original exemptions still exist.

It means the teams currently based outside of the state, including the nine Sydney clubs, will continue to be chartered to Queensland to play without staying overnight.

Queensland teams will also be able to make the same trip in reverse, with players on both sides of the border still in their bubbles.

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys, speaking prior to confirming the travel exemptions remained in place, said the NRL clubs were committed to observing the league's biosecurity protocols.
"We've got those rigorous protocols in place where our players are self-isolating," he told the ABC.
"We go in and out (of Queensland) on the same day and the risk is minimal."

Meanwhile, Sydney's two AFL teams, GWS Giants and Sydney Swans, have accelerated their plans to leave New South Wales in light of the Queensland Government's announcement.

GWS, who face Gold Coast on Sunday, will now fly out on Thursday afternoon.

The Giants and Sydney were already both playing their next two matches in Queensland before heading to a hub in Western Australia, but the border closure means they would not be able to return home after round nine.

Super Rugby AU will also be impacted, with two teams, Western Force and New South Wales, both based in Sydney.

The Waratahs are set to host the Rebels at Leichhardt Oval on Friday.

The Melbourne Rebels and the ACT-based Brumbies, who take on the Queensland Reds on Saturday, are based in Canberra.

Super Netball rejigs fixture
The NSW Swifts and Giants Netball will rush to Queensland this week with the opening round of Super Netball reshuffled due to the tightened border restrictions.

The Giants were set to host West Coast Fever on Saturday at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, while the Swifts and Adelaide Thunderbirds were slated to play at the same venue on Sunday.

The two Sydney outfits will now fly north on Thursday to begin their campaigns in Brisbane.

The Swifts, who are the defending Super Netball premiers, and Giants will square off on Sunday, while the Thunderbirds and Fever will bypass Sydney and meet in a round-one match on Saturday in a double-header.

The Queensland Firebirds and Sunshine Lightning will still open the competition in the earlier match in Brisbane on Saturday.

The Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood Magpies, who are already in Brisbane, will play on Sunday evening during their final hours of quarantine.

Round-two matches which had been scheduled for Sydney will also be relocated.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nrl-s-travel-exemptions-to-remain-despite-queensland-declaring-sydney-a-coronavirus-hotspot/ar-BB17jzKC?ocid=msedgntp
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
29 July in SA

Victoria - SA and NSW - SA borders

Concerns over truckies breaching SA border
There are concerns that not all trucks arriving from Victoria are being checked in accordance with border regulations when crossing into South Australia.
<<High risk of stowaways from Victoria or NSW hiding on board, or off drivers taking bribes to smuggle covid-refugees and itinerant workers across the border >>.

Truck driver says line-up of drivers let through SA border without being checked for permits
South Australia's strengthened border closure with Victoria has been questioned just hours after it came into effect with a truck driver claiming authorities waved through at least 80 trucks without being checked overnight.

South Australians can no longer return to their home state from Victoria unless they are essential travellers, with the new restrictions starting at one minute past midnight last night.

It's among a raft of new restrictions designed to prevent Melbourne's surging coronavirus crisis spreading west into South Australia.

However, truck driver Steve has cast doubt on how well authorities are cracking down at the border just hours after the restrictions came into effect.

He said he crossed the border on the Dukes Highway travelling into Victoria at about 10:00pm last night and there was a queue of semi-trailers about 2-3-kilometres long.

He said the change in rules meant on his return trip to enter back into SA at about 1:45am he was stuck in a queue behind semi-trailers for hours despite having pre-approval.

When finally reaching the front of the queue at about 3:00am, he said all the trucks in line were then waved through at once, without being checked for permits.
"Didn't even stop, didn't even talk to me, just waved a wand at me and waved me on," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
"Straight through … 80 trucks launched it straight away … I'm surprised there wasn't a fatal."

He said there was still a lot of confusion among truck drivers as to what they needed to do to get into South Australia.

Police 'do not stop every heavy vehicle'
SA Police today said due to last night's border changes, they decided to stop more truck drivers than usual to provide information about the new directions in place.

However, a larger number of trucks came through the border "than was anticipated" by police.
"This created a lengthy line up of trucks which would not ordinarily happen," police said in a statement.
"Police therefore modified their processes to risk assess the trucks coming through to allow freight workers to pass through without unnecessary delay.
"SAPOL are satisfied that the trucks that were allowed to pass through were essential travellers and priority was given to processing other travellers coming into the state that may pose a risk to the South Australian community."

Police also reiterated that patrols on the border do not stop every heavy vehicle involved in freight transport due to the high volume crossing the border each day.
"Random and targeted inspections are done to ensure compliance with COVID-19 directions, so that freight movement is not unnecessarily inhibited and to avoid any risk to road users," police said.

SA Premier Steven Marshall said he had spoken to SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens about the issue this morning and defended their actions on the border.
"SAPOL have only ever done random checks on the trucks that come across as essential workers from day one," Mr Marshall said.
"Last night there was a change in protocol at the border to inspect all of them, but when it turned out that this was creating unnecessary traffic hazards, they went back to the normal practice.
"There was a change last night for a few hours and that proved unsatisfactory from a traffic management perspective for holding up those essential workers."

Mr Marshall said essential travellers crossing the SA border need to make sure they are registered, may only be out in public when they are working and must isolate otherwise, and thirdly, need to be wearing a face masks when in public.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/truck-driver-says-line-up-of-drivers-let-through-sa-border-without-being-checked-for-permits/ar-BB17ipVH?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-concerns-over-truckies-breaching-sa-border/vi-BB17jzyJ?ocid=msedgdhp

29 July in NT

Coronavirus border and quarantine measures costing NT Police $2 million a month, Commissioner says
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker says 16,000 people have crossed into the Territory since the NT reopened its borders on July 17, and nearly 400 people are now in mandatory supervised quarantine.

Anyone who enters the NT from a coronavirus hotspot — which includes Port Stephens, the Eurobodalla Shire, Victoria and Greater Sydney — must undergo two weeks of supervised quarantine upon their arrival at a personal cost of $2,500.

Last week, two men were flown out of a remote Northern Territory town and placed in supervised quarantine after they "falsely declared" they had not been in a designated coronavirus hotspot.

Commissioner Chalker said in a separate incident there was another person who may have also misled police.
"There's another individual that we're currently looking at as well who has gone back into mandatory quarantine … we're just gathering the further evidence to refer a charge," he said.

$2 million in COVID-19 response
It is costing NT Police about $2 million a month to patrol the Territory's borders and ensure people are complying with COVID-19 restrictions, Commissioner Chalker says.
"We're probably doing that far more cost-effectively than most because we have the advantage of the Australian Federal Police cost not being worn by the Northern Territory Government," he said.

This Friday, the number of AFP officers helping enforce the NT's COVID-19 measures will be cut by more than half.
"At their peak, there was 102, they're now going to reduce down to 30 by conclusion of business this Friday," Commissioner Chalker said.
"That's a transfer we need to pick up."

Commissioner Chalker said Darwin watch house had closed to make sure there were enough officers tasked to the coronavirus response.
"We do need to prioritise our resource deployment," he said.
"There's a number of services that we have to diminish because of that."

131 additional police promised
On Monday, NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced additional police staff, including auxiliary and community liaison officers, to help patrol the NT's borders.

The announcement includes 66 frontline constables, 30 Aboriginal Liaison Officers, 10 Aboriginal community police officers and 25 support staff.

And while the Northern Territory Police Association welcomed the announcement, its president Paul McCue is calling for a funding breakdown to make sure there is enough money for what is being promised by Government.
"The government must ensure our members have the staffing and resourcing to provide a sustainable, long-term policing model on our borders and to undertake monitoring and quarantine compliance duties while ensuring day-to-day policing is not adversely impacted," Mr McCue said.
"Border locations must also have an appropriate infrastructure investment, to cater for this new long-term policing function."

Mr Gunner said police would remain on the border "indefinitely".
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-border-and-quarantine-measures-costing-nt-police-2-million-a-month-commissioner-says/ar-BB17iQRi?ocid=msedgntp

29 July Federal

How much coronavirus is there in Australia that we don't know about?
If you bought a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and only 100 pieces were in the box, do you think you could still get a fair idea of what the completed puzzle should look like?

How many pieces would be enough to guess the full picture and how many could you cope without?

In a way, this puzzle analogy works to help explain what we know about the true spread of coronavirus.
Because we only have data from people who are tested, we're working with an incomplete picture.

There are many people who are infected with COVID-19 but never tested — they are known as undocumented cases and contribute to a silent, stealthy spread of the virus.

How would you react if you knew there were many more infections in Victoria than we knew about, say a daily rate of 900 rather than 300?

The consequences of these undocumented cases are serious. We can't accurately predict the spread of the virus or the true infection fatality rate, that is the chances of dying compared to the total number infected.

So can we take an educated guess at how much coronavirus is really out there?

11 times more
Nir Menachemi, who is Professor of Health Policy and Management at Indiana University in the US, tried to do just that.

He and a team of researchers for active COVID-19 infection as well as the presence of COVID-19 antibodies.

More than 3,600 people over the age of 12 were tested between April 25-29.

From the results, Dr Menachemi concluded that the true number of infections in Indiana was 11 times greater than the number of known cases at the time.

Dr Menachemi said he wasn't surprised many cases were going undetected.

"Almost everything we know about the disease comes from people at the top of the pyramid, the people who have died, the people who have been hospitalised, or the people who are relatively symptomatic," he said.

"We really just never knew the size of the pyramid, [or] the ratios of each of the groups to each other.

"[But] it's the people who are out in the community with little or no symptoms that are probably responsible for most of the new infections."

The researchers concluded that the infection fatality ratio in the state was therefore 0.58 per cent, which is within the range of current estimates (between 0.26 per cent to 0.65 per cent according to the US Centre for Disease Control).

In Australia, there's less puzzle pieces missing
Australia has some of the best testing rates in the world. shows Australia tests an average of 110 people per 1,000.

Ahead of us are
the United Arab Emirates (390 for every 1,000),
Bahrain (360),
Denmark (200)
and Russia (150).
"This gives us a reasonable level of confidence that we are detecting most of the COVID-19 cases across the country," says Dr Adam Kamradt-Scott, who specialises in pandemic preparedness at the University of Sydney.

Epidemiologist John Kaldor from UNSW, who is currently working to find the ratio of hidden infections in Australia, agrees we have a fuller picture than other countries.
"We pride ourselves on very high levels of testing so we would expect a lower level of undetection in Australian than some overseas settings," Professor Kaldor said.
"The speculation has been one or two additional cases for every detected case."

Professor Kaldor and his team are analysing blood samples taken for other reasons to look for antibodies and estimate how many undocumented cases we've missed.

The sero-surveys (blood testing for antibodies) will first be conducted on samples from the Red Cross in NSW, with a focus on Sydney, before being rolled out nationally.

The testing is anonymous so the person's identity is never disclosed, just their age, sex and postcode.
"The serological findings will give us an insight into how we can enhance our testing strategies to get better coverage of cases in the community," Professor Kaldor said.
"It's very important to know not just how much we're missing but where we are missing cases; whether it's in certain age groups or postcodes."

Missing asymptomatic cases
The majority of undocumented cases will be among infected people who have no symptoms or mild symptoms they don't take seriously.

The science is not yet definitive on the proportion of COVID-19 cases that are asymptomatic, but the estimates range from around 18 % to 80 %.

Back to that research out of Indiana, Dr Menachemi says 44 % of those who were infected had no symptoms during the two weeks before testing.

Professor Raina MacIntyre, head of the biosecurity program at the Kirby Institute, says the substantial body of evidence tells us that asymptomatic and presymptomatic infection is common with COVID-19.
"Studies of the Diamond Princess found about 2/3 of passengers were infected, with a high proportion asymptomatic.
Studies in aged care and other outbreaks have also found 50 % or more of all positive cases are asymptomatic."

Silent carriers are thought to be largely responsible for the rapid spread of COVID-19 in China and found 86 % of all infections were undocumented prior to January 23.

Even though these undocumented infections were half as contagious, they were the source of two-thirds of known infections.
"For every case you find, you should multiply it by 5 to 10...even 12 or 15 to get the total number of infections," Professor Shaman said.
"[But in Victoria] the multiplier would be a little lower, maybe 1 in 5 cases are possible rather than 1 in 10."

Professor MacIntyre says the World Health Organisation has been slow and reluctant to accept the prevalence of silent transmission.
"Until testing of every at-risk person during outbreaks is conducted, asymptomatic cases will be missed and outbreaks will occur."

Victoria's position remains that people without symptoms should not be tested unless they have special circumstances or are requested to do so by contact tracers.
"If a person without symptoms is tested and the result is negative, it does not mean that they have not been infected, as they might still be incubating the virus," the state health department says.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/how-much-coronavirus-is-there-in-australia-that-we-don-t-know-about/ar-BB17ifbS?ocid=msedgntp

Senior advisor to PM in isolation
One of the Prime Minister’s senior advisers is now in isolation after visiting Sydney’s The Apollo at Potts Point
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-senior-pm-advisor-in-isolation/vi-BB17i9Ud?ocid=msedgntp


New way to order prescription medication
Patients will soon be able to order their medicines and have them delivered without leaving the house.
<< My wife and I have been doing this Tele-Scripting and meds ordering by phone or online ( meds only) and paying over the phone or PayPal , since February , the meds and scripts are delivered to the door in a covid safe manner , no delivery fee as we on the Covid Priority List >>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/new-way-to-order-prescription-medication/vi-BB17jlya?ocid=msedgdhp

Clive Palmer 'highly likely' to win WA coronavirus border closure legal fight, Prime Minister warns
The PM has escalated his dispute with WA's Premier Mark McGowan over Western Australia's hard border closure, warning the Premier his "all-or-nothing approach" will "highly likely" fall foul of the constitution.

Businessman Clive Palmer's legal challenge to bring down the hard border is being heard in the Federal Court this week, before heading to the High Court later this year.

Scott Morrison has defended the Commonwealth's decision to join Mr Palmer's action.
He said he was concerned about the "combative" way the debate had unfolded.
"I do fear an all-or-nothing approach on the case is not the best way forward because I think the constitutional position is fairly clear," he said.
"My concern is that it is highly likely that the constitutional position that is being reviewed in this case will not fall in the Western Australian Government's favour."

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter insisted the Commonwealth was not "siding" with Mr Palmer.
"This is not about any great love or any great dislike for Clive Palmer," he told 6PR radio.
"The problem with [the border closure] is it's a complete all-or-nothing approach.
"If you maintain an all-or-nothing approach, then you run a very high risk that you will have the High Court determine against you in the long run, which might be October or whenever."

McGowan not budging over 'selfish' Palmer
Mr Porter agreed it "made sense" for Western Australia to close its border to Victoria due to the large number of coronavirus cases in that state.
"But it is less proportional and makes less sense for WA for instance to close its borders to South Australia when each jurisdiction has … no community transmission and very low rates of active cases," he said.
"I think that the compromise position here is to try and very cautiously, in a staged, sensible, jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction way, start to open your borders."

But Mr McGowan said the state would continue "fighting" the case, arguing the border closure was keeping West Australians safe.
"It annoys the hell out of me that the Liberal Party and Mr Palmer want to bring it down," he said.
"It's to protect us."

Mr McGowan described Mr Palmer as "a very, very selfish and self-centred person" who was "prepared to risk everyone's health for his own travel arrangements".

'Targeted' border closure better:
The Federal Court has been hearing evidence from a panel of expert witnesses including epidemiologists Kamalini Lokuge and Tony Blakely and infectious diseases expert Peter Collignon, who said WA could consider a "targeted quarantine regime" that would apply only to travellers from interstate virus hotspots.

Mr Collignon said such a strategy would have fewer economic and social consequences for the community and would be more sustainable than the current hard border closure.

Earlier in the trial, WA's Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson was quizzed about the risk posed to the state from interstate arrivals.

He conceded there was little public health justification for keeping WA closed to the five other states and territories that had eliminated coronavirus, and told the court he had written to the State Government suggesting it consider a travel bubble with SA and NT.

The Federal Court hearing is determining the facts of the case before it goes to the High Court later this year.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/clive-palmer-highly-likely-to-win-wa-coronavirus-border-closure-legal-fight-prime-minister-warns/ar-BB17iIST?ocid=msedgntp

Effects of pandemic on Australia’s inflation rate
Australia’s rate of inflation plunged 1.9 percent in the last quarter as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-effects-of-pandemic-on-australia-s-inflation-rate/vi-BB17jq4t?ocid=msedgntp


29 July in WA no news

29 July in Tas no news
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Original Poster
30-Jul WORSE PANDEMIC DAY YET FOR AUSTRALIA - COUNTRY IN SHOCK !

New cases o/night in Victoria leaps to 723
New cases o/night in NSW = 18
New cases o/night in QLD = 4
New o/night cases in Victoria & NSW = 741
Total new cases in Victoria & NSW since 10 June = 9345

It is very likely this is not reflective of the growth of the infections , it's a testing outlier as was the very low number recorded for Victoria on 29 July.
average yesterday & today = 520 which is more in line with my expectations for over the last 2 days.


30july.png


Daily cases in last 2 weeks for each state
30july-daily-cases-by-state-1.png

30july-daily-cases-by-state-2.png


Heat map for Lake Macquarie - Newcastle and Port Stephens
30july-local-cases.png

Active cases in my vicinity = 2
Active cases in Anna Bay area = 1
Active cases in Fingal Bay area = 5
https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/find-facts-about-covid-19

Heat map for Sydney - Central Coast and Illawarra
30july-sydney-central-coast-and-illawarra.png


Troubling developments in SE QLD due to a pair of criminally selfish girls who came up with a scheme to avoid 2 weeks of self - funded quarantine in a guarded quarantine motel when they returned to QLD by air from Melbourne via Sydney.
These two girls have caused a very fast spreading cluster in Logan QLD and people are very upset and angry about their selfish behaviour.
More about this later.



Sources in Australia
30july-sources.png

Victoria
30july-vic-sources.png

NSW
30july-nsw-sources.png


Demography of Australian Cases
30july-australia-confirmed-cases-demographics.png


Australia's daily cases
30july-2.png


Australia's pandemic today at a glance
30july-australian-summary.png


Hospital situation
Victorian situation is very worrying , and will become very much worse very soon a/c diabolical age care situation in Victoria that can only be described as catastrophic
30july-hospitals.png


Australia's Daily Deaths
today was a shock !
30july-australia-daily-deaths.png


Demography of Australian deaths
30july-deaths-by-demography.png


Australian deaths by cluster
30july-australia-deaths-by-cluster.png


A lot of state news to process today , will update you tomorrow when I've processed it.
 

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