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

CooperDragon":3vm29mwh said:

The flooding has made the news over here. Seems like it's one extreme or the other for you guys. Thanks for the spider photos. Total nightmare fuel there... :evil: :lol:

Click to expand...

A frightening picture shows alligators at a New South Wales zoo (Cessnock) dangerously close to swimming out of their enclosures in rising floodwaters.

The photo shared by Hunter Valley Zoo on Monday shows one alligator in the foreground seemingly waiting for the water to rise above the fence as the rest of the habitat turns into a lake.

Click to expand...

US sinks to new low in rankings of world's democracies
AA moves race just weeks out from champs

Masks will not be mandatory on public transport from next Monday, while restrictions on weddings, funerals and dancing will also be lifted in a major easing of coronavirus restrictions across NSW.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Wednesday that it was the right time to ease restrictions, announcing that nightclubs will also reopen.

Caps on sporting events, entertainment venues and home visitors will be abolished, as will restrictions on singing, including at places of worship, as the new rules take effect on Monday, March 29.

It comes as NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday night. Three new cases were acquired overseas, and one previously reported case was excluded following further investigation.
<< been 1 week since NSW recorded it's last local covid transmission >>

All venues will move to a one-person per two square metre rule, Ms Berejiklian said, though those restrictions will only apply once more than 25 people are inside.

Ms Berejiklian also revealed that 100 per cent of NSW hotel quarantine workers had received at least their first coronavirus vaccination. Families of quarantine workers are now also being vaccinated.

"With no community transmission and our quarantine and frontline workers now receiving their second vaccinations, the timing is right to further ease restrictions across the state," Ms Berejiklian said.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet described the easing of restrictions as a "stride in the right direction".

"We are pretty much back to normal and that's a great thing for the people of our state," he said.

"This is an amazing achievement from where we were just last year...so to have the freedoms and the options we have is a testament to the people of our state."

While face masks will not be mandatory on public transport from Monday, they are "strongly recommended," NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.

"We are aiming to ease these restrictions with the knowledge that we don't have any community transmission at this time," Dr Chant said.

[The easing of restrictions comes just over a week after NSW recorded its first local case of coronavirus in more than a month when a hotel worker contracted the virus.

"We are still in the final throes of following up the incursion event," Dr Chant said, adding that no close contacts had tested positive. The hotel worker had received their first vaccination days before they tested positive.

While the cap on the number of visitors allowed into a home has been abolished, a COVID-19 safety plan is required if more than 100 people are visiting. Two hundred people will also be allowed for personal outdoor gatherings./

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/sydney/masks-to-go-dancing-returns-as-restrictions-lift-across-nsw/ar-BB1eTyAN?ocid=msedgdhp

Flood emergency is still unfolding in all of northern NSW and the Central Coast, Hunter Valley, the Hawksbury River , Sydney, Illawarra, and the tablelands , and Southern Coast. Rivers are still rising in many area despite the break from the rain today , in some places will continue rising for another week or even more.
Many farms and towns are completely cutoff and relying on airlifts and resupply by ADF all terrain heavy vehicle, and boats.

Data

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

From 1 January to 25 March 2021 … Queensland Health has been notified of 64 cases of COVID-19 in people with a history of travel in or transit through Papua New Guinea

Click to expand...

The COVID crisis in Papua New Guinea has taken a dramatic turn, with vaccines arriving from Australia and many refusing to receive the jab due to misinformation spread by antivaxxers outside and inside PNG.

Click to expand...

Cluster grows
The men are the latest cases in a cluster that also includes a doctor from the Princess Alexandra Hospital and two returned travellers, who tested positive earlier this month to the highly transmissible B117 UK variant.

Thousands of people came forward to be tested on Saturday, forming long queues at some clinics in Brisbane. That followed a tripling of tests on Friday, when 6,881 were carried out.

Masks have not been mandated yet, though health authorities are advising people to wear them in crowded places in Brisbane and Moreton Bay.

Not many masks were seen in the crowd as thousands of people arrived at Suncorp Stadium for a Broncos match on Saturday evening.
Hours earlier, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) imposed an immediate mandatory requirement for patrons to wear masks.

"In this fast-changing environment and in the interest of being proactive, we wish to advise that masks are now mandatory," QPAC tweeted.

Border restrictions
After the Stafford man tested positive on Thursday, other states rushed to impose new restrictions on people who had recently been in Brisbane and Moreton Bay.

Interstate travellers are advised to check for updates on state websites.

Queensland currently has 71 active cases, with the majority in hotel quarantine.

Five or six cases have been reported in quarantine each day for the past fortnight, pushing hospital capacity close to the peak of the pandemic, said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

"That is not to say our hospitals cannot cope — they will be able to cope — but [we are seeing a] large influx and high rate of returned travellers being positive," said Ms Palaszczuk.

For that reason, the Premier has asked the Prime Minister to halve the number of international arrivals to Queensland for the next two weeks so the state can focus on contact tracing.

Queensland currently accepts 1,300 international returnees each week.
<< and is receiving infected FIFO workers from PNG where positivity is extremely high and covid is out of control ,especially to northern airports at Cairns, Townsville and Mackay , and who acct for near 1/2 the cases in Qld hospital suffering covid

Click to expand...

State governments (CHOs) have ordered recent arrivals from the affected area in QLD to immediately self-isolate and get tested.

Anyone in Victoria who had been in Brisbane or the neighbouring Moreton Bay region since March 12 and anyone in South Australia or the ACT who had visited the areas since March 20.

NSW, Tasmania and Western Australia also updated their advice to visitors and travellers but did not impose an order to self-isolate.

People who travelled the Northern Territory from Queensland since March 20 and visited any locations must get tested within 72 hours and isolate until a negative test is confirmed.

Victoria's DHHS also shifted the Brisbane City Council and Moreton Bay Regional Council areas, covering some 1.7 million people, to orange on the traffic-light system, meaning the same restrictions apply to new arrivals, with an exception for "transit to the airport".

Similar restrictions are in place for anyone in SA and the ACT who has visited the two regions since March 20, with the added requirement to get tested again on day 5 and day 13 in SA.

In NSW, Western Australia and Tasmania, only those who crossed paths with the infected patient at one of 11 publicly identified exposure sites must self-isolate and get tested.

Starting from 12.01am on Saturday, anyone arriving in NSW who has visited Brisbane or the Moreton Bay region in the past fortnight must fill out a passenger declaration form, which includes confirmation of whether or not they have visited any of the sites.

NSW Health said anyone who had been at a venue of high concern should not enter NSW, with those already in the state directed to self-isolate and call NSW Health on 1800 943 553.

Differing entry requirements for new arrivals apply across different states.

The infections were caused by the more contagious B117 coronavirus variant, commonly referred to as the UK variant, authorities said.

Queensland Health issued a public health alert for 11 locations across Brisbane and the Moreton Bay region, requiring customers who crossed paths with the case to get tested immediately.

Click to expand...

Those arriving into Western Australia from Queensland from Saturday must be tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine for 14 days, the WA government has announced.

<< latests evidence is that with B117 strain, 14 days quarantine is NOT SUFFICIENT.

This is why the cluster in Brisbane escaped hotel quarantine. Have to wonder if the CHOs are staying abreast of the latest science wrt covid19 variants.

Earlier on Saturday, arrivals were told they only had to self-quarantine until they returned a negative result, but that advice has since been updated.

"Due to updated health advice a full 14-day period of self-quarantine is now required," Premier Mark McGowan announced in a Facebook post just after 6:00pm local time.

"These new directions also apply to those people who arrived from Queensland earlier today.

"The situation continues to be monitored regularly and the state government will not hesitate to reintroduce the hard border with QLD if the health advice recommends that course of action.”

The new directive from the WA Government is effective immediately.

The move is in response to Queensland recording a second case of COVID-19 community transmission in Brisbane on Saturday.

It was then later revealed the man held a party for 25 people at his home after being instructed to isolate while he waited for his test results.

Day 11 test

The Premier said arrivals must also present for a COVID-19 test on day 11.

They will also undergo health screening and a temperature check at Perth airport, and must be prepared to take a COVID-19 test at the airport if required.

A G2G Pass declaration is also mandatory.

'Very fluid' situation': Health Minister
Earlier on Saturday, WA Health Minister Roger Cook emphasised the new border arrangements were "interim".

"As we see more information come to hand, we will take the necessary steps to protect the people of Western Australia," he said.

The Health Minister said about 1,000 people arrived from Queensland each day, on average, but WA Health said only a few hundred were due to arrive on Saturday.

Only one person in WA is known to have visited the potential exposure sites in Brisbane.

Two COVID-19 clinics have been set up at Perth Airport, but Mr Cook said travellers were also able to visit clinics at Perth's major hospitals.

"We do ask people to be patient, we do ask them to be understanding as they test our systems, but obviously this is an important step we need to take to ensure we keep the people of Western Australia safe."

On Saturday afternoon, Mr Cook said the situation was "very fluid".

"This is a difficult situation but it's one that the Queensland authorities are very active on," he said.

Mr Cook earlier warned any West Australians heading to Queensland for Easter should be cautious, as their travel plans may be disrupted, warning that WA's hard border could be reinstated "immediately" if required.

The Health Minister also confirmed WA would receive around 80,000 doses of the Melbourne-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine within days.

He said GPs should have the vaccine ready to administer by Monday or Tuesday.

Click to expand...

We are not allowing ticket holders that are affected by the three-day Queensland lockdown to attend the festival on the first day, Thursday April 1.

Click to expand...

Gold Coast residents could be placed into hard lockdown before Easter Friday with a number of new exposure sites connected to Queensland’s new local B117 cases revealed in the city.

Click to expand...

Greater Brisbane HARD LOCKDOWN restrictions
The following rules apply to the local government areas of Brisbane, Redlands, Ipswich, Logan and Moreton Bay:

You can only leave your residence (which includes temporary accommodation such as a holiday rental) for four essential purposes: to obtain essential goods or services, including healthcare; exercise; to attend essential work or childcare; or to assist vulnerable persons.
You can leave your residence only with members of your household, or no more than one person from outside your household.
Non-essential businesses are not permitted to operate. Restaurants and cafes can serve takeaway customers only.
You must carry a face mask with you at all times when you leave home. You must wear a mask in public indoor spaces and workplaces.
These restrictions will remain in place until at least 5pm on Thursday 1 April. A decision on whether to extend the measures will be announced on Thursday morning.

Click to expand...

QLD Statewide restrictions (outside of greater Brisbane)
The following rules apply to all of Queensland outside of greater Brisbane:

You can have a maximum of 30 people in your home, including those who live with you. A maximum of 500 people may gather in public outdoor spaces.
Retail food services, entertainment venues and high risk businesses must only open for seated eating and drinking, takeaway and delivery. There is no standing or dancing allowed in the venues.
You must carry a face mask with you at all times when you leave home. You must wear a mask in public indoor spaces and workplaces.

Click to expand...

The NSW Government confirmed that community transmission of COVID-19 has been recorded in Byron Bay, linked to a hen's party that was attended by asymptomatic B117 infected visitors QLD nurse & her sister from Brisbane.
Restrictions were announced for four councils local to the new case;
Ballina,
Byron,
Lismore
and Tweed.
Residents have been urged to stay home and masks are mandatory on public transport, in retails stores and hospitality venues. The four square metre rule is back in place and the number of visitors at any household is capped at 30.

Click to expand...

Greater Brisbane was declared a "red zone" under Victoria's traffic light permit system at 6pm on Monday.
About 30 interstate air passengers from Brisbane landed in Melbourne on Monday night after the border closed, but left on return flights on Tuesday.

AAP understands a further 15 remained behind, staying at Melbourne Airport's Park Royal hotel before being moved to the nearby Holiday Inn hotel on Wednesday afternoon.

Of that group, nine are expected to be released later on Wednesday evening pending a negative COVID-19 test result.

Click to expand...

NSW Local government area restrictions
As of 5pm on Wednesday 31 March, the following rules apply to the LGAs of Tweed shire council, Ballina shire council, Byron shire council and Lismore city council ( FAR NORTH COAST of NSW ONLY ) :

Mask wearing is compulsory on public transport, in retail stores, and in all public indoor settings
The one person per four square metre rule will apply at all public indoor settings including hospitality venues
The number of household visitors will be capped at 30 including holiday rental properties..

Click to expand...

Sturt pushed out from here, “discovering” Cooper Creek. But he never found his inland sea. Little did he realise that he was camped in an inland sea of sorts (if he had only been there after a "rainbomb" or large Kimberley or NT tropical cyclone).

Click to expand...

For the first time in 10 years, Lake Pinaroo in the far west of New South Wales is full after heavy rains drenched the desert region.

The lake is located about 100 kilometres west of Tibooburra and about 30 kilometres from Cameron Corner — where New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland intersect.

Wild Deserts project coordinator Reece Pedler, who lives near the lake at Fort Grey Homestead, said just under 100 millimetres of rain had been recorded there recently.

Click to expand...

Following a meeting of National Cabinet on Friday, the commonwealth and state governments agreed to release daily data reports on the progress of the vaccination rollout, responding to concerns about a lack of transparency and confusion among the states about vaccine supplies.

Sunday’s figures show that across Australia about 1.16m vaccinations have now been dispensed, with about half delivered by the commonwealth through the GP network and in aged and disability care, and the other half delivered through state vaccination hubs.

In the wake of a government revision to the vaccination program for under-50s based on an extremely rare blood-clot side effect linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the health minister, Greg Hunt, also moved to reassure Australians that the program was “safe and effective”.

“These vaccines are safe and effective and we simply follow the advice on administration of our medical experts. That has kept Australians safe and we will continue to provide those updates,” Hunt said.

“Our message is simple, please continue to get vaccinated, it’s safe, it’s effective, it can save your life and it can save the life of your friend, or your family, or your neighbour.”

Click to expand...

A Queensland woman has tested positive to coronavirus after attending a hen's party in Byron Bay.

But Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk took to Twitter on Sunday to announce the woman was no longer deemed 'infectious'.

'One case believed to be historic linked to Byron Bay cluster,' she wrote.

'Not a risk to the community and under investigation.'

Chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young said the case was linked to the second outbreak at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, in Brisbane, on March 28.

Click to expand...

A 2nd quarantine worker from New Zealand has tested positive for Covid-19, further risking the trans-Tasman travel bubble due to open on April 19.

The employee from quarantine facility Grand Millennium Hotel, in Auckland CBD, tested positive to Covid-19 on Sunday.

Health officials do not believe the virus will continue to spread because the person has been self-isolating since they were identified as a close contact of a security guard who tested positive last week.

Several venues that were visited by the security guard have been put on alert, including a Bikanervala Bakery and cafe Bake and Beans in Mt Roskill, south of the city.

Click to expand...