Covid: Australia

mccardey

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The changes to face-mask and face-covering recommendations that we were expecting this week have come through, and Guardian Australia has an excellent rundown for us on the advice, availability and proper way to protect ourselves at the moment down here:
At a national level, the Department of Health now says in advice published on 9 July that masks are recommended in areas where community transmission is occurring and where physical distancing is difficult.

Community transmission is occurring in Melbourne.
which we've known for a while - Masks on, Mellers! but -
It is also occurring on a much smaller scale in parts of metropolitan Sydney. That has prompted the Queensland government to list these “hotspots” there.

Masks on also in parts of Sydney - and the lists of places is growing so stay updated.

The Sydney virus is apparently much quicker in symptom-development - 24 hours from transmission. Which is a worry.

(Were I to go out, I'd be masking now because yesterday we heard there's a case in a worker in the main shop in our little town - but, because I'm old and have Reasons, I won't be going out except for testing. I doubt I'll be leaving the house for at least a fortnight. And all the prospective guests have already been cancelled :( )

Stay safe, Australia. Love you, Victoria!
 
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akiwiguy

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Hope Aussie numbers start dropping again real soon. From what I gather the good news is they're apparently not showing an exponential growth.

I've just returned home to NZ from living for about 6 years in Sydney, and my good news is...one more day of 14 days mandatory isolation in a hotel room, and I'm free!

There's a lot I'll miss about Oz, but the realities of covid had gradually made us feel more isolated from family...no longer the simple 3 hour flight back and forth whenever you feel like it. So home in Aoteoroa it is.
 

Snitchcat

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Hope Aussie numbers start dropping again real soon. From what I gather the good news is they're apparently not showing an exponential growth.

I've just returned home to NZ from living for about 6 years in Sydney, and my good news is...one more day of 14 days mandatory isolation in a hotel room, and I'm free!

There's a lot I'll miss about Oz, but the realities of covid had gradually made us feel more isolated from family...no longer the simple 3 hour flight back and forth whenever you feel like it. So home in Aoteoroa it is.


Sounds like you made the right choice.

Stay safe and healthy!
 

mccardey

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Hope Aussie numbers start dropping again real soon. From what I gather the good news is they're apparently not showing an exponential growth.

I've just returned home to NZ from living for about 6 years in Sydney, and my good news is...one more day of 14 days mandatory isolation in a hotel room, and I'm free!

There's a lot I'll miss about Oz, but the realities of covid had gradually made us feel more isolated from family...no longer the simple 3 hour flight back and forth whenever you feel like it. So home in Aoteoroa it is.

You know all of Australia is in awe of you kiwis, now ;)
 
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be frank

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The latest wave in Melbourne is a bit sobering. Masks still haven't been officially mandated, but when I went to the supermarket on Monday, I estimate 75-80% of people were wearing one. At the first peak in April, I reckon it would've been 25% tops. People are definitely taking it on themselves to act.

(Interestingly, the only people I saw not wearing masks were young mothers and their kids. I just spoke to my MIL, and she's noticed a similar trend in her area.)
 

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I think this was posted here already, but I'm not sure in which thread. In case it wasn't:

Police urge people in isolation to ‘put some clothes on’ when answering door
Police conducting COVID-19 compliance checks in the ACT say people in isolation have been answering the door in the nuddy.

Detective Superintendent Jason Kennedy, from the ACT Policing dedicated COVID-19 squad, this week thanked those in isolation for giving officers a “warm reception”.

“Although some of them may need a reminder to put some clothes on before they open the door for a compliance check,” he said in a statement.

“We did get a few surprises on the weekend.

“If you are self-isolating and need assistance, please stay where you are and reach out for help by contacting the COVID-19 hotline.”
:roll:
 

Roxxsmom

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Take care of yourself, mccardey (and all others living in Australia). I hope these measures work and keep things from getting out of hand, the way things have gotten so out of hand up here!
 
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Sonya Heaney

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I think this was posted here already, but I'm not sure in which thread. In case it wasn't:

Police urge people in isolation to ‘put some clothes on’ when answering door

I'm so proud this happened in my hometown! What nobody mentions is that it was "national nudist day" - or something like that. I do wonder if it was a bunch of twenty-something men who knew that and did it on purpose.

I can't find it at the moment, but I read a great article a few days ago about how we went from jokes and baking straight back to taking this seriously. I wish they'd have those press conferences earlier in the day. They know the numbers the night before, and everyone's sitting at home - all anxious - waiting for the news.

I feel so trapped in Canberra. It's impossible to close our state borders with NSW (pretty much every NSW-er within a one-hour radius of Canberra works here or comes here for school), and - while I cannot stand the ScoMo crowd - why should we have to keep importing people from virus hotspots to attend Federal Parliament?! Stop punishing Canberrans! There was that Melbourne Greens senator a few weeks ago who was exposed to the virus, flew to Canberra, and refused to get tested. We'd eliminated the virus in the ACT until the interstaters brought it back.

I've stayed home for the last two weeks, but we went out to a very socially-distanced place for a pizza this afternoon (with only five virus cases in a few months), and I'm worried that was a bad idea. I'm going ten minutes over the ACT/NSW border to visit a single, elderly aunt tomorrow, and we've both acknowledged we might not be able to do that again for ages ... We didn't see each other from March to June, and now it looks like we'll be locking down again ...
 
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frimble3

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I think this was posted here already, but I'm not sure in which thread. In case it wasn't:

Police urge people in isolation to ‘put some clothes on’ when answering door:roll:
Watch out! This could be the Australian version of those gun-toting Americans yelling "We're FREE! We won't wear no stinkin' masks!"
In Australia, it'll be "We're wearing our masks - and nothing else!"
Or, in businesses: "We're wearing shirts and shoes, and masks - what are you complaining about!"
 

mccardey

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Watch out! This could be the Australian version of those gun-toting Americans yelling "We're FREE! We won't wear no stinkin' masks!"
In Australia, it'll be "We're wearing our masks - and nothing else!"
Or, in businesses: "We're wearing shirts and shoes, and masks - what are you complaining about!"

You people wear clothes to answer the door? How odd.
 

frimble3

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You people wear clothes to answer the door? How odd.
It's Canada - everyone knows we're covered in a layer of ice and snow all year round!
Except for the places covered in black-flies and mosquitoes that will chew any bits of uncovered flesh as soon as they see it.
(The people you may see on beaches are too drunk to care.)
 

mccardey

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I tip my hat to you, madam!


...

What?

Just being polite. Shall I put it back on?

Please. :granny:


Melbourne is getting its first significant mask shipment in this week, apparently. Hopefully, NSW will follow very quickly.
 

be frank

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Melbourne is getting its first significant mask shipment in this week, apparently. Hopefully, NSW will follow very quickly.

Masks/face-coverings mandatory here as of today, with a $200 fine for non-compliance.
 

mccardey

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I hope this isn't going to go the way of the toilet-paper. If you can stay in, stay in. If you have to go out, I think face-coverings and 2+metres and lots of hand-washing is the way to go. But stay home if you can.

[FONT=&quot]Shepparton-based Med-Con, which has been making up to 3 million mostly medical masks per week for the federal government, "physically cannot make any more masks" to meet rising demand in its home state, company general manager Steve Csiszar said.[/FONT]
 

Lyv

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I am only answering this because everyone I know is making masks and I've picked up the knowledge, and you might need it. I hope you don't, but if elastic runs out, you can cut up old tights or hose, if you have them. Some types of hair ties work. For nose wires, I've used twist ties but I know you can also fold aluminum foil over and over into a thin strip and use that. I have been making "ear savers" for healthcare and other essential workers, as wearing elastic masks for long periods can start breaking down the skin. I sew a button to each end of a length of grosgrain ribbon (I seal the ends). But fingers crossed, you don't run out (we've been lucky with toilet paper, but I've got an article with other options bookmarked).
 

Sonya Heaney

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I saw that everyone's selling out of sewing machines, too. I'm actually wondering if the people panic buying them know how to use them.

Here in Canberra they're talking about closing the ACT off from NSW (except for satellite towns over the border where people commute). It's a week too late. When I checked social media on Monday morning old school friends had all taken their kids to Batemans Bay and Mogo for the weekend - and guess where the new cases are now. :( I know it was school holidays, but we're also in the middle of a flipping pandemic!
 

mccardey

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I saw that everyone's selling out of sewing machines, too. I'm actually wondering if the people panic buying them know how to use them.

Here in Canberra they're talking about closing the ACT off from NSW (except for satellite towns over the border where people commute). It's a week too late. When I checked social media on Monday morning old school friends had all taken their kids to Batemans Bay and Mogo for the weekend - and guess where the new cases are now. :( I know it was school holidays, but we're also in the middle of a flipping pandemic!

I had a little Moment yesterday when the (Sydney-based) friend of a friend posted on Twitter that she had been planning to spend the weekend at Bateman's Bay but had ended up "having to" go to the Southern Highlands instead. Where, she complained, the place was wall-to-wall with Sydney tourists. Posted a pic of the crowds for us, as though we haven't been bitching about the plague-laden marauders for weeks now.

The caption was "What Pandemic?"

Oh how we laughed
 

Sonya Heaney

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Ooh. Also just putting this out there for the Melbourne crowd: remember how many theatre people have lost their jobs in this pandemic. I have a couple of friends in the Harry Potter cast, and they know people who've been making and selling masks to try and get by. Here are a few of them.

I had a little Moment yesterday when the (Sydney-based) friend of a friend posted on Twitter that she had been planning to spend the weekend at Bateman's Bay but had ended up "having to" go to the Southern Highlands instead. Where, she complained, the place was wall-to-wall with Sydney tourists. Posted a pic of the crowds for us, as though we haven't been bitching about the plague-laden marauders for weeks now.

The caption was "What Pandemic?"

Oh how we laughed

Argh! We were looking at a South Coast trip in October, thinking a rental house and no close contact with others would be fine, but suddenly the region's a "hotspot" and we're staying put for the rest of the year (and probably the next century after that, the way this is going ...).
 
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mccardey

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Argh! We were looking at a South Coast trip in October, thinking a rental house and no close contact with others would be fine, but suddenly the region's a "hotspot" and we're staying put for the rest of the year (and probably the next century after that, the way this is going ...).
Thanks for those links. Also - if you feel like a week or two in the Southern Highlands (which are totes lovely and have cheese, olives and wine) you guys have a room here. There will be masks, sanitiser, and Staying Home Thank You but also chickens and one of the best puppies in the whole world. And writing, of course...

ETA: My son lost his Melbourne Comedy Festival bookings. This plague totally sux.
 
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