Australian Response

15-04-2020 2:43pm

Australia declared a pandemic several weeks before the WHO, triggering a range of boosted biosecurity and border security measures to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Mr Morrison has also admonished the WHO for its “unfathomable” decision to support China reopening live animal markets, which were the likely cause of the killer disease.

“To be sanctioning that is just completely mystifying to me,” he told 6PR radio.

“But that said, the WHO also as an organisation does a lot of important work, including here in our own region in the Pacific, and we work closely with them.

“We’re not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater here, but they’re also not immune from criticism and immune from doing things better.”

Liberal backbencher Dave Sharma believes Australian funding for the WHO should be tied to “necessary reforms”.

“This reckoning has been coming for some time,” he told Sky News.

“I think a lot of countries, Australia included, have been less than impressed with the WHO’s performance.”

Mr Sharma expects countries including Japan, South Korea and Australia to demand changes at the WHO.

“I think we should make sure we condition our future funding on necessary reforms,” the former senior diplomat said.

“We must take a forensic look at not only the causes of this crisis but the performance of key institutions throughout it,” he later tweeted.

Labor deputy leader Richard Marles agrees there is a legitimate conversation to be had about the United Nations body.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2020/04/15/treasurer-josh-frydenberg-wet-market/amp/

Ireland:
Trump move to halt WHO funding 'indefensible' - Coveney
http://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0415/1130536-coronavirus-us/

ShineOn7 · 15-04-2020 11:52pm

I'll find the exact link tomorrow, but hasn't the main virologist who advised on the Contagion film said that this won't hit Australia as hard as Europe till June/July?

I still think this thing comes down to popularity density in a country though, and they're very well spread out overall. Their 25 million population covers a land mass the size of Europe one and a half times over

Pauliedragon · 16-04-2020 12:22am

ShineOn7 wrote: »

I'll find the exact link tomorrow, but hasn't the main virologist who advised on the Contagion film said that this won't hit Australia as hard as Europe till June/July?

I still think this thing comes down to popularity density in a country though, and they're very well spread out overall. Their 25 million population covers a land mass the size of Europe one and a half times over

Thats true but large parts of that country is uninhabited. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane all on the east coast have about half the population between them. The Sydney to Melbourne flight route is the second busiest domestic route on the planet. A flight every 15 mins most days. It's a massive country but the population isn't that spread out.

Gael23 · 19-04-2020 4:11pm

I’d there any indication when travel into Australia will be allowed again?

ShineOn7 · 19-04-2020 4:32pm

Gael23 wrote: »

I’d there any indication when travel into Australia will be allowed again?

I can't see them doing it this year. Isn't even travel out of the country banned for now too?

Gael23 · 19-04-2020 5:33pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

I can't see them doing it this year. Isn't even travel out of the country banned for now too?

Yes you can’t even travel between states. I was thinking of going there to visit relatives about this time next year but hard to know if it’s going to be possible

Pauliedragon · 19-04-2020 5:39pm

Gael23 wrote: »

I’d there any indication when travel into Australia will be allowed again?

2021 is the earliest date apparantly. I Wouldn't be planning any trips in or out of there before then.

Gael23 · 19-04-2020 5:41pm

Pauliedragon wrote: »

2021 is the earliest date apparantly. I Wouldn't be planning any trips in or out of there before then.

Looks like that’s the case. Will get robbed of I leave booking it until last minute so hopefully there’s some indication towards the end of this year

biko · 19-04-2020 9:03pm

Seems Oz is also questioning WHO in all of this.

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0419/1132480-australia-calls-for-a-covid-19-probe-and-questions-who

Australia has called for an independent investigation into the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, including the World Health Organization's handling of the crisis.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the country would "insist" on a review that would probe, in part, China's early response to the outbreak in Wuhan, the city where Covid-19 emerged late last year.

ShineOn7 · 19-04-2020 9:52pm

biko wrote: »

Seems Oz is also questioning WHO in all of this.

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0419/1132480-australia-calls-for-a-covid-19-probe-and-questions-who

And rightly so. WHO are basically the PR firm of China in all this

Heads should roll at the very top of that "organisation"

19-04-2020 11:02pm

Community testing has started late last week. Fingers crossed that it isn't widespread as it looks like eradication is viable here. Should be some results today.

I know a couple who were tested Friday with results due today. Prior to Friday they wouldn't have met criteria for testing.

If the numbers remain low then maybe summer will really help Europe and North America?? If Australia gets away with it then they were really lucky.

Thargor · 19-04-2020 11:11pm

Anyone seen any analysis on why their numbers are so low?

Danno · 19-04-2020 11:20pm

Thargor wrote: »

Anyone seen any analysis on why their numbers are so low?

Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australia had achieved success in limiting the spread of the virus, in part, by going against WHO advice. We do know there was very considerable criticism when we imposed on 1 February the China ban from some of the officials and the WHO in Geneva.

19-04-2020 11:28pm

Everyone should really have banned travel to and from China as soon as they locked down Wuhan.

mandrake04 · 20-04-2020 12:17am

Deleted User wrote: »

Community testing has started late last week. Fingers crossed that it isn't widespread as it looks like eradication is viable here. Should be some results today.

I know a couple who were tested Friday with results due today. Prior to Friday they wouldn't have met criteria for testing.

If the numbers remain low then maybe summer will really help Europe and North America?? If Australia gets away with it then they were really lucky.

I been tested 3 times, got results back before 9am next day twice and same day once.

CV19 belongs to corona virus family as does the common cold which has a seasonal distribution less dramatic than influenza, it might make a difference but personally I wouldn’t put money on it.

Bit cynical · 20-04-2020 2:28am

Deleted User wrote: »

Community testing has started late last week. Fingers crossed that it isn't widespread as it looks like eradication is viable here. Should be some results today.

I don't think eradication is possible with so many asymptomatic spreaders. It only takes one infected to start the whole thing off and then restrictions have to be imposed again.

AngryHippie · 20-04-2020 2:52am

mandrake04 wrote: »

I been tested 3 times, got results back before 9am next day twice and same day once.

I've been tested twice (Turned out Ross River and Pneumonia were the culprits)
Arbovirus results took a week.
It was fairly early days (Mid March and early April) it took 36 hours to get results back. Negative on both counts.

Closing Gyms, Pubs and clubs seems to have been the sledgehammer that it took to really impact social gatherings.

It's weird walking into a big shopping center and only seeing one or two people, or driving down the streets of Brisbane on a Saturday night and the streets being practically empty.

I think that is why the numbers seem low, they ARE low, because people have withdrawn back to their homes and take precautions when out and about.

mandrake04 · 20-04-2020 7:06am

AngryHippie wrote: »

I've been tested twice (Turned out Ross River and Pneumonia were the culprits)
Arbovirus results took a week.
It was fairly early days (Mid March and early April) it took 36 hours to get results back. Negative on both counts.

Closing Gyms, Pubs and clubs seems to have been the sledgehammer that it took to really impact social gatherings.

It's weird walking into a big shopping center and only seeing one or two people, or driving down the streets of Brisbane on a Saturday night and the streets being practically empty.

I think that is why the numbers seem low, they ARE low, because people have withdrawn back to their homes and take precautions when out and about.

I work in hospitals and in particular working in areas of high risk, I have had CV19 symptoms on and off for more than a month but it’s now believed to be just tonsillitis and likely need to get them out at some stage LOL

mandrake04 · 20-04-2020 11:35am

Bit cynical wrote: »

I don't think eradication is possible with so many asymptomatic spreaders. It only takes one infected to start the whole thing off and then restrictions have to be imposed again.

That sounds a bit cynical ...bit cynical

ChikiChiki · 20-04-2020 12:14pm

Australia seem to be a bit of an enigma. As they ease restrictions how is this expected to play out?

I've family members over there out of work with no savings. Both construction WHV jobs lost to Covid 19. My advice for them was to come home and get the supports here from family and welfare. They paid into our system long enough. But now if its opening up they might be better to stay and I can support them for a temporary period? Are Australia going towards herd immunity?

My own opinion is that we are looking at 18 months on/off disruption. I would prefer them to be over there if it is more likely they will be employed rather than here sitting around. But saying that if they are over there and out of work every second month, I don't have the financial means to support them.

It's a conundrum for me.

Gael23 · 20-04-2020 12:17pm

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Australia seem to be a bit of an enigma. As they ease restrictions how is this expected to play out?

I've family members over there out of work with no savings. Both construction WHV jobs lost to Covid 19. My advice for them was to come home and get the supports here from family and welfare. They paid into our system long enough. But now if its opening up they might be better to stay and I can support them for a temporary period?

My own opinion is that we are looking at 18 months on/off disruption. I would prefer them to be over there if it is more likely they will be employed rather than here sitting around. But saying that if they are over there and out of work every second month, I don't have the financial means to support them.

It's a conundrum for me.

If I was in that situation I would see coming back t9 Ireland as the only option open

mandrake04 · 20-04-2020 12:44pm

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Australia seem to be a bit of an enigma. As they ease restrictions how is this expected to play out?

I've family members over there out of work with no savings. Both construction WHV jobs lost to Covid 19. My advice for them was to come home and get the supports here from family and welfare. They paid into our system long enough. But now if its opening up they might be better to stay and I can support them for a temporary period? Are Australia going towards herd immunity?

My own opinion is that we are looking at 18 months on/off disruption. I would prefer them to be over there if it is more likely they will be employed rather than here sitting around. But saying that if they are over there and out of work every second month, I don't have the financial means to support them.

It's a conundrum for me.

Herd immunity requires roughly 60% of the population to have been infected and (in theory) gained immunity, so far we are at 0.024% and daily case numbers are down to single digits....so that would be a no.

Although restrictions might be eased in the near future the restriction on international travel will definitely remain until next year.

Construction is still in operation any reason why they were cut?

Frank12 · 20-04-2020 3:48pm

How long do people see Australia closing their international borders for ? I see that they were hinting at 6 months , worse case scenario , they are doing a great job atm keeping there cases down to single digits and I expect borders to be closed for the next 12-16 weeks minimum but when they realise a vaccine is minimum 12-18 months away and the damage it is doing to the economy tourism and work they will open up borders but not many people will be travelling/holidaying there this year

Gael23 · 20-04-2020 9:48pm

Frank12 wrote: »

How long do people see Australia closing their international borders for ? I see that they were hinting at 6 months , worse case scenario , they are doing a great job atm keeping there cases down to single digits and I expect borders to be closed for the next 12-16 weeks minimum but when they realise a vaccine is minimum 12-18 months away and the damage it is doing to the economy tourism and work they will open up borders but not many people will be travelling/holidaying there this year

Eventually the economic reality will bite and their stance will change

Frank12 · 20-04-2020 9:53pm

Gael23 wrote: »

Eventually the economic reality will bite and their stance will change

I would agree, I say once they are over their winter in Approx 12-16 , they will ease the closed border stance and require self isolation etc like most countries.

Gael23 · 20-04-2020 10:51pm

Frank12 wrote: »

I would agree, I say once they are over their winter in Approx 12-16 , they will ease the closed border stance and require self isolation etc like most countries.

12-16 weeks you mean?

Frank12 · 20-04-2020 10:53pm

Gael23 wrote: »

12-16 weeks you mean?

Yes sorry 12-16 weeks imo.

Peregrinus · 21-04-2020 10:22am

Gael23 wrote: »

Eventually the economic reality will bite and their stance will change

The problem here is that modest relaxation of the border closure won't do much to ease the adverse economic impact. If instead of closing the border Australia allows entry, subject to a 14-day isolation requirement, that will do nothing to revive the tourism industry, and very little to revive the education industry. And yet opening the border and not imposing strict isolation would be unthinkable, if Australia has largely elimimated the disease while other countries have not.

Western Australia has said that it does not envisage reopening the state border with the rest of Australia for 6 months. If that is typical of the line being taken on internal borders, expect longer closure of the international border.

MadYaker · 21-04-2020 12:30pm

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Australia seem to be a bit of an enigma. As they ease restrictions how is this expected to play out?

I've family members over there out of work with no savings. Both construction WHV jobs lost to Covid 19. My advice for them was to come home and get the supports here from family and welfare. They paid into our system long enough. But now if its opening up they might be better to stay and I can support them for a temporary period? Are Australia going towards herd immunity?

My own opinion is that we are looking at 18 months on/off disruption. I would prefer them to be over there if it is more likely they will be employed rather than here sitting around. But saying that if they are over there and out of work every second month, I don't have the financial means to support them.

It's a conundrum for me.

Sounds like it’s a conundrum for them, I assume these aren’t kids you’re talking about? There’s jobs outside of construction. I wish my parents would have bank rolled me like that. Once I got a job I was on my own.

Peregrinus · 22-04-2020 3:24am

MadYaker wrote: »

Sounds like it’s a conundrum for them, I assume these aren’t kids you’re talking about? There’s jobs outside of construction. I wish my parents would have bank rolled me like that. Once I got a job I was on my own.

Ah, yes, but what you need to realise is that your parents didn't love you.

22-04-2020 4:34am

Peregrinus wrote: »

Ah, yes, but what you need to realise is that your parents didn't love you.

Or maybe they loved him so much they decided not to disable him and to take him off the breast when he reached 18 thus allowing him to understand the world and make real life sense of it all.

derfderf · 22-04-2020 4:52am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Or maybe they loved him so much they decided not to disable him and to take him off the breast when he reached 18 thus allowing him to understand the world and make real life sense of it all.

Yes, part of becoming an adult is living through a pandemic, unemployed, with no social security, in a country on the far side of the planet.

Sundy · 22-04-2020 7:51am

Frank12 wrote: »

How long do people see Australia closing their international borders for ? I see that they were hinting at 6 months , worse case scenario , they are doing a great job atm keeping there cases down to single digits and I expect borders to be closed for the next 12-16 weeks minimum but when they realise a vaccine is minimum 12-18 months away and the damage it is doing to the economy tourism and work they will open up borders but not many people will be travelling/holidaying there this year

International tourism accounts for 3.1% of GDP so it's quite import for Australia but quite a bit of this can be offset by the increase of internal tourism one regional and state borders open again.

Given the current success I think the Australian Government will be slow to have a blanket opening to overseas visitors for 6-12 months however I do think we could see travel agreements with countries like New Zealand reasonably soon.

Frank12 · 22-04-2020 9:58am

Sundy wrote: »

International tourism accounts for 3.1% of GDP so it's quite import for Australia but quite a bit of this can be offset by the increase of internal tourism one regional and state borders open again.

Given the current success I think the Australian Government will be slow to have a blanket opening to overseas visitors for 6-12 months however I do think we could see travel agreements with countries like New Zealand reasonably soon.

Yeah I say they could open borders up with NZ. Both countries seem to be managing the virus for now . Hoping international borders open up in 6 months time myself.

mandrake04 · 22-04-2020 10:41am

Sundy wrote: »

International tourism accounts for 3.1% of GDP so it's quite import for Australia but quite a bit of this can be offset by the increase of internal tourism one regional and state borders open again.

Given the current success I think the Australian Government will be slow to have a blanket opening to overseas visitors for 6-12 months however I do think we could see travel agreements with countries like New Zealand reasonably soon.

A few of top tier Diagnostic companies have just released FDA approved Lab based serology tests especially a Total protein test by RD on their elecsys platform and Abbott IgG for the Architect both of which is common in Australia and NZ. You will see a trial of immunity certification before opening up to other parts of the world.

ShineOn7 · 25-05-2020 10:00pm

Have they, reletively speaking, dodged a huge bullet with Covid?

Australia calls on younger people to get virus tests as reopening accelerates

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0523/1140151-coronavirus-world/

As we are freeing up our restrictions, particularly around clubs and hotels and so on, we need [to send] a very powerful message ... that these young people who may think they are invincible are actually not invincible," he added

Young people in Sydney enjoy a drive-in live concert amid the coronavirus pandemic

NSW has recorded a total of 3,086 coronavirus cases and has recorded nearly half the country's total deaths, which rose by one to 102 today.
Victoria, where the latest death occurred, reported nine new infections in the previous day. The third-most populous state, Queensland, reported two new cases.

Australia's low number of Covid-19 infections and deaths, relative to many other countries, has been attributed mostly to a closure of national and state borders and a nationwide stay-home order now being unwound by states under a three-step federal plan.

derfderf · 27-05-2020 12:34am

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Have they, reletively speaking, dodged a huge bullet with Covid?

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0523/1140151-coronavirus-world/

I think that's the general feeling. Sydney has a huge Asian population, and they take these things seriously. Hand sanitizer was sold out everywhere from early Feb. The hoarding started much earlier than Ireland.
As inconvenient as it was, it does make it hard to forget that things aren't normal when the supermarkets look like the world has ended.

Everyone is back in my office over the next couple of weeks.
If there is another outbreak, they should be able to contain it. Particularly with the international border staying closed.
I was shopping at the weekend, and people are ignoring the 1 person per lift rule. They're not cramming in shoulder to shoulder like before though.
I don't think it's over yet, but i don't see Australia shooting up the worldometer table.

derfderf · 11-07-2020 1:31pm

Well, I jinxed it.

ShineOn7 · 11-07-2020 2:07pm

The woman who was the chief advisor on the film Contagion said that Australia wouldn't really be hit by this till July. If I remember right she said it was because this was their Winter

And yet we've no concrete evidence, that I've seen anyway, that this is climate driven

On first glance it looks like she nailed it down to the month, but maybe she just got lucky

mandrake04 · 11-07-2020 3:07pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

The woman who was the chief advisor on the film Contagion said that Australia wouldn't really be hit by this till July. If I remember right she said it was because this was their Winter

And yet we've no concrete evidence, that I've seen anyway, that this is climate driven

On first glance it looks like she nailed it down to the month, but maybe she just got lucky

Its more to do with Travel than winter, NZ is in winter too and they have only 24 active cases and those came from 2 infected travelers that were given exemptions.

The recent cases in Victoria stem from travelers, but Tasmania would be more wintery and colder than mainland and they have no cases in fact they haven't had one since the 15th of May... because they are an Island that implemented interstate quarantine.

You could live in winter all year long and not be affected by the virus but you let 1 infected retard in and it could get out of hand.

derfderf · 12-07-2020 1:50am

The other states have all used police or the army to guard the quarantine hotels. Victoria used a private firm. These are the results.

14-07-2020 1:54am

More than 1300 Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed to Victoria and millions of masks released from a Federal Government stash, as the fight to contain the virus gathers pace and urgency.

100 cluster outbreaks have been detected in Victoria, which authorities are working to track, trace and contain.

There are fears the recent surge could move across the Victoria-NSW border.
Already a cluster outbreak in a Sydney pub, with nine people infected and thousands forced into quarantine, has been linked to Melbourne.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/adf-and-millions-of-face-masks-sent-into-coronavirus-hit-victoria/32de0f79-48da-482f-836a-f8dc1f935017

One of the architects of Australia's response to HIV AIDS, Adjunct Professor Bill Bowtell at UNSW, says that elimination in Australia 'is not impossible to do.'

"We're almost there. We can't keep going with this stop, start, rinse and repeat. It's very detrimental to public health, jobs, confidence in the Australian economy and society."

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/mornings/should-we-learn-to-live-with-covid-19/12452598

The explosion of new community transmissions in Victoria is a harsh reminder of the power and speed of COVID-19.

The lockdown of Melbourne is the right response, and lays bare the uncertainty that comes with the nation's suppression strategy, which involves lifting restrictions while there are still active infections in the community. National cabinet should abandon the suppression strategy and instead explicitly aim for elimination.

The nature of the virus has not changed. Given the chance, it will spread rapidly around Australia, as it has around the world. If our behaviour returns to pre-COVID normal while there are active cases in the community, outbreaks are inevitable.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-should-switch-course-and-try-to-eliminate-covid-19-20200708-p55a6a.html

totally eliminating coronavirus from Australia is not a realistic goal until a vaccine has been rolled out, one of Australia's top doctors has said.
Speaking to the Weekend Today show this morning, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth said eliminating COVID-19 would mean no cases for a minimum of four incubation periods of the virus – or at least eight weeks.
"That is an unrealistic scenario when there is 12 billion cases and climbing around the world," he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has remained adamant that Australia will not pursuing an elimination strategy, instead using extensive testing, contract tracing and social distancing to locate and then suppress outbreaks.
Dr Coatsworth backed this approach today, saying Australia was working to achieve "suppression to the point of elimination".
This means Australians should expect to see ongoing small clusters moving forward.
"What we are aiming for – and what we have achieved in seven out of eight jurisdictions – is suppression to the point of elimination, suppression to the point of absence of community transmission," he said.
"That's the setting that we believe is the best balance between public health and getting society moving again."

https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-elimination-not-realistic-before-vaccine-says-deputy-cmo/4aebc81b-db1a-45f2-86a9-54096a66c57f

International travellers returning home will soon be charged up to $3,000 each for hotel quarantine in South Australia, ending free supervised isolation for those coming into the state.
The policy follows a similar announcement by the NSW Government
NSW has spent more than $50 million accommodating travellers
"Up until this point, taxpayers have been footing the bill," Mr Marshall said.

"The Prime Minister has said since March of this year — Australians overseas should get back.

"He's given them plenty of time — there will now be a charge from Saturday onwards.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-13/covid-travellers-charged-to-pay-for-coronavirus-quarantine-in-sa/12450150

ShineOn7 · 26-10-2020 8:08pm

This thread started 7 months and a week ago. In some ways this year flew by and in others it feels like three years since March

Update on Melbourne:

Strict lockdowns work and we need one as strict as this in Dublin, but - what's more - we need it enforced

Absolutely fúck all chance of that happening of course. We'll get Guards at checkpoints waving you on and saying "careful now!" instead

https://www.newstalk.com/news/melbourne-lockdown-lifted-no-new-coronavirus-cases-reported-1096123

Australia's second-largest city will exit lockdown at midnight tomorrow after no new COVID-19 cases or deaths were recorded.

Stay-at-home orders for Melbourne's 5 million people will end and all retail will be allowed to reopen.
The easing comes after the city recorded zero deaths and no new cases for the first time since early June.

Risteard81 · 26-10-2020 9:00pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Strict lockdowns work

No they most certainly do not.

Do you think this so-called virus will decide (many seem to suggest that it is somehow sentient) that Victoria is now off-limits?

ShineOn7 · 26-10-2020 9:14pm

Risteard81 wrote: »

No they most certainly do not.

Do you think this so-called virus will decide (many seem to suggest that it is somehow sentient) that Victoria is now off-limits?

The easing comes after the city recorded zero deaths and no new cases for the first time since early June

We need extremely strict restrictions for parts of Ireland. Especially those areas with "socially economic trends" .... or PC speak for "skangers are ignoring the rules en mass"

Risteard81 · 26-10-2020 9:16pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

We need extremely strict restrictions for parts of Ireland. Especially those areas with "socially economic trends" .... or PC speak for "skangers are ignoring the rules en mass"

What Ireland needs is no restrictions and an end to this tyrannical response and the prosecution of those who have enacted these restrictions (with extreme prejudice).

derfderf · 08-01-2021 1:48am

So Brisbane found one case of the UK strain, and have locked the city down for the weekend.
They've had it pretty good, even compared to other states, so I can understand why they don't want to risk losing that.
It must be so demoralising being in lockdown, and watching cases rise regardless, in other countries.

Peregrinus · 08-01-2021 2:22am

derfderf wrote: »

So Brisbane found one case of the UK strain, and have locked the city down for the weekend.
They've had it pretty good, even compared to other states, so I can understand why they don't want to risk losing that.
It must be so demoralising being in lockdown, and watching cases rise regardless, in other countries.

No. What would be demoralising would be being in lockdown and watching cases rise anyway in your own country.

If you're in lockdown, and cases are rising in other countries but not in yours, that might suggest to you that your lockdown is successfully doing what it is supposed to do.

SpacialNeeds · 08-01-2021 2:41am

Peregrinus wrote: »

No. What would be demoralising would be being in lockdown and watching cases rise anyway in your own country.

If you're in lockdown, and cases are rising in other countries but not in yours, that might suggest to you that your lockdown is successfully doing what it is supposed to do.

Hear hear.

Maybe if we had done things properly, like Australia, with mandatory quarantine for people who have been abroad and a complete and enforced lockdown, we wouldn't be where we are now up shjt creek.

ceadaoin. · 08-01-2021 4:59am

Honestly though, what is the longterm plan for australia? They are stopping even their own citizens from leaving or returning to the country (unless you're a celebrity). Covid is endemic in the rest of the world at this stage so they will never be able to reopen their borders like before without being inundated with cases. So I guess its great to live there if you don't have family abroad you want to see again or ever want to go on vacation. Its not even safe to travel outside any state within the country as the borders can be closed at anytime and you won't be allowed back to your home without paying thousands for quarantine, as happened over the new year. Will people put up with that long term?

Australian Response

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