Most have started but like us itâs only the initial stages and there is a long way to go.
Some of these small spikes might be due to some loosening of restrictions. I know Netherlands for example have taken a small step which is still strict but enables people to do a little more e.g. students can go to school a day per week, outdoor sport can resume and even retail can open if its through a booking system that limits a very small number that can visit a store every 10 minutes. They obviously hoping to start balancing some activity with the ramping up of vaccine rollout.
I wouldnât let news corps very click bait headline suck you in. This is no different to what South Australia does with their fruit and plant protection. All they are wanting to do is keep drugs out and have a system in place that helps the police stop that.
Yeah I know but as I said itâs not going to look like anything we have seen through covid. South Australia has strict measures at the border allowing the search of vehicles for plants and fruit.
Itâs now been clarified that this promise only refers to border controls at the existing fruit/veg road checkpoints, not an extension of the current G2G pass system past the end of the pandemic. If the election wasnât going to be such a landside this would have been a bit more of a blunder.
looks like victrorias state of emergcy is goign to be extented but could be ablosihed once covid-19 leglistation is made and passed . this is from fiona pattern:We have had police detention powers curbed; kids wonât be issued Covid fines like adults anymore; the ability to protest is now a clear right even during an emergency; the government has agreed to Reasons demand of covid-specific legislation where we will have a seat at the table to develop it; there will be reviews of the legislation and itâs progress every 3 months; and very pleasingly, following my colleague Ali Cupper MP - Independent for Mildura hard lobbying - the government will announce changes to any future declarations so as regional and rural Victoria is treated differently than metro Melbourne.
Speculation that itâs a look tough on crime announcement just before the election because it looks like heâs about to lose a couple of seats sounds plausible.
But it is a terrible idea. Hopefully itâll be forgotten about after the election.
The government won the support of the Greens, Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick to extend the emergency declaration until December after negotiations with Health Minister Martin Foley extended late into last night.
But theyâre expecting to wipe out all but a couple liberal seats, so it wasnât at all necessary. I do somewhat agree that it may have been an announcement to try and trick the liberal opposition to oppose the measure and therefore appear âsoftâ on crime, but it hasnât worked.
Ms Patten said the government committed to creating specific legislation that provided for public health rules allowable under the state of emergency. She said these laws could be developed in less than nine months, meaning the state of emergency may not be needed for the maximum period.
jUST IN: the victorian govts 9-month extension to its state of emergency powers has been just passed the upper house with amendments with the Greens leader Samantha Ratnam, Reason Parties MP Fiona Patten and Andy Meddick from the Animal Justice Party voted in favour of the extension, the vote was 19v 18. the bill will now return to the assembly with a message informing them the legislative council has bassed the bill will amendments
this is from fionas pattens reason victoria leaders facebook page:
We have had police detention powers curbed; kids wonât be issued Covid fines like adults anymore; the ability to protest is now a clear right even during an emergency; the government has agreed to Reasons demand of covid-specific legislation where we will have a seat at the table to develop it; there will be reviews of the legislation and itâs progress every 3 months; and very pleasingly, following my colleague Ali Cupper MP - Independent for Mildurahard lobbying - the government will announce changes to any future declarations so as regional and rural Victoria is treated differently than metro Melbourne.
The situation and the management of Covid in the UK and EU is obviously very different to AU. They donât pursue a zero Covid strategy here.
A ñormal winter in the UK sees about 80 flu deaths a day. This country has always had a huge seasonal death rate (I guess itâs weather?)
So in context things are looking very good
Weâve had severe restrictions/ lockdown since early November now - so 16 weeks. By the time shops open on April 12 that will have been 24 weeks. The last juice has been squeezed out of the lockdown lemon. Itâs a tool not a solution.
The big concerns are schools opening.
Is track and trace working properly
Are they keeping new variants at bay
And I think the biggest issue will be will they move quickly If cases start to rise again.
On this: the Govt had clearly stated that if hospitalizations and deaths donât rise, the vaccine roll out keeps strong, new variants donât emerge: then they are comfortable (somewhat) if cases rise a little through the summer
