COVID-19: Discussion of Impact 😷

[Aurora]

I don’t think it is the magic solution everyone seems to think it will be.

[KICK-IT]

@bacco007

There will still be a need for some HQ, at least until alternate hosted quarantine measures are established - not everyone entering Australia will have the capability of isolating at “home” - there are some questions about how it will work for people who’s homes arent located close to their port of entry (ie outside of the capital city)

Why a “need”? Perhaps a desire from some sectors of the population

Everyone entering Australia has a place to sleep when they arrive. Be It their own homes, a friends home or a a hotel or such. They isolate there.

If Australia is at 80% vaccination and only vaccinated people with negative tests are coming into the country and then they isolate at home, hotel or where ever their accommodation is….there is 4 levels of protection there …

Then there is no need for quarantine facilities

The virus will become endemic at this point and be in circulation in Australia already. With a vaccinated population and travelers coming in being vaxed with a negative test and isolating at their place or choice, what purpose does quarantine camps serve? The virus will already be circulating and endemic. That’s part of “living with it”

Keeping every single new imported case out is not needed when its circulating already amongst the population

[KICK-IT]

@anon17157706

Despite having vaccinated 80% of its population, there is now a spike in cases and Singapore may be reintroducing restrictions.

No mention in article at all of hospitalizations of deaths increasing. (Yes I know there is a 2 week lag)

Of course cases will go up when Singapore opens up. It’s a given. The focus on “cases” needs to go away.

Hospitalizations and deaths will go up to. The thing then becomes: protecting the health cate system and keeping deaths at an acceptable level.

To pretend that deaths won’t occur and hospitals won’t be under pressure when countries open at 80% is nieve

The focus should start shifting around the world to the health crisis of: hospitals systems that still can’t cope after 19 months prep time.

It’s not citizens jobs to lock ourselves in our homes to save the healthcare system. It’s the healthcare systems job to look after citizens!

[bacco007]

@KICK-IT

Why a “need”? Perhaps a desire from some sectors of the population

Quarantine measures will be a part of life for the near future - the national transition plan doesn’t completely do away with the need for quarantine (it does allow for alternate requirements (such as less time in isolation for vaccinated people) and bubble arrangements). What will change is the mix of the measures

[Aurora]

It does, if new vaccine-resistant strains threaten the country. That is what we will be dealing with in the next 12-24 months. This virus has the ability to mutate very quickly (by usual standards).

[KICK-IT]

@bacco007

Quarantine measures will be a part of life for the near future - the national transition plan doesn’t completely do away with the need for quarantine (it does allow for alternate requirements (such as less time in isolation for vaccinated people) and bubble arrangements). What will change is the mix of the measures

Understood. But I’m asking - why the need for hotel quarantine or purpose built camps when people can isolate in their place of choice? The virus will be endemic by then and circulating domestically quite widely - I’mNot seeing what purpose these facilities would have?

[KICK-IT]

@Aurora

does, if new vaccine-resistant strains threaten the country. That is what we will be dealing with in the next 12-24 months. This virus has the ability to mutate very quickly (by usual standards).

Agree. It’s endless. But whatever new variant comes about - will come in. Delta came in with 7000 arrivals a week.

Pre pandemic we had 25 million arrivals a year into Oz. Even if travel bounces back to just 25% of that - you’re looking at 120,000 arrivals a week into the country

If delta came in with 7000 - any new variants will certainly come in with ease also

It’s a given

[Chris]

@anon17157706

Despite having vaccinated 80% of its population, there is now a spike in cases and Singapore may be reintroducing restrictions.

We shouldn’t be so worried about case numbers when there are high vaccination rates. Case numbers will grow when things open back up. It’s the hospitalisations and deaths that matter at this point.

[TV.Cynic]

QLD Update: Another day of zero cases. Record number of vaccinations.

[bacco007]

@KICK-IT

Understood. But I’m asking - why the need for hotel quarantine or purpose built camps when people can isolate in their place of choice?

It may not be possible for some to do so in a place of their choosing depending on what the requirements of quarantine are. I suspect that non-home locations will need to be pre-approved

@KICK-IT

The virus will be endemic by then and circulating domestically quite widely - I’mNot seeing what purpose these facilities would have?

The national plan appears to continue the move to suppress the number of cases to basically zero (it was written and agreed to before the current outbreaks) which matches the desire of a plurality of states and territories (only two have abandonded the idea of covid zero)

[MrJ]

@bacco007

Theres a bit going on that will make this a continual challenge - while NSW’s first doses appear to have peaked, that excludes a cohort (12-16).

That’s absurd, entitled and stateist. Other states should be deprived of vaccine and stay in lockdown so that NSW can indulge in vaccinating 12-16yo’s?

[captaincupcake]

@Aurora

if new vaccine-resistant strains threaten the country. That is what we will be dealing with in the next 12-24 months. This virus has the ability to mutate very quickly (by usual standards).

While the prospect of new strains is pretty scary, the vaccines will continue to be tweaked and optimised, and by this time next year we will probably have a whole second generation of vaccines available which are targeted at these new variants.

Look at how far we’ve come with vaccination in the past year, with most people developing antibodies and booster shots to target new variants I don’t see why we can’t get on top and stay on top of things in the long term with life back to near-normal.

[bacco007]

@MrJ

That’s absurd, entitled and stateist. Other states should be deprived of vaccine and stay in lockdown so that NSW can indulge in vaccinating 12-16yo’s?

I didnt say that - the point I was trying to make was that while there is a dip in first dose numbers in NSW, it excludes a cohort that will soon be able to be vaccinated which will push their first dose numbers up again.

Rebalancing the distributions, especially in the short term is going to be difficult - the Commonwealth is suggesting that it could take until the end of the year to do it. If there is a willingness from the states to use Moderna to achieve that rebalance, it could be possible to do it quicker.

[JBar]

The Federal Government needs to be held to account for this

Shock emails between Pfizer and Australia

‘Millions of doses’: Pfizer approached Australia first for vaccine deal

[Squee]

Looking like some hard truths are coming out of Michael West’s allegations from earlier in the year.

[MelbTV]

What an absolute shit show.

[Tom_TV7]

Again this just demonstrates that our federal government are a bunch of incompetent fools who are absolutely useless at their jobs.

[bacco007]

The timing on this is interesting - Australia signed a deal for enough AstraZeneca to vaccinate the country twice not long after this happened (and the Pfizer deals had been struck with the US and UK)

They seemed keen on AZ and the failed UQ vaccine over the Pfizer

[TV.Cynic]

Cost per dose at the time possibly.

[bacco007]

@TV.Cynic

Cost per dose at the time possibly.

I suspect being able to manufacture on-shore was a big factor