Coronavirus - Australia
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@booboo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@Bones said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@Bones said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
Had lunch out today, can't have been more than 60cm from 2 ladies at the next table,
That's a man who knows his length.
I usually work in inches, but I try to be modern
Oh. Awkward.
It's 3cm to the inch, not 30.
2.5cm if we're being accurate
2.54
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
I'm the opposite TBH.
Let me be clear on this: I don't like people.
This entire lockdown thing is my jam. I'd have told people to get the fuck away from me before February if it was deemed socially acceptable.
People just fuck everything up - particularly shopping centres, amusement parks, and holidays.
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@NTA said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
I'm the opposite TBH.
Let me be clear on this: I don't like people.
This entire lockdown thing is my jam. I'd have told people to get the fuck away from me before February if it was deemed socially acceptable.
People just fuck everything up - particularly shopping centres, amusement parks, and holidays.
Ha, I hear that!
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@NTA said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@booboo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@Bones said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@Bones said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
Had lunch out today, can't have been more than 60cm from 2 ladies at the next table,
That's a man who knows his length.
I usually work in inches, but I try to be modern
Oh. Awkward.
It's 3cm to the inch, not 30.
2.5cm if we're being accurate
2.54
Great film
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@booboo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@antipodean said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@mariner4life said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
so wait. You have 8 total active cases. No one in Hospital. Day after day of no new cases.
And the only thing to note is a really old person who died. And she had it once, but recovered, and then died later. But you're still counting it.
Why they fuck aren't you guys fully open?
I guess we could ask the same of QLD. Four cases in hospital, one of which is in ICU.
What do Jacinda and Annastacia have in common?
30yo dude dying in Blackwater with no idea how he got it (or that he had it) just a little risky.
But agree with the sentiment.
I get the feeling people aren't being honest about that case, because "virus magically appears in town isolated by hundreds of kilometres" sets off the BS alarm.
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@antipodean said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@booboo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@antipodean said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@mariner4life said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
so wait. You have 8 total active cases. No one in Hospital. Day after day of no new cases.
And the only thing to note is a really old person who died. And she had it once, but recovered, and then died later. But you're still counting it.
Why they fuck aren't you guys fully open?
I guess we could ask the same of QLD. Four cases in hospital, one of which is in ICU.
What do Jacinda and Annastacia have in common?
30yo dude dying in Blackwater with no idea how he got it (or that he had it) just a little risky.
But agree with the sentiment.
I get the feeling people aren't being honest about that case, because "virus magically appears in town isolated by hundreds of kilometres" sets off the BS alarm.
"No it totally wasn't a prostitute I picked up as a truck driver"
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@antipodean said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@booboo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@antipodean said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@mariner4life said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
so wait. You have 8 total active cases. No one in Hospital. Day after day of no new cases.
And the only thing to note is a really old person who died. And she had it once, but recovered, and then died later. But you're still counting it.
Why they fuck aren't you guys fully open?
I guess we could ask the same of QLD. Four cases in hospital, one of which is in ICU.
What do Jacinda and Annastacia have in common?
30yo dude dying in Blackwater with no idea how he got it (or that he had it) just a little risky.
But agree with the sentiment.
I get the feeling people aren't being honest about that case, because "virus magically appears in town isolated by hundreds of kilometres" sets off the BS alarm.
Some talk about a false positive.
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@booboo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@antipodean said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@booboo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@antipodean said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@mariner4life said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
so wait. You have 8 total active cases. No one in Hospital. Day after day of no new cases.
And the only thing to note is a really old person who died. And she had it once, but recovered, and then died later. But you're still counting it.
Why they fuck aren't you guys fully open?
I guess we could ask the same of QLD. Four cases in hospital, one of which is in ICU.
What do Jacinda and Annastacia have in common?
30yo dude dying in Blackwater with no idea how he got it (or that he had it) just a little risky.
But agree with the sentiment.
I get the feeling people aren't being honest about that case, because "virus magically appears in town isolated by hundreds of kilometres" sets off the BS alarm.
Some talk about a false positive.
And so it seems. Did not have COVID.
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anyone catch the Qld Government's lawyer arguing in Court that the border closures weren't having an effect on Qld businesses?
If there is community transmission from the protest we are staying shut forever. Yesterday our esteemed premier again mentioned the "28 days without community transmission"
So i guess we are now a separate nation. joy.
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@Siam said in Coronavirus - Australia:
Quarantine:
Another verbose account of my wife's journey. The writing might suck and the words are over used but at least this information is dead set real and taken from actual real life for the missus over this past week.
After 50 odd hours covering a nearly 3 continents, she touches down in melbourne and then shit gets serious. All masked up, through customs easy pass and straight onto a bus. Forms filled out and health symptoms asked about amid an atmosphere of conformity, seriousness and heightened anxiety for every passenger.
Bus to hotel and line up to be processed. This is where the screaming and tears started from some of the 70 odd people there. The reality and finality of 14 days in a room (after all the travel) made for some very desperate frames of mind.
By the time the wife got to the room I was worried. looking back now she's come to terms, I can only describe her demeanour as one of an animal once you cage it and all it wants to do is get out. If animals could speak they'd say what the wife said, basically "fuck this. I dont care what happens next, just get me the fuck out of here now! I'm not sick!!!" I was worried and the wife now explains it all as an involuntary reaction to flee the situation - all rationality cast aside, and it's painful to recall. Said she could hear screaming and door thumping from other rooms. She talked herself down from the proverbial ledge too many times.
You see you're told that you will have no human contact for 14 days, no open windows and a guard on each floor so that if you open your door you're commanded to shut it and go back inside. All deliveries are a rap on the door and all "examinations" are by phone.
I read all the info they gave the wife and called the support services number to ask that she could be checked on regularly. It was worrying.
Thankfully by tuesday (went in on sunday night) she'd accepted the situation and has responded brilliantly. A week today she'll get out with one hell of an experience of travelling solo through all this shit - luckily love ain't affected by this fluffybunny virus!
Some random details re quarantine:
Novotel South Wharf in Melbourne. The hotel is full with at last 1500 newbies arriving in melbourne every week. The crown hotels are full and many others in melbourne alone. It's a massive operation centered around a support service that detainees and spouses are stongly encouraged to use, anytime. You ring an 1800 number and someone answers immediately. It's a fantastic service and I've talked to these people for ages as they explain it all. The support centre was set up 6 weeks ago and the hierachy is as follows: regular hotel staff, then special teams of "guest services" have been employed to deal with all detainees (she's got a jail style "Notice of Detention" document as the official sanction), onsite at the hotel, then support services oversees guest services and report to state Health department.
As one guy explained support services caters for literally thousands of returners to Australia, and they are brilliant!Health care:
Doctor rings every morning and goes through a symptom checklist. Nurses rang in the first few days but not now. She'll get tested on day 11. Not tested yet, not going to be. The people on the phone are "really nice". In her denial phase she learned that they ring once, if no answer ring again 5 mins later, if no answer a knock on the door comes soon after.
By ringing the guest services you can book a walk outside. The wife has been there 7 days, asked for a walk every day and has had only 2 outside visits in a week, but many phone calls to cancel a previously scheduled fresh air visit.When it's time for your outside visit you must be ready at the specified time. A knock on the door. Put on the gloves and mask and stand outside the door. 5 security people surround you, keeping 3m away. One summons the lift. You must follow them but not touch anysurface on the way down. In the carpark you are allowed about 1 to 2 minutes standing there and then escorted back to the room. Time for about 20 deep breaths. No exercise or walking. Just stand there and breath and then it's over. Sounds harsh, is harsh but 500 + guests and 10minutes per guest works out at 6 outside visits per hour - no wonder only 2 outsides in 7 days.
Food:
Government supplies 3 meals a day. Breakfast when arrive you're given a big box of weetbix, 2 litre bottle of milk. That lasts a week.
Lunch comes everyday in the form of a sandwich usually, a yoghurt, juice box and chocolate. Dinner is lasagne or salad or stew or chicken wings yesterday!!, with a yoghurt and a water or juice box.
We used room service once for a protein yielding steak sandwich and that never got delivered until 3 hours later.
No fruit apart from the first 2 days
Support services have set up something with woolworths delivery. You email support services and they reply with a woolworths kindness card. No money saved but I think a fast track to priority assistance. We've used wioolies twice now and thank you very very much @NTA if you had anything to do with this (just claim it mate!) because fresh fruit and instant noodles will save the day.
No cooking facilities in room, just a jug.
Uber eats and deliveroo are also options and me mate form support services set me right about all that stuff.
It's fortunate the detainees don't need a high calorie intake.Every 4 days new sheets and pillow cases and towels are dropped by the door. Havent used the laundary service yet - sink washing is something to do!
Internet available in all rooms free and effective.Check out for the hotel (Notice of Detention says from midnight on the 24th) is done by free taxis which take you to somewhere of your choice in the cbd. No people allowed to pick you up from the hotel. One out at a time and early checkouts reserved for those connecting with domestic flights. Asked for an early check out request and then Duh, who wouldn't want to check out early!?
So a week from today my mate will ferry her to the SA/Vic border where we'll do a Checkpoint Charlie handover, lest he crosses the border and must self isolate for 14 days. (The wife must do 14 extra days self isolation after this quarantine, for crossing the border 5 hours later. Madness, but another example of lack of logic that sows doubt in the minds of any critical thinker. I'm wary of orders from those with guaranteed salaries and pensions...).What else?
That's probably it. Overall much credit to the authorities for setting this up thusly and trying to make what they describe as shocking conditions for a human but doing their best to help. Support services renew your faith in human nature. Great people.
Phone and video calls are essential and also difficult as you're offering encouragement to someone whose shoes you've not even taken a step in, let alone walked a mile in. you learn to stop involuntarily asking"what ya doing?, What's on for today?" pretty quickly. Silly distracting banter and riffing seems to be the best.
Hope that helps. Lots of dribble but in an age of peddled bullshit, at least it's a true account.
Thanks for being interested and asking after my cool chick whose main flaw is her shit taste in men!
Update
The wife got out of the hotel on May 24. Apparently that quarantine is not a matter to be made light of and I get her earnestness on the topic.
3 outside visits of less than 10 minutes in 14 days. No open windows. Treated like a jew in a camp in that, masked, visored and hazmat suit wearing people just bark commands at you in every human interaction. "Don't touch anything!" "Stand back!"
Only on the phone are you treated humanely, although as the wife left a nurse thanked her for being a good detainee. Apparently lots of noises of people kicking walls and doors and I think there'll be damages to those hotel rooms, which are stripped bare of any amenities and resemble our idea of a five star hotel room only in the tacky art on the walls.So no, forget any idea of asking tourists or visitors to do this, if indeed that scenario crosses a mind.
Admittedly the wife was on her own and it'd be more than twice as better with the right person, but 14 days with no fresh air...?
Spare a thought for the Indian couple and their 4 kids Mrs Siam saw them getting their 5 minute fresh air break in the carpark ! Apparently the kids just clung to their parents the whole time.But the missus did it. An epic effort for us seasoned male travellers on our own, let alone a beautiful black girl (yes I did, she matters ) with shit taste in men:
2 May 3 airline trip denied at the start as Singapore werent taking transit passengers
A week of trying something else. Pay for Qatar and get no human to speak to after 3 days trying.
8 May gets denied boarding the flight and then gets a cop to overule that
9 May spends 24 hours in a deserted Doha airport with no internet or people
Lands in melbourne and lives in a sealed room for 14 days
Travels 11 kms too far and does 14 days on the farm - got through a power of housework though!!A fair effort at doing the right thing. A champion sheila she is! Very proud I am.
Then watches as thousands break all the rules that subjugated her because an acronym started trending on twitter. Geeettttt fuuuucked.
The virus didnt scare us but the fines of $1000 to $11000 did. The cops were supposed to check on everything - did they fuck. We did the right thing throughout. Followed all orders and did everything and more asked of us and always because of the punishment not the threat to life.
Ponderings:
Do we know if the COVID tests are good? The success or accuracy or eficacy of the tests?
What if, actually, they're not that accurate at predicting if you've got COVID?I say this because of the wife's experience coming out of quarantine.
So, on the 11th day, a thursday, she got tested with a chopstick up the nose, then the same chopstick immediately down the throat. They wait 11 days apparently (FAQsheet they give) for symptoms to present I think. Personally I'd have thought a test on day 1 might be useful given this is the most dangerous cohort to the entire country, and anyone with the virus would be good to know for monitoring. But what do i know?
The wife got tested twice in Thailand but the people here showed no interest in that. Shame, it cost 100 bucks each time and was a requirement there to travel.
Info from the testing fact sheet
Testing during quarantine is voluntary and oral consent must be given. You don't even have to get tested if you don't want.
"All returned travellers are being asked to complete voluntary testing on approx day 3 and day 11". No day 3 test for the wife because of no symptoms as acertained by the doctor over the phone. "You will then be contacted by a Case and Contact Officer from the Department of Health and Human Services who will check in with you every day untill you are ready to be cleared from follow up"
"If you have a negative result this will be provided to you on paper, by text message or by phone call."
4 weeks later and the wife has received no confirmation of any results. No text, no phone call, nothing. Nothing mentioned on the subsequent 3 doctor calls after the test.
This bit " If you are waiting on a COVID 19 test result, you will still be released from mandatory quarantine on time. You still must follow the requirements of Stay at Home requirements by Victoria's Chief Health Officer."
What? You haven't got the results back in 3 days and no worries, just go home?
The final detainee release form further on makes me wonder if we're thinking this testing is a lot better than it is:
"In accordance with section 200(6) of the Public Health and well being act 2008 I have reviewed your current detention.
On review of the Notice I have made the following findings:
(a) You will have served the required detention period by 24/05/2020; and
(b) you have not started exhibiting any symptoms of COVID 19"That's it - no symptoms, off you go. No mention of a test result or follow up?
Later this disturbing piece of casual indifference appears: "In the event that you start experiencing symptoms of COVID 19 it is important that you self isolate and, if necessary contact your General Practitioner or local Public Health Unit.
So, what I'm getting at is, I thought the testing was paramount and the best way forward but the haphazard treatment of my overseas threat of a wife makes me think I'm giving too much credit to the test results - which we don't have - or want, now, for that matter.
14 days of strict detention and then a test where hopefully we get the results back in time and if we don't then just go home and see a doctor "if necessary"
28 days of quarantine she did all up and never a reference to a test result.
Strange treatment for the group most dangerous to us all, or just simply that the testers and policy makers actually know bugger all about detecting this virus?
I'm wary of the testing efficacy
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After all she went through, watching those selfish protesters must have been tough.
To talk about testing, that's only a piece of the puzzle because you can be exposed 5mins after a test. The quarantine is the most important aspect as it covers the normal length of an infection cycle.
So if someone has done 14 days in strict isolation, the test is less important. My read on it.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - Australia:
After all she went through, watching those selfish protesters must have been tough.
To talk about testing, that's only a piece of the puzzle because you can be exposed 5mins after a test. The quarantine is the most important aspect as it covers the normal length of an infection cycle.
So if someone has done 14 days in strict isolation, the test is less important. My read on it.
The nuclear option is the only way to be sure
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@canefan said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - Australia:
After all she went through, watching those selfish protesters must have been tough.
To talk about testing, that's only a piece of the puzzle because you can be exposed 5mins after a test. The quarantine is the most important aspect as it covers the normal length of an infection cycle.
So if someone has done 14 days in strict isolation, the test is less important. My read on it.
The nuclear option is the only way to be sure
That should do it. Certainly a better economic stimulus than the daft renovation plan they came up with.
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@antipodean said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - Australia:
After all she went through, watching those selfish protesters must have been tough.
To talk about testing, that's only a piece of the puzzle because you can be exposed 5mins after a test. The quarantine is the most important aspect as it covers the normal length of an infection cycle.
So if someone has done 14 days in strict isolation, the test is less important. My read on it.
The nuclear option is the only way to be sure
That should do it. Certainly a better economic stimulus than the daft renovation plan they came up with.
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The clown show that is Palachook and Queensland continues. We book flights to go up the week after they said the borders would reopen and today this from the Premier:
Speaking in state parliament on Tuesday, Ms Palaszczuk addressed cases in New South Wales and Victoria which may impact the reopening of Queensland’s borders.
“We want to see NSW and Victoria get on top of their community transmission,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“There are now just five active cases of COVID-19 in Queensland compared with 73 active cases in NSW and 49 active cases in Victoria.
“Of course, we recognise businesses are doing it tough but they would be doing it even tougher if there was an outbreak of community transmission in Queensland.