NT starting to close to parts of QLD ( Q on arrival from Hot Spots). Easter is not looking good.

Will Queen P be expecting the federal government to issue handouts to business that will lose income this school holidays? This will go on more than 3 days. NSW have already called 1400 ppl in Byron instructing them to isolate.

Couldn't be worse timing, the wider issue is further erosion of confidence in forward bookings. Yields are already P!@S poor, sales do not provide confidence in booking, people need flexibility in ticket conditions

Is it all of QLD the border is closed to or just the Brisbane area?
I heard Vic has made Brisbane a 'RED' area from 6pm today so the loads will be very light on bne-mel flights once 6pm kicks in.THANKS AGAIN QUEEN P.

In WA it is closed to all of Qld. I'm in WA and I think it's ridiculous. We should follow the other states who don't exclude every person from one state at the drop of a sneeze.

30 mins after lockdown commenced and I'm glad I'm not going down the Gold Coast.
Local traffic reports describing it as an 80km carpark! :eek:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....dc098b5f0e.png
Not so bad north of the map, surprisingly.

Wouldnt be surprised if Byron becomes the next "hotspot"

I was just at the airport DFO and going north was worse than a long weekend Friday afternoon. All lock down achieves is getting everyone crowded into supermarkets together and a mass exodus to spread potential cases far and wide.

They need to work on their marketing. Instead of calling it a lockdown, just mandate masks. It’s essentially the only difference anyway.

I'd have thought the vaccine rollout would be in full swing there. :oh:

Oh yes, the only difference...

Except for not going to work unless essential, bars closed, cafes and restaurants take away only. No visits to friends. Cinemas closed. Gyms? Schools closed. Essential shopping only.

Just the same...:rolleyes:

The stupid thing is all those people leaving Brisy, the lockdown rules still apply no matter where they are :ugh:

You think anybody is keeping track of those who have holiday places on the Sunny Coast etc where they raced off to this arvo?? Think they’re going to fess up??
it’s a joke.

Of course not, but remember the old saying, when it all goes wrong.....

Tomorrow I can wake up and take my kids to daycare and school (my wage is as essential as the politicians). Afterwards I can go to my local coffee joint and grab a coffee. Then I might head to Target, because why not, it’s open. Then I’ll go to the farmers markets to grab a few things for the friends we’re having over for dinner. Might chuck a Bunnings visit in there as well.

No, that’s not what I’m actually going to do, but please tell me more about how having the city flee to other regions to escape the lockdown in a panic is a better result than simply mandating masks. I’ll be going about my normal life tomorrow with the addition of a mask.

“Essential” is a joke of a definition. Everyone will justify everything and no one will question it. Westfield Chermside will be open ffs. So why panic everyone with a “lock down” when you can achieve similar outcomes with less alarming language and measures.

The term "lockdown" is a bit of a joke. I mean, the two lockdowns we've had here in Perth, myself and people I know didn't really go about our lives any differently... Apart from not being able to dine in a restaurant or go to a pub, I didn't restrict my movement at all and continued to visit family and friends, go for a browse at the shops, head to the beach.. nothing really that different. That's why I laugh when I hear that word.
Also, I wonder how many of this new cluster are seriously ill in Queensland?

None apparently.

If only we weren't 3.5m vaccinations behind schedule.

The future of this country will be random lockdowns, border closures with fear and scare tactics from the politicians forcing vaccinations. It's already been said by Queeny on national news.

Politicians “forcing” vaccinations?? In my opinion they haven’t been forceful enough, from day one of the rollout all quarantine workers and healthcare coming into into contact with returned Covid cases should’ve been told “get a vaccine within 2 weeks, or find a new job”.

The vaccine doesn’t stop you getting COVID, it just makes it less severe if you do get it. So even after being vaccinated people will still get it and the lockdowns will continue much to the glee of the pollies who are keeping us safe.... thank goodness for that.

Palachook loves all this. Those nasty Liberal bullies can't tell HER what to do!

Stopping severe illness is the point.

The rollout has barely started. The vaccinated numbers at this point in time are only 12% of where the federal government predicted they would be by now. As seen not even those who are coming into contact with Covid cases have all been fully vaccinated.

As far as wider ranging immunity goes that will take longer. At least until the critical populations in 1B and 2A are fully vaccinated. Local production is only just starting, and you need two shots dispersed by 3 months. So expect a similar reaction til around August/September.

International travel won’t resume until basic herd immunity is reached. Previously this was thought to be around 70%, in Israel however they’re seeing that maybe 55% is enough.

Yes the vaccine is a game changer, but it has to be injected into people to work. The effectiveness of vaccines sitting in storage containers is 0%. It won’t be too much higher if plenty of critical groups continue to be allowed to choose not to be vaccinated too.

I can’t believe there doesn’t seem to have been a structured program to actively pursue and arrange vaccinations for medical staff as a top priority! The number of times I’ve heard them say the doctor/nurse/health worker had not been vaccinated yet astounds me.
Instead of wasting it on photo ops for our useless, expendable politicians, why weren’t these people done first? Yes I know they were nominated in the first phase but I can’t see any structured prioritising. Just seems up to the individual. For once I’ll agree with you dr Dre, get the jab or stop practising as a medical professional.

I think the problem is the supply of the vaccine not the reluctance of the medical profession to not get it! So maybe the real problem lies with the Federal Government!!

Ask Chris Hemsworth to get a jab for a promo shoot. That'll motivate a few more people perhaps. Even Thor needs the vaccine. Mind you he lives in Byron.......

Which is why I said stop wasting even a single dose on those photo-opportunistic politicians ... of all pursuasions. (Replying to cynphil)

A new study by the CDC shows that a single dose provides an 80% reduction in the risk of infection, not just illness. The second dose improves that again.

"Under real-world conditions, mRNA vaccine effectiveness of full immunization (≥14 days after second dose) was 90% against SARS-CoV-2 infections regardless of symptom status; vaccine effectiveness of partial immunization (≥14 days after first dose but before second dose) was 80%."

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7013e3.htm

Ah yes the photo opportunities,applauding each other,smiling for each other & back slapping their high flying party supporters meanwhile they have absolutely no idea how to roll out a vaccination schedule.
How good was he making himself look with his now useless 1/2 price airfare stunt,his salary wont get affected,thats for sure.

Meanwhile......

new-covid-vaccines-needed-within-year-say-scientists

Same time next year?

I’m starting to doubt I’ll be receiving the first dose this year!

This is why I cant see the intl border opening this year, too many new variants with unknown vaccine effectiveness - particularly Brazilian and South African variants

Lots of “could”s and fluffy language in that article.. I wouldn’t be too concerned considering the source!

You do know that any headline with the generic word Scientists in it is going to be bull****, right?

Yep lets get that 99.1% survival rate up to 99.2%

And what were the symptoms? How bad? Which 147 patients? Why them?
A story has a lot of parts to it.

i dont disagree, but here is a forum for people needing class 1 medical cert, are you willing to take the chance? (Im not talking for post vaccination)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53196009

i know this is only 1 example, but he'll never fly again

Not completely dissimilar to glandular fever. However, I don't believe we bankrupt the nation for that.

Doctors like certainty (that's not a criticism) but certainties involve zero risk. Nothing we do is without risk - if we always listened to doctors we'd all be teetotal vegan cyclists that never leave the house.

It's never been about the ~1% fatality rate.

Say these three words slowly. Overloaded. Health. System.

The peak of many waves in various countries has brought several first world health systems crashing to a halt.

When every ICU bed is full and ventilator occupied, and you have a car crash and need intubating... what then? Plenty of people are admitted to ICU each day without COVID. They would likely die under an overloaded health system.

We don't have lockdowns for glandular fever as is not really contagious, unless sucking face, so it will never overload the health system.

Maybe people should listen to those Paris doctors who just yesterday took out an ad in the paper to say that before long it is likely that they will have to triage who lives and dies, with or without COVID.

So why are we taking back Australians from overseas? Hotel quarantine is, either directly or indirectly, responsible for all new cases and has been since May/June last year. So what activities are aimed at reducing overloaded health system, and which aren't?

Try saying these three words slowly. Health.Needs.Funding