Most of us have a story to tell on a minimum wage unfortunately. Sorry for your plight. It mustn’t be easy. The sooner we get out of this the better. One step is to get the quarantine rules changed. I’m merely pointing out the differences between the two countries participating in the bubble. Why quarantine when it’s unnecessary and not based on science. New Zealand don’t do it. Why should we when most are fully vaccinated. Call or email your local member and ask why. Do you want 14 or 0-2. It’s that simple.

Therein lies the problem - which virus has ever infected 100%? None of them have.
COVID is dangerous to the elderly and to those with underlying conditions. It’s dangerous and should be contained.
To this day, CV kills approximately 2% of those that catch it. Even in the US where it ran rampant, 10% of the population caught it. Brazil, India, UK, Italy - all disasters, and yet all have similar stats - roughly 10% infection, roughly 1-2% of that 10% die. That’s approximately a 0.02 fatality rate for a population. Now look at the rates for every other fatal disease that we have. COVID is bad for sure - just not hysterically so.

We did much better in Australia / NZ. No argument there. Let’s see how we fare post CV - I reckon we’ve snookered ourselves a little. Time will tell how well we handle the “exit strategy”.

You are right that 100% of populations don’t get infected since, among other things, viruses tend to die out after herd immunity is reached. But the current estimates about the current variations run into the low 80’s. Still lots of people, but that’s moot mostly because vaccines were developed in record time and are slowly becoming more widely available.

No, covid isn’t bad compared to SARS or other diseases, but those others you never get in pandemic numbers.

Regarding the exit strategy...I worry about it too since no one seems to be discussing what that is going to look like. Collectively we have embraced eradication, but since eternal isolation isn’t a practical path the government needs to start defining milestones and stages of reopening to the larger world. We certainly cannot let anti vaxxers inform policy on acceptable risk, one way or the other.

Is it even a pandemic in Australia and NZ?

Only 246 cases in Australia. 25 cases in NZ

No stand down provisions in Air NZ contract. Air NZ has therefore been operating this whole time because they have no choice (must generate revenue). Not possible with 14 day crew quarantine. Clearly an arrangement between Air NZ and the NZ government (majority shareholder). Obviously it's just a different playing field on the west side of the Tasman. I'd file this under "it is what it is".

Now two big name Cricket Australia commentators are lashing out at the PM saying he had bloody on his hands. I must say I hope those two are removed from public life. Why do these ppl think cricketers deserve preferential treatment, they put themself in this situation knowing what could happen.

This is another example of why Australian athletes should be band from attending the Olympic Games.

I found this interesting regarding the US. Apologies for the link - hopefully it’s viewable!

https://apple.news/ADRGHPLjTQdWCbcDbzJHywg

The title was “Is the world finally getting sick of Covid-mania?” Published in The Australian newspaper May 4.

Exhibit A.

I can’t view it since I don’t subscribe to any Murdoch media.

I did see this cartoon today, from the 1930’s. La plus ca change...


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....a1d713042.jpeg

Actually more like “are US Republicans getting sick of Covid restrictions?” And the answer being yes, they’ve been sick of them since this pandemic started, which is why Republican states have had higher Covid tolls than Democratic ones.

As far as Australia goes well there was a Lowy Institute poll recently with some telling stats on what Australians want with borders:

A Lowy Institute poll has shown only two in 10, or 18 per cent of people, feel all Australians should be free to leave the country.

41 per cent agreed with the current policy that requires people to have special exemptions to be allowed to leave the country.

Only a third of Australians aged 18-59 said those vaccinated should be free to leave now

Almost 60 per cent feel the government has done enough to help fellow citizens return home

No Australians felt the US had handled COVID-19 very well, while a whopping 92 per cent said the pandemic was managed very or fairly badly there

Says a lot about what we’ve become. It’s sad how insular and mollycoddled we are.

Posting more politicized crap like its factual eh Dre?

Interesting "Medical" website that one. After you're done reading about how "people I don't like get Covid more", You can also read about :
Should we criminalize speech we don't like?
Transphobia
Can men get periods?
How to have commitment free sex with as many people as possible

Don't worry though, these are all "fact checked" and "medically reviewed" by the same publisher that wrote them.

“
The authors of the study write that they adjusted for “state population density, rurality, Census region, age, race, ethnicity, poverty, number of physicians, obesity, cardiovascular disease, asthma, smoking, and presidential voting in 2020.”

ha ha. Yup no bias there.

How's Australia and it's elimination policy going to deal with this?


https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/h...=pocket-newtab

Reaching ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Unlikely in the U.S., Experts Now Believe

My understanding was that the elimination policy in Australia was a placeholder until the population was vaccinated enough to have herd immunity. The US will most likely have a much lower total vaccination rate due to the great divide in politics, but who knows, there's enough reluctance here now too.

At some point in the future, the borders will be open, and people will be able to leave and return with no quarantine requirements. I used to say that the trick was figuring out when that point would be, but now I’m not so sure. Now I think that the trick is to convince people that this point actually exists.

In my secondary employment I work with people who have all their friends and relatives within 100km, who “went to Queensland once” and “didn’t like it”. They want the borders closed, and I quote: “forever, keep them shut, no one out or in until the virus has gone”. If anyone thinks we are going to get 100% consensus on the border opening they’re deluded.

Once everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated in this country, the government needs show some leadership and start looking at a date for a gradual reopening.

If you actually wade through the comments of Jill and Joe Public re the India ban, they are largely very supportive of the government's ban. WA and QLD and to a lesser extent TAS and NT won state/territory elections based on locking out "others". Qld Premier "Qld hospitals are for Qlders". I would argue it is highly unlikely that ScoMo would seek to take this step in opening the border in an election year. Vaccine hesitancy appears rife in some sectors, but anecdotally where the virus impacted last year the most (VIC), people are more prepared to take the "risk" of the vaccine. Why the govt doesn't spend $50M rolling out a massive ad campaign and use carrot and stick incentives I don't know...

A local case just identified in Sydney, unknown source at this stage - not good.

Yes, ONE CASE, let’s all panic now and kill every small business selling coffees and meals...

how about being adult about it and hope that they can find the origin.

This is why Kiwis didn't want the border open

It’s in the community everywhere. Always has been.

people just can’t be f@&ed getting tested anymore, complacency and just generally being completely over it.

You shouldn’t throw stones when you live in a glass house. Double standards New Zealand style.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...7EPZHIpN66gxfA

The Kiwi government doesn’t believe it necessary to quarantine its own crew upon return from an international flight outside the bubble. Are the Tongans or Cook Islanders happy with the gaping hole in the New Zealand quarantine wall? This matter now has the attention of both state and federal governments in Australia. This could easily bring the whole eradication policy tumbling down. It will only take one Kiwi crew member to import the virus and the inadequacy of the current policy will be revealed. What if an infectious aircrew member lives with an essential worker? Nurse or Doctor? Aged care worker? Another pilot or F/A that is flying the bubble? This would be all well and good if the general population is vaccinated but it isn’t. Fingers crossed🤞, you’re going to need it.

McGowan is already looking at closing the WA Border to NSW subject to 'Medical Advice' :rolleyes:

Of course he is. It’s the perfect opportunity to reframe COVID as an external threat, caused by those filthy others on the eastern side of the border. It will also suit to divert attention from WAs own failures in the last few weeks and bring back some of the glow of His Almighty Luminous Radiance of WA, when some may have perhaps recently started to question his self avowed brilliance.

This was just released this morning:

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says no overseas travel until later in 2022

Im not surprised....the UK has already ordered boosters for the new variants for Sept this year....and yet here the majority of the population will still be unvaccinated by then

I say again, are Aussies really putting up with this?

A border closure until 1 Jan 2023 at least. Wow.. it baffles belief. Meanwhile the rest of the world will return to some semblance of normality.

Im going to say.. let’s wait and see how well the UK experiment with international travel goes...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/trave...dney-suspended

SYD - NZ quarantine free flights suspended

Considering over 50m vaccines have now been given out and everyone must be tested at least 3 times for every overseas trip, probably better than last year. And to low risk destinations only are quarantine free.

Why is the same response always returned whenever the Australian approach is questioned... “but but but UK...” And I’m definitely no fan of Boris.

Believe it or not, if borders are not reopened, pilots do not have jobs. Do you seriously think airlines should be continuing to pay your wages with no one in the back?

Um, no one is paying my salary. I’m currently SU. The U stands for unpaid.

And to think, at the beginning of all of this, restrictions were to 'flatten the curve'.

Clearly it doesn't work.

Yes, and Dr Dre will be along soon to give you the chicken little story on COVID shortly. However, Australia has been largely unaffected by COVID in the way that the rest of the world has, and so flattening the curve has drifted into eradication and now cities are locked down for a single case. Last month we were wearing masks in Cairns and Mount Isa for cases in Brisbane (look at your atlas).

However, the main reason for borders remaining closed so long is the rather lethargic vaccine roll out which seems to consist of jabbing a few arms and knocking off for a beer each day, mixed with anyone in Australia who walked past someone who had spoken to someone that had been given the AZ jab having blood clots.

India is normal i take it?

The reality is that the vaccination rollout is the weakest link in getting international travel back up and ruining. It has been a national embarrassment to say the least. Blood clots or not, the government should have had more options under their belt. The interesting thing is that Pfizer approached the government in July last year to secure some supply, it took them until October to make a decision. By that point we were at the back of the global queue. Now we have over 50s more than eligible for the jab and the vaccination centres are practically empty. I'm mid 30s and I'm happy to get AZ, hurry up and end all of this.

The delay in the vaccine rollout is going to cost 10s of billions of $$ to the industry.

Insights Report: Counting the cost of Australia’s delayed vaccine roll-out Part Two: International border closures

And even then I think the uptake rates since those numbers have published have dropped off, we’re even below France blowing out the time even further.

It’s obvious media scaremongering about AZ and lack of incentive to get vaccinated locally is hampering the rollout. With the government unwilling to pull out all stops to get more alternate vaccines different incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated will have to be considered. Is it time to make a Covid vaccination mandatory for certain things? Not just travel without quarantine, to enter certain venues, to work certain jobs? With the rest of the world about to open unfettered travel for the vaccinated a thing Australian’s attitude may change quick. Sure it’ll piss off the “No Mandatory Vaccination” crowd, but they’re nutters and no one should care what they think:

EU plans summer opening for vaccinated tourists

we should be the back of the global queue, we don’t have a Covid problem here. Send the vaccines where they are needed first, like we did with PNG.

Sorry, we need to be more selfish than that. We do have a COVID problem here - as in we will be left behind while the rest of the western world opens for business as usual.

From personal experience and that of my family and friends, the biggest disincentive to vaccination is being told repeatedly "you'll need to wait for our next shipment, can you ring again tomorrow please".
Do that 5 or six times and see how incentivised you are still feeling.

No one that I know is in the least deterred by the clotting scaremongering.