What is the Covid-19 Exit Strategy of 'Zero Covid' countries such as Hong Kong?

[kristiang85]

An Australian friend has messaged me saying how exasperated he and his family are with all this. The children have serious cabin fever.

And supposedly this is the world leading model we should have followed....

 

[brad465]

And the lockdown in Sydney has been extended by another MONTH.

So that's working well isn't it?

Apparently yesterday was Melbourne's 200th day in some form of lockdown since March 2020. I haven't checked how that compares to us (going by stay at home orders) or other parts of Australia, but I wouldn't be surprised if at the very best that isn't much better.

 

[bramling]

Absolutely. There’s bound to be at least a handful more cases they haven’t identified, who will inevitably spread it.

Then we’ll see NZ report more cases over the weekend, so arguably only a 2-3 week lockdown would have any effect. Saying “until midnight Tuesday”, to me, seems like a way of buying time so they find a way of “selling” a longer lockdown to the public.

It’s a bit like the “celebrate Christmas at Easter instead”, politicians who don’t have the backbone to tell their population something other than what they want to hear.

In this case they should just be honest, a couple of days lockdown is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

[DustyBin]

An Australian friend has messaged me saying how exasperated he and his family are with all this. The children have serious cabin fever.

And supposedly this is the world leading model we should have followed....

Meanwhile check out the situation in Sweden....

 

[Freightmaster]

In this case they should just be honest, a couple of days lockdown is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

It reminds me of all the 'circuit breaker' nonsense last Autumn!




MARK

 

[Merseysider]

Curfews as well - the barrel scrape of restrictions.

Yes, the virus only comes out after dark

 

[yorksrob]

It reminds me of all the 'circuit breaker' nonsense last Autumn!




MARK

Ah yes, load of tripe that wouldn't have worked to then, and less likely to work now with Delta !

 

[Reliablebeam]

An ex colleague of mine was head hunted for a job in Sydney last year. When this individual made it over there, cue boasting on the twitter account about how they were out of the chaos of Britain. Gone strangely quiet now - I know at least one Australian academic with a joint appointment at a uni over here who has managed to escape. Although I guess we still have to get through whatever Gove has planned for us this winter!!

Kristiang85 - heard similar from the crowd I used to work with. We were lucky over here that the police can barely keep the peace on the streets never mind anything else.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, we still have to see off to the winter loctivists in this country. The scullions at the gates. The enemy. The fifth column.

 

[brad465]

Here's what Australia's latest situation looks like on a case graph, which clearly shows a rapid rise with no sign yet of a peak, and is now just about the largest wave the country has seen so far:

Australia COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

Australia Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline.

www.worldometers.info

 

[bramling]

Yes, we still have to see off to the winter loctivists in this country. The scullions at the gates. The enemy. The fifth column.

Yes I fear this is going to be the next thing over here. If the numbers start increasing when the schools go back then watch out for the blue hearts to start appearing everywhere again.

As I’ve said before, it’s one thing not abiding by it, but unfortunately hands are forced when places like hotels are forcibly closed. We all need to do everything possible to make it clear this would be unacceptable.

 

[ainsworth74]

Yes, we still have to see off to the winter loctivists in this country. The scullions at the gates. The enemy. The fifth column.

Can we perhaps not be quite so extreme about our fellows? Of course we can disagree with each other but to start calling people "the enemy" or "the fifth column" seems remarkably extreme. I mean it's almost going full Daily Mail "enemies of the people" and one should never go full Daily Mail....

 

[bramling]

Can we perhaps not be quite so extreme about our fellows? Of course we can disagree with each other but to start calling people "the enemy" or "the fifth column" seems remarkably extreme. I mean it's almost going full Daily Mail "enemies of the people" and one should never go full Daily Mail....

Can we perhaps not be quite so extreme about our fellows? Of course we can disagree with each other but to start calling people "the enemy" or "the fifth column" seems remarkably extreme. I mean it's almost going full Daily Mail "enemies of the people" and one should never go full Daily Mail....

To be fair, people who want to put us under partial house-arrest for several months for the third time in as many years are something of an enemy in by book. However language aside, if we don’t want it then we need to make that clear, as there are people willing it on, for whatever reasons (some no doubt nefarious ones).

 

[yorksrob]

Yes I fear this is going to be the next thing over here. If the numbers start increasing when the schools go back then watch out for the blue hearts to start appearing everywhere again.

As I’ve said before, it’s one thing not abiding by it, but unfortunately hands are forced when places like hotels are forcibly closed. We all need to do everything possible to make it clear this would be unacceptable.

That's the problem. We all get dragged along.

Can we perhaps not be quite so extreme about our fellows? Of course we can disagree with each other but to start calling people "the enemy" or "the fifth column" seems remarkably extreme. I mean it's almost going full Daily Mail "enemies of the people" and one should never go full Daily Mail....

Yes, I probably went too far. If we have another winter with the pubs closed, I shaln't be responsible for my language though.

 

[Cowley]

Yes, I probably went too far. If we have another winter with the pubs closed, I shaln't be responsible for my language though.

Rather amusing slip of the keyboard there Rob. Hic…

 

[yorksrob]

Rather amusing slip of the keyboard there Rob. Hic…

Ha ha, I didn't spot it at the time !

 

[Pete_uk]

So, I assume businesses are getting some kind of bail out? What's the furlough like?

 

[brad465]

Community cases in New Zealand now up to 51 and number of close contacts is nearly 10,000. Australia also has over 10,000 active cases now.

‘This isn’t surprising’: Jacinda Ardern warns New Zealanders to remain calm as Covid cases rise

Country records 21 new cases, its worst single day for transmission since April last year

www.theguardian.com

Jacinda Ardern has warned New Zealanders the worst of the Delta outbreak of Covid-19 is yet to come after another jump in cases.

New Zealand recorded 21 fresh community cases on Saturday, the country’s worst single day for transmission since April last year.

The outbreak remains centred on Auckland, which has 45 cases overall, with 18 new cases on Saturday. But it has spread south to the capital, Wellington, which has registered six cases overall and three new cases on Saturday.

The country is in day four of a national lockdown, which will probably need to be extended beyond the planned seven days.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/20/new-zealand-covid-outbreak-wellington-cases-lockdown
The number of potential exposure sites has grown to more than 200, and the number of close contacts of existing cases exceeds 5,000.

The director general of public health, Caroline McElnay, said close contacts would exceed 10,000 by the end of Saturday.

Ardern reasoned with New Zealanders to remain calm as numbers spiked.

“The number of cases has grown again, but given the large number of locations of interest and what we know about Delta, this isn’t surprising,” she said.

“We’ve always said cases would rise before they fall. We do expect cases to continue to rise through to next week before they start falling away.”

Ardern said she was reticent to share “variable” modelling data, which might predict the peak of the outbreak.

 

[Watershed]

Community cases in New Zealand now up to 51 and number of close contacts is nearly 10,000. Australia also has over 10,000 active cases now.

‘This isn’t surprising’: Jacinda Ardern warns New Zealanders to remain calm as Covid cases rise

Country records 21 new cases, its worst single day for transmission since April last year

www.theguardian.com

That "7 day" lockdown (wasn't it originally 3 days?) isn't looking much like it's going to finish on time...

 

[brad465]

That "7 day" lockdown (wasn't it originally 3 days?) isn't looking much like it's going to finish on time...

It was 7 days for Auckland, where it was first discovered, and 3 days for everywhere else. I believe it was already extended for everywhere else after cases got discovered in Wellington as well that came from Auckland, but yes an extension looks inevitable.

 

[Bantamzen]

Community cases in New Zealand now up to 51 and number of close contacts is nearly 10,000. Australia also has over 10,000 active cases now.

‘This isn’t surprising’: Jacinda Ardern warns New Zealanders to remain calm as Covid cases rise

Country records 21 new cases, its worst single day for transmission since April last year

www.theguardian.com

Ardern reasoned with New Zealanders to remain calm as numbers spiked.

Dear goodness, the NZ Prime Minister really is a drama expert isn't she?

"Dear citizens, please remain calm. Even though the virus isn't causing apocalyptic scenes elsewhere in the world, please be assured that at the first sign of spread in New Zealand I will lock you all up for your own protection."

 

[kristiang85]

New Zealand will be a good sign of what delta acrually does in terms of severity without the vaccination - if nobody or very few die from this variant, then it is clear that it is just the virus going the expected way of being more transmissible but less deadly.

 

[bramling]

Dear goodness, the NZ Prime Minister really is a drama expert isn't she?

"Dear citizens, please remain calm. Even though the virus isn't causing apocalyptic scenes elsewhere in the world, please be assured that at the first sign of spread in New Zealand I will lock you all up for your own protection."

Just how to keep everyone calm! Meanwhile no doubt the virus continues to spread...

Her approach was perfectly good in the beginning when the world as a whole needed to buy time to understand what we were dealing with. 18 months down the line it’s ridiculous.

 

[brad465]

New Zealand will be a good sign of what delta acrually does in terms of severity without the vaccination - if nobody or very few die from this variant, then it is clear that it is just the virus going the expected way of being more transmissible but less deadly.

It will also be a demonstration of what it does in a population with very little immunity in general, given so few infections have prevailed there. While Delta's estimated R0 is 5-8 and is an average, the first case appears to have helped transmit it to 19 other people according to reports.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

That "7 day" lockdown (wasn't it originally 3 days?) isn't looking much like it's going to finish on time...

In Victoria of the 6 lock downs 1 has gone the length they said it were.

New Zealand will be a good sign of what delta acrually does in terms of severity without the vaccination - if nobody or very few die from this variant, then it is clear that it is just the virus going the expected way of being more transmissible but less deadly.

NSW is a good example now. Most of the deaths have been in unvaxed people.

 

[brad465]

And the protests have got going again:

Covid: Australian police clash with anti-lockdown protesters

Hundreds of people are arrested after rallies against lockdown measures in Melbourne and Sydney.

www.bbc.co.uk

Police in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney have clashed with thousands of people protesting against Covid lockdowns.
In Melbourne, mounted officers used pepper spray when elements of a 4,000-strong rally broke through police lines.
Police arrested 218 people, and at least seven officers were injured.
In Sydney, where lockdown measures have been extended for another month, more than 1,000 officers dispersed protests.
It came as the state of New South Wales (NSW), of which Sydney is the capital, recorded 825 new locally-acquired cases, the highest number for any Australian territory in a 24-hour period.

In Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, more than 2,000 protesters gathered before holding a largely peaceful march.
Police in the state of Victoria condemned the violence that broke out in Melbourne on Saturday.
"While there were some peaceful protesters in attendance, the majority of those who attended came with violence in mind," a spokeswoman said, quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.
"The behaviour seen by police was so hostile and aggressive that they were left with no choice but to use all tactics available to them."

 

[HSTEd]

The Telegraph reported a week or so ago (can't find the article unfortunately), t hat NZ vaccination centres were ordered closed as part of the lockdown.

Does anyone have any information on this?

 

[Darandio]

The Telegraph reported a week or so ago (can't find the article unfortunately), t hat NZ vaccination centres were ordered closed as part of the lockdown.

Does anyone have any information on this?

It's further up the thread I believe. They were closed for a day to make them more 'covid safe'.

 

[yorkie]

An Australian friend has messaged me saying how exasperated he and his family are with all this. The children have serious cabin fever.

And supposedly this is the world leading model we should have followed....

Australia sounds like a dystopian police state. If I was there I would also be furious and I would be protesting in any way possible.

Dear goodness, the NZ Prime Minister really is a drama expert isn't she?

"Dear citizens, please remain calm. Even though the virus isn't causing apocalyptic scenes elsewhere in the world, please be assured that at the first sign of spread in New Zealand I will lock you all up for your own protection."

She is an authoritarian dictator who cannot be trusted and has lost all credibility.

She is completely clueless.

 

[LAX54]

Apparently yesterday was Melbourne's 200th day in some form of lockdown since March 2020. I haven't checked how that compares to us (going by stay at home orders) or other parts of Australia, but I wouldn't be surprised if at the very best that isn't much better.

and there is no sign of any type of normality, and NZ said its borders closed until 2022 ! together with the lockdowns they will all have gone stir crazy !