COVID-19 Stuff Here

[Braveheart81]

Two things.
The ongoing destruction of Queensland's economy in order to prevent the future loss of such a minimal number of lives is an over-reaction. We have come through the worst of the pandemic and it's time to relax all restrictions nationally.
Having all Australians pay for Qld economic recovery through Federal funding despite Qld shutting out all other Australians is not equitable. Federal bailouts (JobKeeper, JobSeeker) should be based on a national windback of lockouts, restrictions, border closures etc.

Why the focus on Queensland? There are restrictions on entry to most states in Australia. The states with the least restrictions are the ones with by far the largest number of active COVID-19 cases (NSW and Victoria) so it is not surprising that they aren't pushing to not let in people from other states.

By weight of numbers I am sure that the majority of people receiving JobKeeper are in NSW and Victoria.

These restrictions will get wound back as the situation improves/remains good. At every step governments, both state and federal have said that people need to be prepared for restrictions to run a lot longer than they ultimately have. That conservatism seems to be prudent. It helps no one to be making plans that then have to be cancelled whether those are business decisions or personal.

 

[I like to watch]

Why the focus on Qld?

i thought everyone did a golfing trip in June/July?

 

[Up the Guts]

Why the focus on Qld?

i thought everyone did a golfing trip in June/July?

I was meant to, in QLD or WA.

 

[Aurelius]

Why the focus on Queensland? There are restrictions on entry to most states in Australia.

But no other state that I'm aware of is talking about hard border closures until September.

For what it's worth, I'd feel perfectly sanguine about letting people from the Eastern States enter WA. There are a little over 500 active cases in the whole country, and those 500 people will presumably be self-isolating at home instead of taking flights. These closures are risking a heavy human and economic cost for the sake of managing what at this stage is a fairly minuscule risk.

 

[Aurelius]

Anyway, a few pages back I talked briefly about the situation in Florida and how their relatively liberal restrictions were heavily (and it appears, unjustly) criticised by the American press. Here's a piece interviewing Governor Ron DeSantis and some of his top health officials about how they managed coronavirus over there:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/coronavirus-crisis-ron-desantis-florida-covid-19-strategy/

Some of the main takeouts:

- Prioritising protecting aged care facilities not only keeps the case load there manageable, but it prevented Florida's hospitals from getting overwhelmed

- Florida took their cues on how to manage the virus from the success of South Korea, not the failures of Italy

- They devolved decision-making to a local level instead of adopting a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach across the whole state.

Some pertinent lessons for the rest of the world, perhaps, for the next time we face a challenge like this.

EDIT: Just seen that fatprop's beaten me to it.

 

[Up the Guts]

But no other state that I'm aware of is talking about hard border closures until September.

For what it's worth, I'd feel perfectly sanguine about letting people from the Eastern States enter WA. There are a little over 500 active cases in the whole country, and those 500 people will presumably be self-isolating at home instead of taking flights. These closures are risking a heavy human and economic cost for the sake of managing what at this stage is a fairly minuscule risk.

Yeah, the other stupid thing is if you’re from QLD you can go anywhere in Victoria and NSW (save three suburbs in Melbourne) and return to QLD without having to isolate. They don’t list anywhere in NSW as a current hotspot, completely nonsensical.

 

[Ignoto]

We have come through the worst of the pandemic and it's time to relax all restrictions nationally.

But we are relaxing restrictions, we can't simply click our fingers and be back to normal. Given the fact that NSW has close to 400 cases, there's absolutely no need to rush it. Since you're singling out Qld, both the Premier and CMO have said it's a situation that will constantly be reviewed. Just because they said 'could' doesn't mean it will happen.

 

[Ignoto]

Anyway, a few pages back I talked briefly about the situation in Florida and how their relatively liberal restrictions were heavily (and it appears, unjustly) criticised by the American press. Here's a piece interviewing Governor Ron DeSantis and some of his top health officials about how they managed coronavirus over there:

Hard to trust that when you have counter articles suggesting cover ups and manipulation of their data is going on;
https://www.npr.org/sections/corona...865/florida-ousts-top-covid-19-data-scientist

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...data-researcher-out-state-reopens/5218897002/

 

[Up the Guts]

Given the fact that NSW has close to 400 cases, there's absolutely no need to rush it.

If NSW is such an issue why does the QLD CMO list it as not having any hotspots?

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/condi...rus-covid-19/current-status/hotspots-covid-19

What's the logic in you being able to stay in Sydney for any length of time and return to QLD without any quarantine period but someone from the back of Bourke can't go to QLD?

 

[Braveheart81]

But no other state that I'm aware of is talking about hard border closures until September.

For what it's worth, I'd feel perfectly sanguine about letting people from the Eastern States enter WA. There are a little over 500 active cases in the whole country, and those 500 people will presumably be self-isolating at home instead of taking flights. These closures are risking a heavy human and economic cost for the sake of managing what at this stage is a fairly minuscule risk.

Scott Morrison said that if lockdown measures were brought in they'd be here for 6 months.

Clearly everything is changing rapidly.

So Queensland says the "borders may not reopen until September" and WA says that "borders will remain closed until it is safe for them to reopen".

People are getting upset by the Queensland statement because it mentions a month that the restrictions may extend until but not by the WA one that is open ended.

It seems like people are taking the position that Queensland wants to keep their borders closed as long as possible just to spite the other states which doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[Ignoto]

What's the logic in you being able to stay in Sydney for any length of time and return to QLD without any quarantine period but someone from the back of Bourke can't go to QLD?

The logic is to make it a nice and simple message. If you're not a Queensland resident, you can't come in (without an exemption or quarantine).

Perhaps the HSC should have a comprehension element to it, if it did, maybe we wouldn't of had the whole beach fiasco......

 

[Aurelius]

Scott Morrison said that if lockdown measures were brought in they'd be here for 6 months.

Clearly everything is changing rapidly.

So Queensland says the "borders may not reopen until September" and WA says that "borders will remain closed until it is safe for them to reopen".

People are getting upset by the Queensland statement because it mentions a month that the restrictions may extend until but not by the WA one that is open ended.

It seems like people are taking the position that Queensland wants to keep their borders closed as long as possible just to spite the other states which doesn't make a lot of sense.

To be honest, I've yet to come across anyone criticising Queensland for its border closures without them criticising WA, SA and Tasmania in the same breath.

Nor have I come across anyone suggesting that Queensland's policy (or anyone else's) is driven by spite towards the other states, just an unreasonable level of caution at best or political opportunism at worst.

 

[Aurelius]

Hard to trust that when you have counter articles suggesting cover ups and manipulation of their data is going on;
https://www.npr.org/sections/corona...865/florida-ousts-top-covid-19-data-scientist

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...data-researcher-out-state-reopens/5218897002/

Well, that's one version of the story. Here's another:

https://www.politico.com/states/flo...s-unleashes-on-former-health-official-1284725

Time will tell which one's closest to the truth.

Nevertheless, you'd have to think that if Florida was facing anything close to what New York's been going through, that would be apparent whether or not one mid-level health official kept her job or not.

 

[cyclopath]

The logic is to make it a nice and simple message. If you're not a Queensland resident, you can't come in (without an exemption or quarantine).

Perhaps the HSC should have a comprehension element to it, if it did, maybe we wouldn't of had the whole beach fiasco..

 

[Up the Guts]

People are getting upset by the Queensland statement because it mentions a month that the restrictions may extend until but not by the WA one that is open ended.

It seems like people are taking the position that Queensland wants to keep their borders closed as long as possible just to spite the other states which doesn't make a lot of sense.

No, people are calling out QLD because their regulations are inconsistent. Yes, WA have also closed their borders but residents have to self-isolate and apply for exemption when they return from interstate travel. Queenslanders can go anywhere in NSW and return home without having to isolate. It's completely illogical. And then the Queenslanders jump in and tell us we're the ones who need to include comprehension in the HSC.

 

[Brumby Runner]

And if the rest of the states move to the more reasonable flatten the curve and manage infection rate model, do they plan to stay closed forever?

NSW and Vic are the only States to have opened their borders. WA, SA, NT and Tas are consistent with Qld. If the dire predictions of a second wave come true before those States feel comfortable, then I think it will be NSW and Vic who change their approach.

 

[Up the Guts]

NSW and Vic are the only States to have opened their borders. WA, SA, NT and Tas are consistent with Qld. If the dire predictions of a second wave come true before those States feel comfortable, then I think it will be NSW and Vic who change their approach.

ACT are open and have had 0 cases for 14 days running or some similar number. As I’ve pointed out a few times now, QLD is not consistent.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Having all Australians pay for Qld economic recovery through Federal funding despite Qld shutting out all other Australians is not equitable. Federal bailouts (JobKeeper, JobSeeker) should be based on a national windback of lockouts, restrictions, border closures etc.

Queensland is subsidised by NSW and WA in particular by GST collections in those states. Propping up Queensland economically will be nothing new.

https://www.afr.com/politics/nsw-ca...p-lazy-states-like-queensland-20191212-p53jg4

 

[Froggy]

Queensland has an election coming up in October. I'm guessing Palaszczuk isn't relying on the vote of the local tourism industry.

 

[Teh Other Dave]

Queensland has an election coming up in October. I'm guessing Palaszczuk isn't relying on the vote of the local tourism industry.

The Queensland tourism industry didn't really have any influence on the election this time last year