The Reality of Living in Australia and Covid

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Davidla

Has any Australian posting in this thread noticed it is now over 130 pages and it is mostly diatribe directed at Australia by Australians. That is us all over, no matter the subject it is always someone else's fault, usually politicians and particularly if you are opposed to the current guvmint. Give it a rest people we are tired of hearing about it....

Actually, it seems, at least initially, to have been full of posters from other countries telling us what a poor job we were doing. I might have remarked a few pages back that people from countries who’d lost 3/4 million people to the disease were in no position to tell us what we were doing wrong. Not sure if I’m kidding myself, but a few of them seemed to shut up and bugger off soon after, maybe they got the hint?

Anyway, it’s a fine Aussie tradition, beating yourself up, and I’ve got no real problem with Aussies telling us how wrong we are handling this thing. Some of the arguments from fellow Australians have made me think (well, think things other than what a complete pillock the poster is).

[Lucky Luke 1]

Originally Posted by GILow

Actually, it seems, at least initially, to have been full of posters from other countries telling us what a poor job we were doing. I might have remarked a few pages back that people from countries who’d lost 3/4 million people to the disease were in no position to tell us what we were doing wrong. Not sure if I’m kidding myself, but a few of them seemed to shut up and bugger off soon after, maybe they got the hint?

Anyway, it’s a fine Aussie tradition, beating yourself up, and I’ve got no real problem with Aussies telling us how wrong we are handling this thing. Some of the arguments from fellow Australians have made me think (well, think things other than what a complete pillock the poster is).

Agree, Oz has done well as a whole so far.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Lucky Luke 1

Agree, Oz has done well as a whole so far.

Yes, especially here in Tasmania... and that's why we (old and vulnerable folks that we are) have persevered through two long winters aboard here. I for one deeply appreciate the hard decisions that have lead to this successful risk mediation, and hope that it continues.

Jim

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by Lucky Luke 1

"Travellers who have only spent time in low-risk areas listed above in the 14 days prior to arrival in Tasmania are not required to quarantine upon arrival." "Travellers from low-risk areas are permitted to transit directly though medium and high-risk areas without being subject to quarantine requirements on arrival". Stay out of hot LGAs and coming home, as is flying anywhere from here is no drama. We could even go direct to NZ and not quarrenteen on arrival back home until Sydney mucked up and gave NZ Covid (again). We also have a direct flight to Perth.

As i said, as a Tasmanian domestic travel has been normal, sure you have to stay out of hot LGA's but that's easy enough to avoid. But yes if I'm going to jump in a Camper and do the loop then things would change quickly, which was not the point of my post. Your jumping borders left right and centre and don't come from a Covid free state. Low covid numbers sure, QLD has also been pretty tough on going through NSW.
I haven't done much traveling the last 2 years, one trip to Airlie Beach via Brisbane and one to Adelaide. I have not been prevented from traveling any of those times.
Had friends visit at least 4 times from Sydney and one from QLD.

As of today (1 Dec), you can’t travel from Victoria or NSW to TAS without mandatory hotel quarantine.

https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/t...r-restrictions

[El Pinguino]

And just another day in the big house - life goes on.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/f...30-p59dc8.html

[Lucky Luke 1]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

As of today (1 Dec), you can’t travel from Victoria or NSW to TAS without mandatory hotel quarantine.

https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/t...r-restrictions

That link you supplied hasn't been updated since 6/10. Not sure where you get "as of today" from?
But Good, keeps the riff raff out and has helped us be Covid free for so long living a near normal life. As a Tasmanian though i don't have to hotel quarantine. I do have to iso at home if i've been in a Hot LGA. Otherwise travel as normal.

Tasmania opens for no quarrenteen provided your double vaxed in a couple weeks.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Lucky Luke 1

That link you supplied hasn't been updated since 6/10. Not sure where you get "as of today" from?
But Good if its true, keeps the riff raff out. As a Tasmanian though i don't have to hotel quarantine. I do have to iso at home if i've been in a Hot LGA. Otherwise travel as normal.

Tasmania may open for no quarrenteen provided your double vaxed in a couple weeks.

Fixed it for you.

Updated current restrictions
https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/t...avel-alert#vic
A bucket full of assorted restrictions whether tasmanian or not.
Hardly come and go as you please.

[El Pinguino]

And the rules come the 15th
https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/t...el-to-tasmania

[Lucky Luke 1]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Fixed it for you.

Updated current restrictions
https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/t...avel-alert#vic
A bucket full of assorted restrictions whether tasmanian or not.
Hardly come and go as you please.

If we don't its no skin off our nose. We get to keep living a non Covid life. As i said earlier if they held a state referendum to open or not I think Not would win by a large margin. Just seeing mainlanders in NSW and Vic living in masks makes me a little worried in opening up to NSW and VIC.
As a Victorian I'm not sure why you care what little tassie does.

[Lucky Luke 1]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

And the rules come the 15th
https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/t...el-to-tasmania

yep, as i said two weeks away...

[Lucky Luke 1]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Yes, especially here in Tasmania... and that's why we (old and vulnerable folks that we are) have persevered through two long winters aboard here. I for one deeply appreciate the hard decisions that have lead to this successful risk mediation, and hope that it continues.

Jim

It doesn't hurt that your in a lovely sailing area. But yes, winter on a boat in tassie would not be easy. Winter seems to go on forever.

You two picked a near perfect spot to sit out this Pandemic. Did you deliberately sail here when Covid first made an appearance or were you here by chance?

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Meanwhile Federal Health Minister Hunt says that after Israel we are one of the eariest countries in the world to start a 'whole of country booster' program.

snip

Either he thinks we are stupid or he is stupid.
Booster graph below
In fairness the number of boosters given will rapidly increase from mid December, 9 months ( 3 + 6 ) from when vaxx was first available to the general Australian public.

Mrs Hunt's little boy Gregory Andrews is about to announce his retirement from politics at the forthcoming election.

The Treasurer, the Honourable Joshua Anthony Frydenberg, has suggested that Hunt was responsible for Aus's response to Covid-19. I am unclear, but I take it that Hunt carries the shame and guilt for the federal government's failure to order vaccines in a timely manner, its failure to institute a proper system of quarantine, its failure to protect those in aged care facilities, and so on.

Here's part of the reporting of Frydenburg's speech:

'Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has paid tribute to Greg Hunt saying he was responsible for Australia’s successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
'
He said it would be up to his close friend to confirm the rumours about him leaving politics, but said his contribution during the coronavirus pandemic was invaluable.

'“We are very dear friends and he has been an outstanding Health Minister through this crisis.,” he said.

'“The fact that Australia has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world and the fact that we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world is in due to no small part to the incredible work that all health professionals have done across Australia, and Greg as the Health Minister on this once-in-a-century pandemic has been outstanding.”'

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Lucky Luke 1

It doesn't hurt that your in a lovely sailing area. But yes, winter on a boat in tassie would not be easy. Winter seems to go on forever.

You two picked a near perfect spot to sit out this Pandemic. Did you deliberately sail here when Covid first made an appearance or were you here by chance?

Luke, we have spent some 20 summers cruising in Tassie so far. We were here in the summer of 2019 as usual and were contemplating retreating to warmer climes when the first Covid arrived in Hobart... and was dealt with pretty well. To us it was pretty clear that things were goin' to hell in a handbasket pretty soon, and that living behind a moat seemed a good thing... and so here we are today! That first winter was a bitch, spent mostly at anchor in Port Cygnet, our usual haunt down here. Lots of condensation leading to mold growth and discomfort in general. No real cold wx clothes, and not having spent a winter out of the tropics in decades, we were not happy campers, but a lot happier than if we had been in hospital in Queensland or wherever. The second winter we bit the bullet and moved into a marina for the worst 3 months. Shore power allowed the use of a dehumidifier and occasionally helping out the diesel heater with a fan heater. Way better for sure, and if we stay this winter we will do so again.

So there you are: here by choice, not chance, and glad that we had that choice to make.

Jim

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

'“The fact that Australia has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world and the fact that we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world is in due to no small part to the incredible work that all health professionals have done across Australia, and Greg as the Health Minister on this once-in-a-century pandemic has been outstanding.”'

Our World in Data suggests that Aus does have one of the lower mortality rates - but Our World in Data seems not to include data for economies in the Pacific (New Caledonia, Nauru, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, and more).

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

'“The fact that Australia has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world and the fact that we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world is in due to no small part to the incredible work that all health professionals have done across Australia, and Greg as the Health Minister on this once-in-a-century pandemic has been outstanding.”'

Our World in Data does suggest that Aus has a fairly high vaccination rate, exceeded by (among others): Singapore, Chile, Republican Korea, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, and China.