The Reality of Living in Australia and Covid

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

A guide to safe cruising ports of call:-

Ironically, I suspect the safest ports are probably the least likely to welcome a sailor from out of the state.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by GILow

Ironically, I suspect the safest ports are probably the least likely to welcome a sailor from out of the state.

Perhaps, their in-hospitality towards travelling strangers, is part of the reason, they are safer.
After all, one of the first principles of infectious disease control, is CONTACT LIMITATION.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Perhaps, their in-hospitality towards travelling strangers, is part of the reason, they are safer.
After all, one of the first principles of infectious disease control, is CONTACT LIMITATION.

Yep, that’s pretty much how it seems to have worked here in Oz.

[HankOnthewater]

Indeed, things have gone pear-shaped in Oz, now in all states. But still, compared to many, many other countries we are still doing quite well thank you.
It certainly looks like Omicron cases have been under reported many fold in the first few weeks after 26th of November.
The forecast for next few weeks? Just add a few zeros behind the daily number of cases. Lets hope the health system does not get overwhelmed.

[MicHughV]

GILow,
62,000 deaths account for about 0.4% of the Florida population, and taken in that context, it's a low number, considering numbers for heart attacks, strokes, etc, are higher.
It also turns out that recording a "covid death" has also fallen under the spotlight, due to various and sundry ways health insurance pays out. Health officials for Retirement Communities were particularly obscure in the way they noted the death of someone that was 90 years old.

I have had personal friends succumb to this blight, so I know it's no laughing matter, but none of them were vaccinated due to one reason or another.

Likewise, I'm no expert on the matter, but can tell you, where I live, mask usage is minimal and not mandated. Schools, shops, restaurants, bars, etc, are all open and from my perspective there is little to note regarding Covid.

Just wanted to throw out a Florida perspective. We do enjoy a high vaccination rate here, not sure of the number, but it is over 70%.

Our guv'nor is notably a standout regarding Covid. Right or wrong, good or bad, Florida seems to fairing quite well.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

GILow,



Just wanted to throw out a Florida perspective. We do enjoy a high vaccination rate here, not sure of the number, but it is over 70%.

I believe that "70%" Florida vaccination rate is the percentage with at least 1 dose.

Looking at most recent Florida report, the percentage of age 5+ with full (or full + booster) is about 61% (and thus a little lower for whole population).

(The format of Florida reporting is not as easy to read as it could be....)

61% is not that "high" - - leaves 39% not protected.

ADD:
https://ourworldindata.org/us-states-vaccinations
indicates Florida 62.99% fully vaccinated

[goboatingnow]

I think when all this is reviewed the better actions was less restrictions rather then more. It’s a terrible indictment of the nanny state and it’s supporters.

[MicHughV]

Well, this is not my gig, most everyone I know has been vaccinated, but I do know some that are " anti-vaxxers" for whatever reason.
I myself was a holdout for a very long time, but it took the death of someone I knew to get me motivated.

I've heard about the so-called " herd immunity" being around 70%. Whether there is any truth to that, I don't know. Most people I know, have also had the booster shot.

Regardless, in my neck of the woods....north Florida, life has resumed pretty much to normal as near as I can tell. Store clerks are still to be seen with masks on, or working behind a plastic screen, but the general public not so much. Restaurants, bars, etc, are the same. Bartenders, waitresses, etc are still seen with masks on, but the people inside at the bar or at a dining room table are not.

I frequent a local gym here and across the board, there are no masks to be seen. Gym personnel are pretty diligent in keeping equipment wiped down with anti-septic solutions, and there are cleaning stations scattered throughout.

I used to see cleaning stations for grocery carts, but I don't see them anymore.

There is off course, much information and mis-information about the various strains of Covid, and it seems like everybody has an opinion on it.

Our guv'nor, also confers with "experts" and he has made it clear that Florida will not be under any type of mandate as long as he is in office.

Again, right or wrong, good or bad, Florida appears to be doing quite well regarding Covid. Last time I checked, area hospitals had only a couple of dozen Covid cases combined. Again, most of these cases are non-vaxxed folk.

Just wanted to give another perspective on the issue.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

GILow,

62,000 deaths account for about 0.4% of the Florida population, and taken in that context, it's a low number, considering numbers for heart attacks, strokes, etc, are higher.

It also turns out that recording a "covid death" has also fallen under the spotlight, due to various and sundry ways health insurance pays out. Health officials for Retirement Communities were particularly obscure in the way they noted the death of someone that was 90 years old.



I have had personal friends succumb to this blight, so I know it's no laughing matter, but none of them were vaccinated due to one reason or another.



Likewise, I'm no expert on the matter, but can tell you, where I live, mask usage is minimal and not mandated. Schools, shops, restaurants, bars, etc, are all open and from my perspective there is little to note regarding Covid.



Just wanted to throw out a Florida perspective. We do enjoy a high vaccination rate here, not sure of the number, but it is over 70%.



Our guv'nor is notably a standout regarding Covid. Right or wrong, good or bad, Florida seems to fairing quite well.

Florida has a population of around 21 million, according to Google, Australia has a population of 25 million.

Florida has recorded over 62 thousand deaths, Australia less than 3 thousand.

If you think that Florida is “fairing quite well”, you have a very strange metric for success.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I think when all this is reviewed the better actions was less restrictions rather then more. It’s a terrible indictment of the nanny state and it’s supporters.

I think when all this is reviewed the better action was the one that resulted in fewer dead people.

Apparently this is not an important metric to some.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

I think when all this is reviewed the better action was the one that resulted in fewer dead people.

Apparently this is not an important metric to some.

Its only the old 'useless mouths' isn't it?

The PM? Told us to all 'act responsibly' and vanished - my guess is Fiji.

Tried to find what he did actually say and drilled down in The Age... nope - too long ago - did find a photo
https://www.theage.com.au/national/a...22-p59jjd.html

Meanwhile - Florida and percentages.

Ecuador , 18 mill , was hit very hard at the start - 30,000 dead - has a slightly greater fully vaccinated (70%) rate than Florida. The disease is now considered 'endemic'. They like us are currently re-introducing mask rules and stuff.
They will still be able to buy and burn Monigotes
https://cuencahighlife.com/vaccine-m...ictions-added/

[JPA Cate]

I think Tassie is doing well. Almost 100% compliance with masking in the local Woolies. Most people who want boosters can now get them if it's been 5 months since their last shot, and there is a choice of vaccines: either Moderna "spike-em" or Pfizer, so if you have a preference, you can choose. There was no cost to us, except the fuel to get there. The local family practice is having another vaccination day on Jan 8th.

My own opinion is that the current open door policy was premature, with Omicron exploding, but we'll have to wait and see what actually happens. I've been wrong before.

Ann

[MicHughV]

The number of heart attacks and cancer deaths in Florida is about 90,000, but that stat is not newsworthy...The Covid death number is coming under a lot of scrutiny here. If you are 90 years old, in a nursing home and die with a sniffle, your death was attributed to Covid.

For a while there, Covid has been in the news everyday, 24/7, it has been discussed, analyzed, critiqued, etc, ad nauseam by everyone from the janitor on up....but these days, not so much. For a while, it was also a political football, but mercifully, that too has quietened down.

It's winter time now, but not so long ago, our beaches were packed from one end to the other, locals and tourists, not a mask to be seen.

I reiterate, right or wrong, good or bad, this is the situation in Florida....nothing more....

[GILow]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

I think Tassie is doing well. Almost 100% compliance with masking in the local Woolies. Most people who want boosters can now get them if it's been 5 months since their last shot, and there is a choice of vaccines: either Moderna "spike-em" or Pfizer, so if you have a preference, you can choose. There was no cost to us, except the fuel to get there. The local family practice is having another vaccination day on Jan 8th.

My own opinion is that the current open door policy was premature, with Omicron exploding, but we'll have to wait and see what actually happens. I've been wrong before.

Ann

I thought Tassie might do it well, I wish I was down there to be part of it.

Bloody glad I’m not in Florida though.

On the upside here, I went to Bunnies yesterday evening, instead of my usual “tradie dawn raid” and found masks were well used and checkin compliance being enforced. I suspect Bunnies have just given up with the tradie crowd. Let’s face it, they are not the brightest bunch.

As for the door opening policy… I kinda felt for the state authorities. They’d all built up to the opening in time for Christmas, if they’d cancelled they’d have had a riot on their hands. (In the case of Melbourne, another riot.)

[HankOnthewater]

Talking about Bunnings, hehehe we all seem to raid their warehouses......
I noticed yesterday N95 masks, packet of 5 for $2.00...... that is cheap, but reading the small print... most was in chinese, it also said: "not for surgical or medical purposes".

And no, up to yesterday afternoon no one in WA was wearing masks. Now they are. Even being 400 km form the nearest exposure site, some people are wearing now masks in my town, and ...... the covid testing has quadrupled yesterday, compared with wednesday and prior days.