Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #96

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SouthAussie said:
Understood. We also had loads of people travelling in and out of our country every day, pre-covid.

My point was that closing the international border helped do the trick. Stopped the travel. Which is something the UK could have done. Something that is a little easier to do when your country is surrounded by water.
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It’s not the same and while we should have attempted it, it’s by no means as simple as shutting Aus borders was. We’re 21 miles from France (yes, people have swum it!) lots of Brits work there or Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and other countries, commuting daily. It’s no biggie moving to live in Spain or Germany as it can be quicker than getting to the other end of our little island. We’re reliant on constant imports by road, you saw the mess with the truckers. We were totally entangled.

We should also remember that Australia is bigger than Europe (less Russia), but with a population of 750 million compared to 25 million. Hardly surprising Europe has got walloped by this virus. Population density plays an enormous part in all this.
 
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SouthAussie said:
Understood. We also had loads of people travelling in and out of our country every day, pre-covid.
We may be geographically isolated from the northern hemisphere, but we are not isolated from south east Asia, Indonesia, and many other countries.

My point was that closing the international border helped do the trick. Stopped the travel. Which is something the UK could have done. Something that is a little easier to do when your country is surrounded by water.
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I really do not think the U.K can be compared to Australia. We are actually joined to Europe by the channel tunnel!

As Cags said,we are reliant on Europe for imports.
 
US coronavirus: More than 91 million live in US counties with high Covid-19 infections. It's time to reset and put masks back on, expert says - CNN
(CNN)With the highly contagious Delta variant spreading, particularly among unvaccinated Americans, it may be time to hit the "reset button" on pandemic response and for much of the country to put masks back on, an expert said.

"We are at a very different point in the pandemic than we were a month ago," Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Tuesday. "And therefore, we should follow the example of LA County and say that if there are places where vaccinated and unvaccinated people are mixing, then indoor mask mandates should still apply."
 
Morrison under fire over fresh Australia Covid lockdown and poor jab roll out

Australia was initially lauded around the world for its tough stance on preventing Covid transmission as it closed borders and banned travel.

But its inoculation programme has been dismal and people are angry that lockdowns are being imposed again more than a year into the pandemic.

Just over 10 per cent of the population are double-jabbed, according to Our World in Data. It puts Australia behind Colombia, Mexico, Malaysia and Morocco, the figures show.
 
otto said:
Canada has Theresa Lam, Canadians assumed that Fauci was the same - federal health spokesperson in the USA.

What was Fauci? Trump's health expert puppet? Isn't he also Biden's health expert? Doesn't that mean that he is the non-political health expert?

Can that vast nation get it together enough to set politics aside for health?
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I doubt it. MOO.
 
WichitaFalls said:
US coronavirus: More than 91 million live in US counties with high Covid-19 infections. It's time to reset and put masks back on, expert says - CNN
(CNN)With the highly contagious Delta variant spreading, particularly among unvaccinated Americans, it may be time to hit the "reset button" on pandemic response and for much of the country to put masks back on, an expert said.

"We are at a very different point in the pandemic than we were a month ago," Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Tuesday. "And therefore, we should follow the example of LA County and say that if there are places where vaccinated and unvaccinated people are mixing, then indoor mask mandates should still apply."
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I am masking up again: a month ago I went to the grocery store without a mask; things have changed. As an aside, we are having someone from Bath Fitters come to our home today. I told my husband you are putting on a mask, right? he gives me a look like, no- I said - ok, you are putting on a mask--- he just does not seem to get that we are in the midst of a serious surge: I told him just because we are vaccinated does not mean we cannot contract the virus--- so he will wear the mask- grrrrr
 
CoverMeCagney said:
It’s not the same and while we should have attempted it, it’s by no means as simple as shutting Aus borders was. We’re 21 miles from France (yes, people have swum it!) lots of Brits work there or Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and other countries, commuting daily. It’s no biggie moving to live in Spain or Germany as it can be quicker than getting to the other end of our little island. We’re reliant on constant imports by road, you saw the mess with the truckers. We were totally entangled.

We should also remember that Australia is bigger than Europe (less Russia), but with a population of 750 million compared to 25 million. Hardly surprising Europe has got walloped by this virus. Population density plays an enormous part in all this.
Click to expand...
Also, with the Channel Tunnel its what, 30 mins drive? Which is a heck of a difference from say a four hour flight, not least because of all the trucks bringing imports.

Then we have the poor migrants arriving by rubber boat in their hundreds every day.

Proximity of mainland Europe absolutely did for us. By the time anyone anywhere knew there was a problem, Brits had been ski-ing at the European resorts and were back home. Feb half term would have been a major factor.

As much as I think we should have locked down earlier, it was too late by the time we really knew.

JMO
 
ilovewings said:
I am masking up again: a month ago I went to the grocery store without a mask; things have changed. As an aside, we are having someone from Bath Fitters come to our home today. I told my husband you are putting on a mask, right? he gives me a look like, no- I said - ok, you are putting on a mask--- he just does not seem to get that we are in the midst of a serious surge: I told him just because we are vaccinated does not mean we cannot contract the virus--- so he will wear the mask- grrrrr
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I'm wearing a mask any time I'm in the grocery store, pedicure, etc.
On a personal note, I visisted with a high school friend (55 years ago) yesterday after the death of her oldest son (not COVID). I hated to go into her home with a mask on but I did. As soon as she saw me she grabbed her mask and told her husband to do the same. That simple act of not having to explain, ask, feel uncomfortable felt like such a GIFT. The three of us visited for three plus hours all the time each wearing their mask. We've all been vaccinated but they have been in a hospital icu room with their son for weeks prior to his death. The grace they showed by immediately putting on their masks in their own home touched me profoundly. Why does mask wearing have to be such an issue with so many? I loved them even more as I left their home.
 
WichitaFalls said:
I'm wearing a mask any time I'm in the grocery store, pedicure, etc.
On a personal note, I visisted with a high school friend (55 years ago) yesterday after the death of her oldest son (not COVID). I hated to go into her home with a mask on but I did. As soon as she saw me she grabbed her mask and told her husband to do the same. That simple act of not having to explain, ask, feel uncomfortable felt like such a GIFT. The three of us visited for three plus hours all the time each wearing their mask. We've all been vaccinated but they have been in a hospital icu room with their son for weeks prior to his death. The grace they showed by immediately putting on their masks in their own home touched me profoundly. Why does mask wearing have to be such an issue with so many? I loved them even more as I left their home.
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I don't get it either. I know if not for me my husband would not have worn a mask throughout the pandemic.
 
Skigh said:
I really do not think the U.K can be compared to Australia. We are actually joined to Europe by the channel tunnel!

As Cags said,we are reliant on Europe for imports.
Click to expand...

CoverMeCagney said:
It’s not the same and while we should have attempted it, it’s by no means as simple as shutting Aus borders was. We’re 21 miles from France (yes, people have swum it!) lots of Brits work there or Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and other countries, commuting daily. It’s no biggie moving to live in Spain or Germany as it can be quicker than getting to the other end of our little island. We’re reliant on constant imports by road, you saw the mess with the truckers. We were totally entangled.

We should also remember that Australia is bigger than Europe (less Russia), but with a population of 750 million compared to 25 million. Hardly surprising Europe has got walloped by this virus. Population density plays an enormous part in all this.
Click to expand...

I really didn't mean to upset either of you. I was responding to an "island" post. And not taking a shot at the UK. My apologies if it came across that way.

We also are highly reliant on imports. And have had some difficulties along the way with transport ships and planes arriving with covid positive crew ... crews that we have had to help treat, as well as isolate until they are well.

As far as roads go, every time we close our state borders (which is quite a bit, it seems) we have to set up police stations on all the major roads into the state. But there are tons of little back roads that need to be monitored. Police helicopters try to do that, to their best ability. We can't trust people to do the right thing, unfortunately.

Then we have huge queues of transport rigs waiting at the police check points to get into the various states. Yes, it slows things up quite a lot.


Here is a recent example, but there are many.
Eight crew members from cargo ship off WA test positive to COVID as SA travel advice updated
 
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Not upset, SA, honestly, it’s just a different situation! Had to laugh earlier today when my pal who lives near (ish) you complained about her “day 1 of home school”. Not sure how she’s got away with not doing it for this long, surely the schools have closed before? She got a few comedy snark comments from her old friends here, all in good spirits though :D
 
CoverMeCagney said:
Not upset, SA, honestly, it’s just a different situation! Had to laugh earlier today when my pal who lives near (ish) you complained about her “day 1 of home school”. Not sure how she’s got away with not doing it for this long, surely the schools have closed before? She got a few comedy snark comments from her old friends here, all in good spirits though :D
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Haha ... I think the last time the schools were all covid-closed was in March 2020.

Yes, we have been very fortunate, though not without huge efforts and massive govt expense. We will be paying for this expense for many years to come. There is always a downside.
 
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CoverMeCagney said:
It’s not the same and while we should have attempted it, it’s by no means as simple as shutting Aus borders was. We’re 21 miles from France (yes, people have swum it!) lots of Brits work there or Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and other countries, commuting daily. It’s no biggie moving to live in Spain or Germany as it can be quicker than getting to the other end of our little island. We’re reliant on constant imports by road, you saw the mess with the truckers. We were totally entangled.

We should also remember that Australia is bigger than Europe (less Russia), but with a population of 750 million compared to 25 million. Hardly surprising Europe has got walloped by this virus. Population density plays an enormous part in all this.
Click to expand...

I totally get where you're coming from. Here in the US, we were not prepared for the demographic challenges. So much of our food is shipped by air and truck all over the nation and "essential" workers commute long distances.

But, I think we're learning from our mistakes--both our very early ones, and the ones we continue to make because we so badly want to be out from under the masking and lockdowns.

My hope is that analysts around the world will study this pandemic very carefully and then come up with some work-arounds in the case we ever see another one (fingers crossed-we don't).

Just watching the economic and industrial changes has been fascinating. Virtually everything can be delivered--no one shakes hands anymore--commercial offices are sitting empty and workers are now remote.

Today, I was in Manhattan, KS., and I saw one of those new Segway scooters traveling along the sidewalk all by itself. I think I squealed, "What the heck?" Of course that embarrassed my son who told me I needed to educate myself better because everyone knows about those.

We live in a quickly changing world, and this pandemic will leave a deep imprint on our collective souls.
 
And I bloody wish we could have “done an Australia” and stopped letting people in, but by the time the world was on full alert the damage was done. I think it was something like 1300 individual covid cases flew in before we locked down. While we all had a sprinkling of cases direct from Wuhan, which would be manageable, it was massively - and quickly - compounded by plane loads of people returned from hotspot #2 - Italy.

Plus, at that point, you were all enjoying outdoorsy summer life, while we were having a dreadful winter and had to snog each other in pubs to stay warm. I think that’s the science covered :)
 
SouthAussie said:
Haha ... I think the last time the schools were all covid-closed was in March 2020.

Yes, we have been very fortunate, though not without huge efforts and massive govt expense. We will be paying for this expense for many years to come. There is always a downside.
Click to expand...

I fear all our children and grandchildren will be paying for this for decades to come.

The good thing is that the diverse experiences of different nations will surely set a pretty solid global blueprint for next time. Hope so anyway!
 
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