Corona Virus

With the questions being asked around restrictions on aircrew it seems NZ has had similar restrictions to the proposed Australian ones ones since October.

COVID-19: Aviation sector | Ministry of Health NZ

Regards,
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Originally Posted by Arapiles

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NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has hit out at his counterparts in the Western Australian government, asking they hold off before closing the borders again in light of a growing cluster on the northern beaches.

“Let’s face it, it is. And so we’re taking thousands of people in from overseas each week. 45% of those come from places like Queensland, WA, other states and territories. We’re doing the work for them.”

Hazzard referred to the upcoming WA elections, to be held in March, saying he hopes the state doesn’t take any “pre-emptive” actions.
“I think they should just allow us to do that work as we’ve done so well. And I certainly would be hopeful that Western Australia does not do anything pre-emptive. I appreciate they’re under some pressure because there is an election coming up in March but certainly I would be strongly encouraging them to just let us give them the facts.”
“Certainly, our chief health officers are in full discussion. I spoke to Dr Chant only an hour or so ago and she confirmed she is discussing the issues with the WA Chief Health Officer and other chief health officers around the country and that’s the way it should be. We will just let it unfold as it does.”
“But NSW has shown the gold standard in terms of keeping a state open, managing the economy, ensuring there are jobs and therefore driving down the mental illness issues. I would certainly encourage WA to recognise that’s an important component that they should also adhere to.”
It comes after the office of the Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, told the ABC yesterday they were waiting and watching the situation unfold in NSW, before they decide on putting up a hard border again.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has hit out at his counterparts in the Western Australian government, asking they hold off before closing the borders again in light of a growing cluster on the northern beaches.
“Let’s face it, it is. And so we’re taking thousands of people in from overseas each week. 45% of those come from places like Queensland, WA, other states and territories. We’re doing the work for them.”
Hazzard referred to the upcoming WA elections, to be held in March, saying he hopes the state doesn’t take any “pre-emptive” actions.
“I think they should just allow us to do that work as we’ve done so well. And I certainly would be hopeful that Western Australia does not do anything pre-emptive. I appreciate they’re under some pressure because there is an election coming up in March but certainly I would be strongly encouraging them to just let us give them the facts.”
“Certainly, our chief health officers are in full discussion. I spoke to Dr Chant only an hour or so ago and she confirmed she is discussing the issues with the WA Chief Health Officer and other chief health officers around the country and that’s the way it should be. We will just let it unfold as it does.”
“But NSW has shown the gold standard in terms of keeping a state open, managing the economy, ensuring there are jobs and therefore driving down the mental illness issues. I would certainly encourage WA to recognise that’s an important component that they should also adhere to.”
It comes after the office of the Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, told the ABC yesterday they were waiting and watching the situation unfold in NSW, before they decide on putting up a hard border again.

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Settle down ,the number of returned international travellers to each state was set by the Federal government, and agreed by ALL states at the relevant cabinet meeting. Methinks the NSW minister doth protest too much.[wink11]

National Cabinet agrees to lift international traveller cap (news.com.au)

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Originally Posted by bob10

Settle down ,the number of returned international travellers to each state was set by the Federal government, and agreed by ALL states at the relevant cabinet meeting. Methinks the NSW minister doth protest too much.[wink11]

National Cabinet agrees to lift international traveller cap (news.com.au)

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Yes the total numbers were set by the Feds after each State told the PM how many they would take. So a bottom up approach rather than top down - hence why WA is not pulling its weight.

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Originally Posted by Arapiles

Amen to that - I read something yesterday that said once we get over this we have to prepare ourselves for the next one, because zoonotic pandemics are not going away.

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Thanks for that just as I was thinking about my beddy bies.

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Originally Posted by bob10

Settle down ,the number of returned international travellers to each state was set by the Federal government, and agreed by ALL states at the relevant cabinet meeting. Methinks the NSW minister doth protest too much.[wink11]

National Cabinet agrees to lift international traveller cap (news.com.au)

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I didn't highlight "Queensland", that was the Guardian!

It's probably a hyperlink.

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Originally Posted by 101RRS

Yes the total numbers were set by the Feds after each State told the PM how many they would take. So a bottom up approach rather than top down - hence why WA is not pulling its weight.

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Close. They declared how many they could take without further Federal support. At the time that support was not forthcoming, for various understandable reasons. So the numbers were set by what States said they could handle without further support. What is worrying now is this new strain in England. A number of countries are banning flights to the UK, because the new strain is reportedly 70% more transmissible than the original strain. I haven't read any reports to say the new strain is any more dangerous than the original, apart from that. One case of the new strain has reached the Netherlands.

Holland, Belgium , Italy, Austria, Israel , France and Germany have all placed restrictions on air travel to and from the UK. Eurostar has suspended all trains between London , Brussels, and Amsterdam. The question is , are we still accepting flights from the UK ? Or perhaps more relevant, should we ?

A growing number of countries are banning flights from the UK to protect their citizens from the new variant of fast-spreading coronavirus (msn.com)

What we know about the new strain of the virus. Thankfully our current vaccines are still effective, if the virus doesn't mutate much more. According to this article from the BBC, we may end up with a vaccine regime similar to the flu vaccine, where new strains of the virus will need new forms of vaccines. The plus is that is doable.

Why is this variant causing concern?

Three things are coming together that mean it is attracting attention:

• It is rapidly replacing other versions of the virus
• It has mutations that affect part of the virus likely to be important
• Some of those mutations have already been shown in the lab to increase the ability of the virus to infect cells

All of these come together to build a case for a virus that can spread more easily.

Data from Nextstrain, which has been monitoring the genetic codes of the viral samples around the world, suggest cases in Denmark and Australia have come from the UK. The Netherlands has also reported cases.
What do we know about the new mutations?

An initial analysis of the new variant has been published and identifies 17 potentially important alterations.
There have been changes to the spike protein - this is the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway to our body's cells.
One mutation called N501Y alters the most important part of the spike, known as the "receptor-binding domain".
This is where the spike makes first contact with the surface of our body's cells. Any changes that make it easier for the virus to get inside are likely to give it an edge.
"It looks and smells like an important adaptation," said Prof Loman.
The other mutation - a H69/V70 deletion, in which a small part of the spike is removed - has emerged several times before, including famously in infected mink.

New coronavirus variant: What do we know? (msn.com)

Airline crew quarantine procedure beefed up.

NSW will now require air crew to isolate under stricter conditions until they leave.
It comes just two days after NSW authorities finally revealed, two weeks late, that crew from a South American flight had been sprung travelling around Sydney while obligated to be isolating.
Their hotel was not under police guard.



Airline crew oversight under scrutiny as NSW vows to toughen virus rules (thenewdaily.com.au)

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Originally Posted by 101RRS

Yes the total numbers were set by the Feds after each State told the PM how many they would take. So a bottom up approach rather than top down - hence why WA is not pulling its weight.

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Never the less lifting a bit more weight than Canberra though .

The WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, has confirmed the same variant had been found in other countries.
Nine instances of the same variant as seen in the UK had been reported in Denmark and one case in the Netherlands, Dr Smallwood said.


One case has also been reported in Australia, she confirmed.


Europe limits travel as Britain warns new COVID strain is 'out of control' (thenewdaily.com.au)