Thread: Covid 19 C&P

The Premier of WA has said NSW must look outside its borders to see how other States are handling the virus. Victoria say they gave NSW plenty of warning that their border was being shut. Their seems to be a disconnect between NSW and the other States regarding the best way to handle the virus. Seems to me they have to work it all out before we can fight this virus in the best way.

A senior Victorian government source said: "If NSW had done the decent, proper and fast intervention that Queensland had done, we wouldn't have closed the border."



Coronavirus Australia: NSW-Victoria border tensions reignited as Gladys Berejiklian takes swipe at Daniel Andrews (smh.com.au)

Sweden changes the law to allow lock downs to control the virus.

Sweden has passed a new law allowing coronavirus lockdown restrictions after its death toll reached a new high (msn.com)

The Biden pandemic plan.

The Biden pandemic plan

President-elect Joe Biden will assume the presidency in nine days, and with it the responsibility of fighting a raging pandemic that is killing more than 3,000 Americans a day.

Democrats have also won control of the Senate and narrowly preserved their majority in the House of Representatives. My colleague Abby Goodnough, who covers health care for The Times, told me that controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress will unlock fresh options as Mr. Biden battles the pandemic.

“He has some really ambitious ideas, and he now has, presumably, a willing Congress to go along and support him in carrying out these ideas,” Abby said. “Now we’re going to see if his vision turns out to be better than Trump’s and the Republicans’ vision and methods for approaching the pandemic.”

Mr. Biden has said he wants 100 million vaccines administered in his first 100 days in office — a plan that includes the creation of federally run mass vaccination sites across the country. He has also pledged to push a new stimulus package through Congress to provide relief for struggling Americans, businesses, local governments and schools that “will be in the trillions of dollars.”

With the Democrats in control, Abby said, Mr. Biden also has a chance to make moves on health care. Big structural changes like “Medicare for all” or a public option face a tough road, but Democrats could make improvements to the Affordable Care Act that could bring immediate benefits in the coronavirus effort.

“Getting more people on health insurance,” Abby said, “could go a lot further to preventing people from getting Covid by keeping their pre-existing conditions in check, and for paying for the ongoing effects of Covid for some of these long-haulers.”

Mr. Biden has said he wants to invoke the Defense Production Act so that American companies will be obliged to increase their production of vaccine-related materials. He wants to reopen schools — though his political allies in the teachers’ unions will have something to say on that matter — and he has asked that every American wear a mask for the first 100 days of his presidency. With fewer health care workers getting the vaccine than expected, public health officers have told Abby that they are also hoping the new president will address vaccine hesitancy.

“There’s a feeling that if Biden gives an address from the Oval Office about the safety data behind the vaccines, and really reinforces that this vaccine is safe and effective, we could see more uptake,” Abby said. “That’s something that he could do that would be vastly different from the current administration.”

Don't wear a mask? think again

On Monday, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, Democrat of New Jersey, said she had been infected with the coronavirus after being in lockdown at the Capitol.

“Following the events of Wednesday, including sheltering with several colleagues who refused to wear masks, I decided to take a Covid test,” she wrote. “I have tested positive.”

Two new srains found in the USA. It's to be expected that the virus will mutate into different strains , and with the number of cases in the USA, it's not a surprise to see that happen. So far the difference seems to be easier transmission, but no difference in the effectiveness of the vaccines.

New 'Columbus strain' of coronavirus evolved in the US (msn.com)

More covid news.

CAMP OUT, CAMP IN According to The Australian ($), the Queensland government is considering flying international travellers into remote workers camps after an outbreak of the UK COVID-19 strain at a Brisbane hotel led to hundreds of people being forced to repeat quarantine. The plan, which could be rolled out nationally and was originally backed by police last year before being dropped following a fall in community transmissions, will be discussed today by Queensland Health, police, and managers of proposed facilities. In other domestic COVID-19 news: Residents of 14 Sydney suburbs have been warned to check for symptoms after virus fragments were found at a West Hornsby treatment plant: Glenorie, Wahroonga, Thornleigh, Pennant Hills, Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Galston, Dural, Westleigh, Glenhaven, Waitara, Hornsby, Normanhurst and West Pennant Hills (7News) Gladys Berejiklian has announced the NSW government will require travellers to quarantine for 14 days from the start of their symptoms if they test positive for the UK strain of COVID-19 (AFR $) Chief medical officer Paul Kelly attempted to calm debate over the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine by declaring the drug is effective, locally-manufactured, and therefore “available to give the maximum rollout” to “save lives” (ABC) Unlike members of the Morrison government, Kelly also hosed down Craig Kelly’s false claims over ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 treatments (The Sydney Morning Herald) A foreign military official and the partner of another have tested positive in a Darwin quarantine hotel, while the Department of Defence says they have not come into contact with any locals (ABC) Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has announced that masks are now mandatory in every airport across the state, with failure to comply carrying fines of up to $50,000 (7News)

All we can say is we are not as bad as the USA.

The scramble to meet vaccine demand

As Americans focus their attention on the fallout from the Capitol siege and the debate over another presidential impeachment, the pandemic is reaching what only a few months ago was considered a nightmare scenario.

Yesterday’s death count — at least 4,406 people — set another daily record, and represents at least 1,597 more people than those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. The U.S. death toll, already the highest in the world by a wide margin, is soaring toward 400,000 — only one month after the country crossed the 300,000 threshold.

From the beginning, the country’s coronavirus strategy relied heavily on quickly making a vaccine. Multiple candidates were developed in record time, and if given out quickly, could rein in the pandemic and save thousands of lives. But so far the rollout has been slow, and riddled with challenges.

After the federal government yesterday abruptly reversed course and cleared vaccinations for people over 65 and adults with certain medical conditions, states have been scrambling to meet a surge in demand for doses.

Local officials have struggled to set up phone and online sign-up systems. Many of the oldest Americans, who are most vulnerable to the disease, are encountering byzantine online registration sites, error messages and crashing servers. Appointments are snatched up as soon as they become available, and some in the highest priority group have only managed to book their shots weeks from now.

As of this morning, the federal government has delivered almost 30 million doses, and more than 10 million have been administered. The Trump administration originally said that 20 million Americans would be vaccinated by Jan. 1.

In Georgia, a man spoke to Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News about how he had repeatedly called his county’s hotline to try to make an appointment for his mother.

“No one’s ever picking up,” Eric Moore said. “I promise you, I called 134 times.”

COVID on the rise in China.


China reports most new COVID-19 cases in more than 10 months (thenewdaily.com.au)