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Australia asks people to isolate more even as coronavirus spread slows

22 Comments
By Lidia Kelly

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© Thomson Reuters 2020.

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22 Comments
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Yes, it works. As does mass testing, it works. So GET ON WITH IT JAPAN

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Please do it in Japan NOW!

It won't hurt but could help.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

The Master - With such low infection/mortality rates there seems to be a lot of misplaced fear going around.

Perhaps this is so although, if you, your kids or parents catch it, I’m sure your opinion will change.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

With such low infection/mortality rates there seems to be a lot of misplaced fear going around

It is still early to tell if Australia has dodged a bullet. The low infection/mortality rates are the result of taking tough measures early. Sydney and Melbourne are cities with population of over 5 millons which are very high risk of a catastrophic outbreak. The lockdown measures have crippled the economy. However, after what happened in Wuhan, Italy and Spain where the health system had been overwhelmed and thousands died, ScoMo just did not want to gamble and decided to play it safe.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

That's excellent news, keep up the good work, Australia.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Down Under winter is on the way , so the contagion is likely to become more virulent in urban concentrations where the bulk of Australia's population lives along the coastal rim of the island. . The worst is likely still to come.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I believe social distancing really works in the case of Australia and this is the best weapons that peoples around the world can do to flatten the curve of the COVID 19 outbreak before any vaccine is available.

The current situation in Australia is critical but stable. In looking back to the time when Australia first had few cases, strong measures like social distancing, lockdown borders, and 14 days quarantine should be made at that time before the outbreak takes shape and gains momentum.

The Japanese Government should act without delay if they do not want to run into the same problems of its Euro-American counterparts.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

A large part of the high number of deaths in Italy can simply be explained by the way Italy recordes death. I.e. everybody who is Corona positive is counted as a Corona death, even he dies from cancer or whatnot.

One of the big things they've been saying about this virus is that it heavily hits those with underlying conditions. I'd say cancer would be an underlying condition.

Other countries do not count like that.

The fact that they have identified that people with underlying conditions are dying would indicates to me that they may very well be counting deaths like that in other countries.

Are you able to be more precise about how the Italians are counting differently than other countries? And where are you getting this information.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Well, then, it'll be the opposite here.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Note in Australia and many other places that social distancing = 2 metres or more apart. In Japan it is set at 1.5.

Anybody know how that came about? Something to do with more space in other countries?? Also some countries are saying you need masks, some not.

That's the thing about the responses to this crisis by country. They're completely arbitrary. There needs to internationally, coordinated response guidelines established.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Andrew Crisp:

Did anyone else see the differences in the infection rates in Italy and Australia

A large part of the high number of deaths in Italy can simply be explained by the way Italy recordes death. I.e. everybody who is Corona positive is counted as a Corona death, even he dies from cancer or whatnot.

Other countries do not count like that.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

they won't know for another 14 days or however long the lag in symptoms manifests

0 ( +0 / -0 )

while 88 per cent of patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity - many had two or three"*

Are those not 'underlying conditions'? Are other countries not counting them the same way?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Bigyen - Australia has a huge Chinese population and did shut that door early, but most of our overseas infections so far haven't come from there. They've come from people returning from the United States.

False information! 2/3 of Australia’s cases have come directly from overseas, most of which are from cruise ships. Ships that had visited many different countries including Europe and Asia. There was one ship was forced to dock in Hawaii and the Australians were flown home. Yes, a few cases have come from the US, but only a few of the 3,000 odd cases. Many have come from China.

In the last 48 hours since the strict isolation rules came into play and the mandatory 14 days quarantine of all people coming from overseas (local or foreign) the rate of new cases has dropped by 50%. It is working! This virus cannot survive without a host.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Do the hustle - This virus cannot survive without a host.

That sums up this situation perfectly. If we could only get the people who still visit beaches, bars, parks, cruise ships, coronavirus parties, etc. to understand this simple fact, the Novel virus would be under control. When one, or more, of the companies working on a vaccine finally develop an effective one, and it's distributed, we can all return back to almost normal.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Did anyone else see the differences in the infection rates in Italy and Australia

Australia shut the door to people from China earlier than Italy, but Italy also has a Chinese Migrant Labour force working in Northern Italy compared to Southern Italy.

https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2020/03/italians-statistics-the-virus-and-us/

In regards to Infection rates when Italy had 2700 infections Fatalities were 107, when Australia hit a similar number fatalities were only 10.

https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2020/03/flatten-the-curve-fatten-the-crisis/

True everything is in its early days, so its too early to call either way.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Strangerland:

Are you able to be more precise about how the Italians are counting differently than other countries? And where are you getting this information.

Interview with the scientific adviser to Italy’s minister of health, see here: http://archive.vn/LuNnh

"The way in which we code deaths in our country is very generous in the sense that all the people who die in hospitals with the coronavirus are deemed to be dying of the coronavirus. On re-evaluation by the National Institute of Health, only 12 per cent of death certificates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, while 88 per cent of patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity - many had two or three"

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

u_s__reamer: With that thinking then all of the tropics would be clear of the virus.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

With such low infection/mortality rates there seems to be a lot of misplaced fear going around.

-10 ( +7 / -17 )

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