Australia reinstates COVID-19 restrictions in Melbourne after cluster grows to 9 cases

Today's headlines:

-Australia reinstates COVID-19 restrictions in Melbourne after fresh outbreak

-U.S. warns its citizens against travel to Japan due to COVID surge

-Osaka hospitals buckle under COVID-19 onslaught

-Japan plans to extend COVID-19 state of emergency beyond May 31

And the Olympics will still go on as scheduled no matter what?

Crazy! Suga, get a backbone!

Judging by Australian news, it is full steam ahead for the Olympics from Australia with daily stories about qualifying events, uniforms or whatever. No matter about their own internal strict measures to contain the virus, that will see Melbourne go into a lockdown far stricter than a Japanese SOE for a handful of cases, which would make Olympics impossible in Australia, all is forgotten when it comes to the Olympics in Japan. Today’s Australian sport reporter was so sad for the poor athletes waiting for an extra year. People can’t even leave Australia to go overseas to see sick family members but this of course is wavered for Olympic athletes, ( as well as politicians and other select people. )

it is sad that some people do not understand just how serious the negative effects of lockdowns

eh? The lockdowns have been wildly supported in Australia, the economy has bounced back faster than nearly the entire world, they've had an almost non-existent death rate, and suicide was down during the pandemic over other years. It's sad that you have no idea what you're talking about, ironically while trying to claim others are sad for "not understanding".

and believe that the virus will go away with them.

Literally (not figuratively, literally) no one said that ever. Not a single person.

Well, except for those like you spouting rhetoric.

Well said @Big Yen.

Australians fully support the measures taken by state and federal government officials to keep life as normal as possible in our country. A few isolated areas taking precautions to protect the nation is acceptable and even welcomed.

Life "without' covid is much preferable to life "with" covid. That is what Australia is managing to do that other nations seem reluctant to do. Some wonder why Australia bothers, while the majority of Australians wonder why others don't bother.

WilliB - All that this ridiculous whack-a-mole overreaction by Australian bureaucrats does is destroy the economy and peoples lifes. Instead of a sensible risk management, we see authoritarian overreach. So sad.

it is sad that some people do not understand just how serious the virus is and believe that it will go away by itself. The lockdown measures are necessary and effective. Australia is virtually virus free and has been for months because of them.

it’s interesting the quoted post mentions economics. This is a short economic downturn in a very small area of the city. The rest of Australia is prospering. A two week lockdown in a small area is far better than what Japan is doing with a never ending cycle of ineffective SOEs. It’ll go on for years.

@ BigYen & Peter14

Thank you! I’m Australian - and a Melburnian - but I live in Japan.

Australians think differently to those in the US about these matters.

People from the US can’t understand how Australians accept - or even welcome - these measures because those from the US seem to believe Australians are ‘just like us’.

But we aren’t. We think differently.

The lockdown measures are unnecessary and ineffective. Australia is virtually virus free and has been for months because of it's summer there while covid is more prevalent in winter when respiratory diseases are most common. - Wobot

Let me fix this for you. I live in Queensland. No deaths here from covid for well over a here and 3 in total. Why? Because of lockdown measures. Necessary and effective. No lockdowns and we would have been like Britain. Check a map please we are in the southern hemisphere. It is the peak of winter right now.

At a rough estimate I would say that 99% of Australians are supportive of how their state governments are handling this pandemic. Everyone safe and well. Concerts and sporting events full of people. Economy booming. What is not to like?

And immediately if only 4 or 5 cases shows up, your government will restrict your life.

You think that is OK?

It is more than just ok. We demand it!

For how many years more do you agree with your government to pay that price?

For as long as is required in order to keep life normal and covid under control.

I would agree with you if your cases are increasing like crazy, but not for just 5 cases.

These small precautions are to control 4 or 5 cases. We waited once before until we had it "increasing like crazy" and it took over 110 days of one of the strictest lockdowns to defeat it. We do not want to go through that again so these "pauses" in target areas to allow contact tracing to be effective is much preferred.

For the next many many years , always a few cases will show up. Because nothing kills the virus.

Perhaps that may be so and if it is then we will continue to control covid rather than allow covid to control us. Herd immunity may happen with new vaccines or with enough people vaccinated with current available options which may not eliminate people becoming infected but it reduces the numbers getting infected and it so far has stopped those vaccinated from dying from covid or even being hospitalized by covid.

If the vaccine is rolled out everywhere, and the death rates are going down a lot, then probably your government will change its approach.

The government follows advise from medical experts and if it is safe to do so it alters its response appropriately.

people in Australia think differently to those in the US. Yes, there are people who don’t agree with the government policies, but they are not in the same numbers as those in the US. In short, Australians have different attitudes to those in the US.

I've lived in both countries, and this is very true. Even the right-wing Aussies are not the same as right-wing Americans. Right-wing Aussies have a much higher sense of dedication to their country, with a willingness to sacrifice for it, than right-wing Americans do. Of course there are individual exceptions, like the Aussie nut who went to NZ and shot up a bunch of people in a mosque. But exceptions don't prove any rule.

Next step no Australian Olympic team going to Japan

They'll be going, but all athletes and staff will be vaccinated.

The main concern with this small outbreak is where it came from.

Monty

It will end when the pandemic ends. Or until we achieve control over the pandemic by means of vaccines, or superior medical treatments

Even you are vaccined, you can get and spread the virus.

The vaccine or medicine will NOT kill the virus.

That means, for many many years more, or maybe forever, you will have Covid cases in Australia.

Incorrect. After you have been vaccinated, you don't spread the virus. Hence when over 70% of people are vaccinated, herd immunity will set in and it will be like outbreaks of Measles: rare and easily quashed.

My concern is that Australians will become complacent about vaccinations. Because there has not been major cases of Covid in Australia since last year, I think people have been lulled into a false sense of security. There are some sho believe that, with borders closed, things are fine and that inoculation is unnecessary. This is ignoring reality and I would like everyone there to be vaccinated.

I do stand by what I wrote earlier about Australians thinking differently to their US counterparts. Australians are more accepting of government mandates, and are less inclined to kick up a fuss when asked to do something. That’s a very different attitude to what exists in the US, and that’s why I wrote that people in Australia think differently to those in the US. Yes, there are people who don’t agree with the government policies, but they are not in the same numbers as those in the US. In short, Australians have different attitudes to those in the US.

I am curious how many years more will this continue?

Until the end of the world???

Always when there are 1, 2, or 5 new cases, life restrictions will be implemented?

This virus will exist probably forever, so this life restrictions will be implemented forever too?

And immediately as 1 or 2 cases appear?

China's CCP releasing variants to the Countries most critical of it.

All that this ridiculous whack-a-mole overreaction by Australian bureaucrats does is destroy the economy and peoples lifes. Instead of a sensible risk management, we see authoritarian overreach. So sad.

Australians are very similar to a large section of Americans who are hesitant about getting vaccines.

Come on Aussie people--you are smart.

Unless you want to remain an isolated island, which might not be a bad thing, get your vaccines.

“U.S. warns its citizens against travel to Japan due to COVID surge

-Osaka hospitals buckle under COVID-19 onslaught

-Japan plans to extend COVID-19 state of emergency beyond May 31”

Media hysteria. The truth is always somewhere in the middle

Google health effects on citizens during lockdown...

@Northernlife

Man if you had a choice where would you want to be now

Exactly where I am!

In Japan!

@Big Yen

It will end when the pandemic ends. Or until we achieve control over the pandemic by means of vaccines, or superior medical treatments

Even you are vaccined, you can get and spread the virus.

The vaccine or medicine will NOT kill the virus.

That means, for many many years more, or maybe forever, you will have Covid cases in Australia.

Especially when you accept travelers again from all over the world.

As long as this virus is not dissapeared from this planet, this Virus will shown up from time to time, but hopefully in a few amount of cases.

And immediately if only 4 or 5 cases shows up, your government will restrict your life.

You think that is OK?

If now for a couple of weeks we have to wear masks indoors or have only five visitors at a time in our homes, so what? It's a small price to pay.

For how many years more do you agree with your government to pay that price?

I would agree with you if your cases are increasing like crazy, but not for just 5 cases.

For the next many many years , always a few cases will show up. Because nothing kills the virus.

Or let me say, not yet!

I would not agree with my governement if they restrict my life for just 5 cases.

But you said, "We like it like it is". So for the Australien citizens, they seem to be fine with that.

But let us see, what the future will bring.

If the vaccine is rolled out everywhere, and the death rates are going down a lot, then probably your government will change its approach.