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Sydney tightens lockdown as virus outbreak grows

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Reckless - What is the landing pad here? Once everyone in Australia is vaccinated and they still have new infections which is happening in the US, will the lockdowns continue? If so, that means the situation could last permanently

This post is kind of right and kind of wrong. The vaccine is not the silver bullet to wipe out Covid 19 and its variants. It is similar to the flu virus that lessens the effects of the virus. It can also slow the transmission and stop incubation of the virus. The vaccine is not going to magically eradicate the virus. A virus can only exist with hosts. The goal of the lockdowns is to stop community transmissions by not giving people a chance to interact and to keep the virus contained in small clusters.

From midnight tonight all construction sites and non-essential retail outlets will be closed in the greater Sydney area. Restaurants will only be able to sell take away. Only one person from each household is permitted to go shopping. There have been many fines of up to $1000 given out to individuals who break the rules. Company fines are up to $10,000.

This all seems harsh and excessive. However, Australia has been basking in a near Covid free environment with only small localized outbreaks that were quickly eradicated with lockdowns for most of the last year. This round of the delta Covid is a bit more challenging but the lockdowns will have the same results. It just may take a few weeks longer than previous outbreaks.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

they’ll prob leave their athletes stranded here in Japan like the rest of Aussies overseas.or throw them in the can for coming home.

Doubt it. Australia has different rules for celebrities/politicians/athletes than for the ordinary plebs.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Dont worry about the athletes, they, politicians and celebrities etc can always return to Australia as the rules are different for them. The cricketeers in India were only very temporarily inconvenienced and then went straight to the head of the queue with their own special flights and quarantine outside the caps for everyone else. You can be sure the almighty Olympic athletes will get the same treatment. But it will be interesting to see how many test positive on their return and in their quarantine.( And if it leaks from their quarantine hotel that will be an interesting story.) But yes for the rest fo the world even Australians overseas it will be along time till the borders open for normal travel

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Although it is still not sufficient and only half-hearted, but they are of the courageous few who try to act adequately and in the right direction. Most of the rest of the world hasn’t done and still isn’t doing anything at all to get the problem handled.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Reckless

What is the landing pad here? Once everyone in Australia is vaccinated and they still have new infections which is happening in the US, will the lockdowns continue? If so, that means the situation could last permanently.

Not if everyone gets vaccinated. If everyone is vaccinated, Covid will be a thing of the past.

memoryfix

Could the lockdowns actually be extending the virus’s stay in the world?

No.

Happy Day

The most successful U.S. States, the ones many are now moving to, protected the vulnerable, then opened up. Australia can learn from them.

Australia has been way more open than the US - with a tiny fraction of the deaths. The US could learn from them.

GBR48

'Covid zero' is not sustainable long term. Australia will become a warm version of North Korea.

They aren't trying for a permanent 'Covid zero'. The exist strategy is vaccinations.

Lockdowns are only justifiable and viable as an emergency measure until you have vaccinated the vulnerable.

Not just the vulnerable. Everyone.

A long term policy of zero risk is a recipe for a Matrix-style dictatorship. 

You fail to see that it has worked well for Australia. Better than almost any other country. And BTW, only Sydney is locked down at the moment, not all of Australia.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Reckless

My point is that fully vaccinated individuals in the US have been found to catch covid again although with apparently minor symptoms.

Very few. And mostly not serious. This is as expected.

Also, there is a large holdout of 30% or so who refuse to get vaccinated, and in fact, the new breakout in the US has been called by some an unvaccinated breakout.

So we will end up with a situation where unvaccinated people will get sick and some will die. A few vaccinated people may get sick but won't die. If we don't reach herd immunity and you are unvaccinated, you have something to worry about. Otherwise you don't.

How will Australia react? Just keep lockdowns permanantly?

No. They will open up once everyone that wants to get vaccinated is able to and does. Easy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Meanwhile, in CCP China, the Coronavirus has been officially defeated and no masks or lockdowns are required any more. Can anyone explain that?

Whether or not I could explain it, I personally question whether your statement is accurate. While it's plausible that the Chinese may have claimed this, your credibility leaves me with skepticism, since you provide nothing to support your assertion, and you have a history of distorting reality into some right-wing talking point.

And even if the CCP have claimed this, I'm not sure what it has to do with anything as it's not like we can trust anything the CCP tell us anyways.

Summary: What in tarnation are you talking about?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Meanwhile, in CCP China, the Coronavirus has been officially defeated and no masks or lockdowns are required any more. Can anyone explain that?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Thank god we live in Japan and not Australia.

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

Ashley Shiba - Yet, they’re comfortable sending their athletes here, along with so many other countries with no concern for the struggles we have going on here with the COVID.

All Australian athletes and staff are fully vaccinated. Tokyo has had over a year to get its act together and now, with less than a week to go before the games open they have the same amount of daily new cases that caused the postponement of the games a year ago. Tokyoites should be apologetic not abusive.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

it sounds like Australia is facing what the rest of the world faced a year ago. I haven’t read anything about “the curve” for … I can’t even remember how long. If I didn’t know better I would think that the news feed mistakenly posted a year-old news article.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Also Australia is misguided in focusing on cases. Look at Japan. Almost all of new cases are young people.

The most successful U.S. States, the ones many are now moving to, protected the vulnerable, then opened up. Australia can learn from them.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

'Covid zero' is not sustainable long term. Australia will become a warm version of North Korea.

Lockdowns are only justifiable and viable as an emergency measure until you have vaccinated the vulnerable. The more you jab in addition to that, the better.

After that, as with flu, you take the hit. Those who make an effort, may protect themselves. Those who don't might end up in hospital.

It has to pass through the majority of socially promiscuous hosts before it will go. Hopefully the vaccines will reduce the deaths and serious injury to flu levels, which we have always accepted.

The only alternative is layers of imprisonment, for all but the rich and powerful. Try getting re-elected after that. Even, another year or two down the line, in Australia, where they still seem to enjoy it.

A long term policy of zero risk is a recipe for a Matrix-style dictatorship. Stay in your cell and enjoy your Netflix.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

they’ll prob leave their athletes stranded here in Japan like the rest of Aussies overseas.or throw them in the can for coming home.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

They wouldn’t let the cricketers in India recently back, threatened anyone who came back with a stint in jail. The cricketers had to find their own way home. Maybe their borders will never open!

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Could the lockdowns actually be extending the virus’s stay in the world?

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Same article it would seem heading the world news section since art least twelve months

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Pathetic.

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

I can't remember a time when our state has been challenged to such an extent," she said.

Shut up you crazy lunatic. You should feel ashamed. You had months to organize a vaccination campaign but instead stubbornly focused on your BS zero-Covid nonsense. Your extremist hygienist ideology has only helped you put in place a tyrannical society.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

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