world

10 million Australians in lockdown as COVID Delta variant spreads

40 Comments
By Holly Robertson and Tristan Lavalette

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2021 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

40 Comments
Login to comment

Yes, it has. It has achieved its main goal - save lives. 

Only NZ eliminated the virus completely. How? Lockdown.

New Zealand population is around 4.8 million. Tokyo is 37+ million. Not a very realistic comparison. Does Auckland even have a subway line?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

theResident

Vaccinate. Vaccinate. Vaccinate. The only way to put this madness to an end.

That is the official narrative, pushed by governments, bureaucracies, Big Tech, and BIg Pharma. Meanwhile, scientists and medical doctors who point to treatments instead of the experimental vaccines are censored and deplatformed.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

That is being totally down under!!!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Thanks--it seems like Australia could vaccinate its population relatively quickly.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Commodore Perry

A combination of things I think; over reliance on the AZ vaccine, slow rollout of vaccines (I think we got our first batches about same time as Japan), some vaccine hesitancy, less urgency due to our lower numbers.

But yes, I’m hoping they will pick up the pace more.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Utter madness. Complete hysteria.

10 million locked down with all that entails because 26 people are sick with a 99.8+% recovery rate bug.

We are witnessing the suicide of the west.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Lock em all up after all its their heritage

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

he other 25.99999 million dont think of the Olympics much. It is rarely in the news here and Covid and vaccinations are of much more concern right now. These Olympics sadly are just a carnival sideshow compared to the normal event that captures and holds the worlds attention for a few weeks.

Yes, I think that's probably the same for the vast majority of countries. A sideshow, and Bach, Coates, Seb Coe, Suga, Hashimoto, are just a bunch of carnival barkers to them. They neither care about the people of Japan, nor think what the consequences of their national team bringing back a Super Delta or an Olympic variant might be for their country (Delta is already pretty much settling in on every continent already.)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Dr Maybe

it is more than Coates that is supporting the Olympics. The news media is full of stories promoting, preparing for it daily. This reflects the public’s keen interest and support. Never a word against, Have they even reported the Japanese situation or The Japanese lack of enthusiasm. The athletes are biting at their leashes to go without a thought to the host country situation. As I said , it is not being held in Australia where it would be impossible with just a handful of cases and their policies to COVID but who cares about another county as long as their homeland is safe.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

if the lockdowns are working , why more lockdowns?

More lockdowns because more cases escaping from returning citizens and unfit for purpose hotel quarantines.

if the locksdowns are not working , why more lockdowns?

They are working which is why it is the "go to" response to new cases in the community.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

AustPaulToday  08:48 pm JST

I’m sure you’ll find most other Aussies accepting of how we deal with this here, sure lockdowns are a major pain in the neck but until we achieve higher vaccination rates it seems like the more preferable solution for now.

What do you think is the reason for low vaccination numbers?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I’m in Perth and our lockdown started midnight last night. It’s a small inconvenience but we’ve been told that the Delta variant moves quite swiftly making it difficult for the contact tracers, so the lockdown is something that’s gonna give us some time to get on top of this new variant and identity any new cases.

I’m sure you’ll find most other Aussies accepting of how we deal with this here, sure lockdowns are a major pain in the neck but until we achieve higher vaccination rates it seems like the more preferable solution for now.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

The question for Japan is will the foreigner bring the new coronavirus?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

One word.....SINGAPORE

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@anon99999

I understand where you’re coming from with that. But how many Australians are actually desperately keen for the Olympics to go ahead? Does anyone know? I don’t think so. Coates is Australian, and talks like a lunatic, but what do the other 24.99999 million think? If you have psychic powers, please share the data.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

So naturally, now Japan will put the screws on for incoming athletes and hangers-on from Oz, the UK and the other 80-90 countries that now have a Delta variant problem, right? Like, demanding a proper quarantine and no friendly matches, no going into the 15000 capacity cafeteria or the 500 capacity gym when they arrive in the Olympic village? And of course, for the Japanese participants too - seeing as this is one of affected countries?

Or will a stern talking-to from a heavy from an Important Country who whines 'we're not doing that - it's not fair!" mean that whole national team will escape that happening?

And then with this two tier quarantining/isolation, it's going to be the fairest Olympics ever, right?

...

Thought not.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

All this going on. For a handful of cases. On Sunday crowd suddenly turned back from entering football game in Perth because of two cases. No spectators. Entry in Australia restricted to even Australians and further pressure now to even reduce entry further. Yet in another Australian news it is always full on for sending everyone to the Olympics and Olympic preparation and celebration, despite around 500 cases daily in Tokyo and thousands of spectators expected. A case of who cares what happens in another country hosting events in conditions not allowed in their own county, as long as Australians can enjoy watching the Olympics

2 ( +4 / -2 )

while the AstraZeneca jab will be available to people aged under 60 who sign an indemnity form.

That makes you so confident to get it LOL

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Come to Tokyo, we're having a big party in a few weeks! Masks and social distancing optional...

2 ( +6 / -4 )

I agree with virusex up there.

Australia has been doing a great job, most of my friends there have enjoyed life as normal for most of this year.

But it does appear Delta caught them off guard and the vaccination effort is voluntary.

Hopefully with strict measures for a short time they can control the spread of the new variant.

It's like the proverbial canary in the coal mine for Japan.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

This should be a warning for Japan, the timing for the end of the state of emergency and the olympic games could not be worst.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

I agree Australia has been lax in their vaccine rollout - unnecessarily slow which has left them vulnerable to outbreaks. NZ although further along in their rollout has been too slow as well - they have not had any transmission in 4 months but its only a matter of time as no measures are foolproof and people make mistakes. The only solution is to vaccinate and vaccinate as fast as you can.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

"These are tough decisions," Queensland state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said, after Australia recorded 23 virus cases in 24 hours. "We are having lockdowns in major cities because the overseas arrivals are bringing the virus here."

Yeah yeah you should be ashamed to dare lockdown again people like that for such a small number of cases and after failing to listen to broader scientific views that the zero-covid policy is actually flawed. And in the meantime you had for organizing the vaccination of the vulnerable population, you failed miserably in what happens to be a fiasco as big as the one in Japan. Now you are left playing with unreasonable fear towards the Indian variant to justify your hygienist propaganda.

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

@The Avenger: Because how each country defines a 'lockdown' and what they realistically hope to achieve are wildly different. Australia have continued with a policy of eradication through total border closures which is now proving sadly to be impossible as the PM will not accept one further death (of course not a bad thing morally) - Vaccination situation improving but still needs to pick up pace.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

*"These are tough decisions," Queensland state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said*

They spelled "draconian" wrong.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

2 questions , 1. if the lockdowns are working , why more lockdowns? 2. if the locksdowns are not working , why more lockdowns?

5 ( +13 / -8 )

I agree Monty - Some will see it as vaccine discrimination, but once a country has 70-75% of its adult population vaccinated we will be in a position to abandon quarantine, but the need for entry/exit PCR tests could well be around for a good couple of years - even if vaccine passports become a globally accepted reality. That for me, seems unlikely as in the US for example, Biden has ruled out a Federal document and will leave it ti individual states.

if you live here, in Japan and want to travel fairly freely in future I would strongly suggest that you get your vaccine here as knowing the Bureaucracy here then paperwork from elsewhere will NOT be accepted.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

And in my opinion, for international travel, a vaccination passport should be mandatory.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/living-normally-with-covid-19

As said above, this is a big step in the right direction. Ongoing panic responses will never work and have all sorts of awful adverse consequences.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

@Northernlife

so why you change your tune?

Because vaccination is running all over the world.

But until vaccination is, let us say 80%, implemented, each country should still follow the PCR tests in advance and on arrival, and also the Quarantine rules.

-12 ( +2 / -14 )

It is not preventing infection in the UK - 23,000 cases yesterday. BUT 3 dead yesterday - several weeks into the Indian variant being prevalent. Hence the sensible delay to July 19th for a return to domestic normality. Trying to eradicate Covid the Aussie way is pointless - at some point they will have to live with it.

That is not to say that they did the wrong thing for the first year. They have almost no deaths compared to the disasters in Europe / US / South America but you cannot stay 'closed' forever.

Shots in arms to STOP death is the way forward. Get on with it.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

Issue is that it is now looking like the vaccination doesn't protect from INFECTION by some variants. although it does appear to give a high degree of assistance to the immune system in fighting the virus and so dramatically lessens the effects of an infection.

Which is why this crazy focus on infection numbers as opposed to hospitalisation/serious symptoms/death numbers is so misguided.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Vaccinate. Vaccinate. Vaccinate. The only way to put this madness to an end.

2 ( +13 / -11 )

Agree. Lockdown mania has achieved very little from a disease management perspective and has likely only postponed the inevitable. Which is as borders open the virus will spread and new variants will evolve and people will get sick and some will even suffer severe consequences. Like so many other viruses.

Singapore is one of the first governments to finally accept and admit this fact. Probably because the lockdowns and border closures are hurting their economy badly.

This latest mutation is apparently way less deadly than previous ones. spreads faster and easier but has far less adverse effects.

And that is hopefully (likely?) to be the case with future variants.

Any event, this mass hysteria has to end sometime.

5 ( +15 / -10 )

"We are having lockdowns in major cities because the overseas arrivals are bringing the virus here."

And it will be always like that!

Get use to it or isolate yourself forever from the rest of the world.

0 ( +15 / -15 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites