Australian man jailed for violating quarantine

Covid-19 deaths in Australia so far: 63. Mostly from incoming cruise boats and over 95% over 70 years old who already had aged related health problems. So should Australia go into lock down every flu season? That would ruin the place!

I’m seriously concerned for the mental health of Australians (and other overreacting nations) in the wake of the sudden collapse of the economy there. When economies go bust suicides skyrocket. It’s a fact. Then the toll on society from depression, loneliness, bankruptcy, debt, unemployment, etc.

Then there will be the resulting deaths because health systems will be underfunded because of the economic stress.

While every death due to this virus is sad, 95% or them were very elderly anyway and if it wasn't this virus it would have been something else sooner or later. The reaction to this one has been way overboard and will bring negative results far worse than the intent.

What we should do is increase awareness of proper sanitation and hygiene practices, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles to keep the immune system strong, and self isolation for those are sick.

God help us all......Oh, and then there's the fact that governments can now order us to relinquish our freedoms at the drop of a hat and if we dissent we are 'bad people'. This is not good.

What we should do is increase awareness of proper sanitation and hygiene

practices, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles to keep the immune

system strong, and self isolation for those are sick.

Covid-19 is many times deadlier than season flu. Vaccines and effective antiviral medications already exist for influenza.

Self-isolation of only those who are sick is fairly useless for a virus like Covid-19 which can be transmitted by asymptomatic carriers.

The entire reason there are so few deaths to date in Australia is due to their strong quarantine regulations. (all due respect to your lost "freedoms")

I only wish it were possible for Japan to adopt the same sort of strong regulations because there is no reducing the number of infections to the point of not overflowing the healthcare system without a full lockdown in which everyone participates.

Kudos to the Australian authorities.

I doubt very much that he'll find a fire exit door to wedge open this time.

I only wish it were possible for Japan to adopt the same sort of strong regulations because there is no reducing the number of infections to the point of not overflowing the healthcare system without a full lockdown in which everyone participates.

how long can a modern nation survive under “full lockdown”? Who’s gonna deliver your shrimp for the barbie?

invalid CSRF

A Harvard university study just came out saying that lock downs may have to continue until 2022! I know all about flattening the curve and giving researchers time to find a vaccine, but the idea of keeping large number of people or areas of countries under a type of house arrest is just not sustainable. So far for the most part the weather has been still cooperative, but once spring really hits, people are going to want to go out and then what? You can't imprison everybody!

Australia can no longer call itself a "free country"

It's a giant prison.

Oh, please. Stop this BS. This guy is supposed to be in quarantine for 14 days and he broke the rule so he must face the consequences.

By the way, I live in Australia. I went to work this morning. Knock off earlly to accompany my wife for a medical appointment. Then we went to get some take out for dinner. Giant prison, what prison?

A Harvard university study just came out saying that lock downs may have to continue until 2022! I know all about flattening the curve and giving researchers time to find a vaccine, but the idea of keeping large number of people or areas of countries under a type of house arrest is just not sustainable. 

This is why we need to do everything we can now to stop the spread so normal life can be resumed asap. Some countries like Denmark, Austria, Czech Republic and Norway are starting to ease their lockdowns and if all goes well I believe many other countries will follow. Unfortunately, international travel and tourism will take much longer to make a comeback.

@Concerned Citizen. I totally agree with your thoughts and comments. Good posts as always.

Australia can no longer call itself a "free country"

It's a giant prison.

Guest what BB? My local TV news has just reported that bicycle sells are up in my city! More people are buying bikes to exercise in the local parks. Giant prison my xxx.

@yoshisan88

By the way, I live in Australia. I went to work this morning. Knock off earlly to accompany my wife for a medical appointment. Then we went to get some take out for dinner.

Maybe you personally haven't been affected so badly, but millions of your countrymen have, and, unlike you, won't be able to pay their rent/mortgages/ medical bills, buy take out food etc. Here are some headlines for you.

Extra 1.4 million Australians out of work in wake of COVID-19 pandemic – 3.92 million (27.4% of workforce) now unemployed or under-employed

https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8363-roy-morgan-unemployment-and-under-employment-march-2020-202004080900

Unemployment rate predicted to reach 10 per cent amid coronavirus pandemic, pushing Australia into recession

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-13/coronavirus-unemployment-covid-19-treasury-figures-jobless-rate/12145542

And that is not all......@yoshisan88.

Among those 3.92 million unemployed of underemployed of your fellow Aussies, how many are now suffering mental health and depression issues, worried sick about their and their kid's futures, contemplating suicide etc?

I'm in Perth, and that guy deserved jail time for being an idiot.

Today, I took the kids to the local park where other families we know were out and about and we had a chat, said g'day, but observed social distancing all the while. People, as they have been for the last couple of weeks were out in force, exercising, spending time with their family, walking the dog, running etc etc. I went shopping, got some cut and polish and spent a good portion of the day cleaning the cars outside. The neighbourhood has increased foot traffic, people talking, connecting, stopping to chat and check on others in their community - in fact, I've never seen people so connected, so keen to make sure others are OK and looked after and feeling happy and safe. It's quite extraordinary, and I'm impressed.

Apart from the obvious and few exceptions, like the guy in this article, people here are all fully assuming responsibility for implementing the directives of the Government because they all know it has everything to do with safety and nothing to do with power. There is no grumbling of what is happening, and absolutely not one word of suspicion of the Government. You guys who are obsessed with the power of the State are simply barking up the wrong tree. Like the US tree.

And FYI, Perth had 5 new cases of COVID19 today - 3 cruise ship related. Yesterday was 4, the day before 6, the day before 3. Almost all are off cruise ships currently docked in Fremantle.

They are already talking about relaxing restrictions because communal efforts to control the spread of the virus have been so successful. 6 weeks ago I was nervous about this, today I feel safe and relaxed.

Unfortunately it seems like many people have been so thoroughly panic strickened by the sensationalist media coverage of Covid-19 that they are more than willing to meekly allow thier country to be economically decimated, millions of people unemployed overnight and businesses destroyed, and thier personal freedoms stripped to shreds. The end result being far worse than the actual threat.

Reminds me of the many documented cases of mass deaths during stampedes where the chaos was sparked by something relatively minor, but the panicked crowds ended up killing many in thier blind and frenzied efforts to escape.

Isolation of actually sick people and increased sanitation and hygiene practices should be enough to handle Covid-19.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_stampedes_and_crushes

@Tamarama

Spot on mate, I too reside in Perth and can confirm that life goes on, albeit we are all a bit more conscious of social distancing and hygiene practices.

@Concerned, thanks for your concern but I don’t see what you propose happening. The restrictions are hurting the economy we know, they won’t go on forever and it is for the best in the long term.

As an ad on TV here for a private health fund states, “We are all in this together”.

Australia 1984

@Concerned Citizen

Might be worth a conversation with a nurse in NYC right now to see how sleepwalking into the COVID19 pandemic is working out for that city right now. Over 700 in the city in the last 24 hours alone.

But as long as that economy is truckin' along OK, right?

@Tamarama

In NYC milllions of people live on top of each-other so viruses spread more easily. More extreme measures required. But these don't need to be applied to the whole world, therefore crashing every economy. Use common sense and a well balanced approach.