Auschat

[lost in melb.]

A place for Aussies to have a yarn about local stuff :)

[lost in melb.]

Barnaby 'Choice' :lmao:

If there ever was a has-been...is that all they've got? :?

[deebakes]

elitists :sad2:

[richard3280]

elitists :sad2:

Like you guys, we have stuff to be elite about.

[Fodster]

Sydney back in lockdown, new cases. Yet we keep letting people fly into the country!!!

Just in time for summer holidays, all those poor folk spent thousands on holidays for their kids cant go away! I am sure its the governments way of keeping money in tourism before it goes under! Most of these people wont see refunds, just credits, takes the piss!

[lost in melb.]

They sure locked down quickly compared to last time. Could be the new variant though :-k

[FBD]

well, they've got to do something to mask the vaers reports, what better way than to declare a new wave in the middle of the summer when sunlight kills this bullshit #HONKHONK

https://i.imgur.com/8fdiMBr.jpg

[deebakes]

but it's winter there :-k

[The Monk]

I didn't think Gladys was doing a lockdown... :?:

She's the only State Premier that seems to think her state is immune.....

[lost in melb.]

I didn't think Gladys was doing a lockdown... :?:

She's the only State Premier that seems to think her state is immune.....

Yes, wrong turn of phrase. You're not allowed out of Sydney but you're allowed out of your home whenever you want.

They seemed to get away with it last time. We'll see!

[The Monk]

I note that Tom Gleason flew into Perth from Sydney and despite being fully vaccinated he was sent packing back home. Seems odd but our Premier is so full of himself when it comes to lockouts.

[lost in melb.]

I note that Tom Gleason flew into Perth from Sydney and despite being fully vaccinated he was sent packing back home. Seems odd but our Premier is so full of himself when it comes to lockouts.

You mean shut-outs :razz:

Hes a hard ass, that's for sure.

[lost in melb.]

Yes, wrong turn of phrase. You're not allowed out of Sydney but you're allowed out of your home whenever you want.

They seemed to get away with it last time. We'll see!


Annnnd, Gladys has locked Sydney down. No choice really :dunno:



but it's winter there :-k

Yes, but I doubt you'd call it winter :)

[The Monk]

You mean shut-outs :razz:

Hes a hard ass, that's for sure.

He did a good job to start with but now he does seem to be more basking in the glory of the past and too quick to shut the state over what have been very minor situations. I can't understand why someone fully vaccinated is sent packing!

[The Monk]

Bugger - we're done again! 1 case and restrictions galore. NSW 60+ cases before they acted. btw: - it was someone from NSW that brought it here.

[lost in melb.]

Bugger - we're done again! 1 case and restrictions galore. NSW 60+ cases before they acted. btw: - it was someone from NSW that brought it here.

Frankly all hell has broken loose everywhere!

[lost in melb.]

China-linked AustSino strips African iron ore project from Australia

https://amp.news.com.au/finance/business/mining/chinalinked-austsino-strips-african-iron-ore-project-from-australia/news-story/1df636935175e873462feca2003600b7

Ha. Naive Australians. They have no idea the slippery palm deals that go on between China and Africa. Filth and s*** begets filth and s***.

[The Monk]

Our restrictions have been extended after detection of a 2nd case.

My S-i-L staying here with us at the moment has had her G2G permit to visit Sydney in September, cancelled.

Australia is really trailing with vaccination and it is costing the PM dearly in the polls.


https://i.imgur.com/cIH38Il.jpg

[The Monk]

China-linked AustSino strips African iron ore project from Australia

https://amp.news.com.au/finance/business/mining/chinalinked-austsino-strips-african-iron-ore-project-from-australia/news-story/1df636935175e873462feca2003600b7

Ha. Naive Australians. They have no idea the slippery palm deals that go on between China and Africa. Filth and s*** begets filth and s***.


All part of China's big plan that started with Mao!

[lost in melb.]

Our restrictions have been extended after detection of a 2nd case.

My S-i-L staying here with us at the moment has had her G2G permit to visit Sydney in September, cancelled.

Australia is really trailing with vaccination and it is costing the PM dearly in the polls.


https://i.imgur.com/cIH38Il.jpg

Oh boy :wha:

[lost in melb.]

All part of China's big plan that started with Mao!

We need to start cranking up an economy that isn't reliant on selling natural resources NOW.

[FBD]

Oh boy :wha:

the US # is a crock of bullshit, but I admit I have to applaud you Aussies if that #'s real for you, there's more of yas that have your heads on straight than yous let on :razz:

[The Monk]

https://i.imgur.com/Ca283lC.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/Ca283lC.jpg)

[lost in melb.]

He did a good job to start with but now he does seem to be more basking in the glory of the past and too quick to shut the state over what have been very minor situations. I can't understand why someone fully vaccinated is sent packing!

I'm beginning to agree. He sounding unhinged today

[The Monk]

We need to start cranking up an economy that isn't reliant on selling natural resources NOW.

We should somehow re-invigorate a manufacturing industry. The trouble we have is unions - they are the root cause of the shutdown of our motoring industry, pushing wages to levels where the industry was no longer economically viable.

[lost in melb.]

We should somehow re-invigorate a manufacturing industry. The trouble we have is unions - they are the root cause of the shutdown of our motoring industry, pushing wages to levels where the industry was no longer economically viable.

I agree that they have a role to play. But I also think at a Federal level they did not get behind our vital industries at key points. Leaving the whole thing to the free market is an illusion. Even the US will pull out big stops to support its own car industry

[lost in melb.]

I'd be interested to see a comparison between the Australian car employee wages and other countries. Obviously wages are less in Mexico, but what about Japan, US?

[FBD]

I agree that they have a role to play. But I also think at a Federal level they did not get behind our vital industries at key points. Leaving the whole thing to the free market is an illusion. Even the US will pull out big stops to support its own car industry

globalists like fascism where it apples well to their interests
they like socialism where it applies to their interests
they like communism where it applies to their interests
they like crony capitolism (aka state capitalism aka banana republicism) wherever it might "work" (for them, so long as they've bought off those at the reins) too

this is the subversion of nations, ultimately the ability to apply totalitarianism at higher and higher levels until it can be applied at one level and trickle down appropriately to all desired areas

[The Monk]

I agree that they have a role to play. But I also think at a Federal level they did not get behind our vital industries at key points. Leaving the whole thing to the free market is an illusion. Even the US will pull out big stops to support its own car industry


I'd be interested to see a comparison between the Australian car employee wages and other countries. Obviously wages are less in Mexico, but what about Japan, US?



No doubt in my mind that unions have had and still have an important role to play. They also need to leave politics out of it but seeing as they established the Labor Party I can't see that happening.

I don't agree that the average taxpayer should be liable to subsidise non-profitable industries.... Joe Blow average gets hit but the big earners somehow manage to avoid tax.

[FBD]

Joe Blow average gets hit but the big earners somehow manage to avoid tax.

Privatize gains, socialize losses....its the globocommiefascist bankster way

[lost in melb.]

I can see a mod's been having a bit of fun with our thread title. Anyone want to own up? :whistle:

[lost in melb.]

No doubt in my mind that unions have had and still have an important role to play. They also need to leave politics out of it but seeing as they established the Labor Party I can't see that happening.

I don't agree that the average taxpayer should be liable to subsidise non-profitable industries.... Joe Blow average gets hit but the big earners somehow manage to avoid tax.

In the long-term, yes. I agree. However a lot of our bright ideas are shipped overseas. Sometimes a bit of a leg up gets things happening.

[KevinD]

I like the new thread title....:poke:

[Griffin]

yeah but they should have removed the "c" also ;)

[lost in melb.]

https://i.ibb.co/7NWSqpX/giphy.gif (https://imgbb.com/)

[Pony]

I can see a mod's been having a bit of fun with our thread title. Anyone want to own up? :whistle:

I think it was Redred

[lost in melb.]

I think it was Redred

Forgot he was a mod. Need a replacement? -----> :shifty:

[The Monk]

https://i.imgur.com/rdkBfwI.jpg

[The Monk]

I can see a mod's been having a bit of fun with our thread title. Anyone want to own up? :whistle:

What changed :?:

[KevinD]

What changed :?:

The U was a S for a bit. Looks like its back.
Since its Auschat, if any of you guys make it to Innaminka Station, have a frosty for me.

[The Monk]

I see Gladys is furiously backpedalling!!

[lost in melb.]

I see Gladys is furiously backpedalling!!

Believe me, that state is on a knife's edge. It's a more difficult strain to control and Sydneysiders are a bit more rebellious. Plus she has conflict within her party.

This'll test her like nothing else.

[lost in melb.]

Bah, NSW is done. They're not taking it seriously...

Time to shut the border :hand:

[The Monk]

We already have and our good news is that all restrictions in this state have been lifted.

[The Monk]

His stuff up of the vaccine rollout is going to cost him government at the next election unless he can somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat!



https://i.imgur.com/SvlYPHJ.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/SvlYPHJ.jpg)

[The Monk]

SYDNEY FACES 4 - 12 WEEKS IN LOCKDOWN!



Sydney might never get back to zero cases of COVID-19 without a Melbourne-style shutdown, and even tougher restrictions are needed for at least another month to avoid disaster, a leading epidemiologist has warned.

Professor Adrian Esterman said the NSW Government’s “incredibly light” initial lockdown had failed and the number of infections was accelerating at a faster rate than experienced in Melbourne a year ago.

He said NSW’s “gold standard” contact-tracing system simply couldn’t cope with the fastspreading Delta variant and when Premier Gladys Berejiklian did finally announce a lockdown it was nowhere near severe enough.

“If they don’t do anything else it will just keep getting bigger. They absolutely need to do more,” the University of South Australia’s chair of biostatistics said.

Professor Esterman called for department stores to be closed, a ban on exercising more than 5km away from home, a nightly curfew and a clearer definition on who can travel for work.

The NSW Premier yesterday said it was “almost impossible” for Sydney’s lockdown to end as planned on Friday after 112 new local cases were recorded, taking the outbreak to 678 infections.

While she refused to speculate how long stay-at-home orders would be required, disease experts told The West Australian that Sydney’s five million residents would need to stay in lockdown for another four to 12 weeks.

Seventeen days after lockdown began, Professor Esterman calculated the virus reproduction number in Sydney was at 2.5, which means on average every 10 people infected would infect 25 other people.

“It’s only likely to get worse than that, which means that the outbreak at the moment is really, really rapidly ramping up. It won’t take too much at this level for it to reach the level of Melbourne last year,” he said. “It’s also rising at a rate much faster than the Melbourne outbreak.

“Even if they get their effective reproduction number down to 0.5 — that means instead of it going up it goes down — it would still take at least a month to get (case numbers) down to single digits.”

Professor Esterman said if NSW continued to resist a draconian shutdown then Sydney might never drive community cases down to zero, raising the prospect of WA keeping a hard border with the State indefinitely while the vaccine is rolled out.

Burnet Institute epidemiologist Professor Mike Toole told The West Live host Ben O’Shea that NSW had to “bite the bullet” and introduce tougher Victorianstyle stage four-style restrictions.

“We know already that in Sydney their economy is taking a $1 billiona-week hit. If they had gone in earlier that might have been two or three weeks at the most,” he said.

“Now it’s going to drag on . . . I can’t see them coming out of this for another four weeks. So there’s an $8 billion hit to Sydney’s economy, which is an $8 billion hit to Australia’s economy.” Curtin University Pro Vice-Chancellor Archie Clements, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology, warned if authorities didn’t get the outbreak under control quickly the lockdown could last as long as Melbourne’s — 112 days.

“The problem is the longer you wait, the bigger the problem becomes. With the current situation with low vaccine coverage and the Delta strain circulating, Sydney needs to get on top of things as quick as they can,” he said.

Of the 112 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, at least 46 were out in the community for part or all of their infectious period. There are 18 COVID-19 patients in NSW in intensive care, with four ventilated.

La Trobe University epidemiologist Hassan Vally said tomorrow’s case numbers would be crucial in determining whether tighter restrictions introduced late last week had an impact.

“The big worry at the moment is the number of cases that have been detected in the community that are either infectious for some of their exposure period or for all of it and you would hope those numbers come back drastically by Wednesday,” he said.

Ms Berejiklian said the Government would further ramp up its vaccination drive, with the AstraZeneca jab to be made available to all people aged over 40 at NSW mass vaccination clinics. All NSW pharmacies will also be able to dole out the AstraZeneca jab to over-40s.

“Where the numbers are, it is not likely — in fact, almost impossible — for us to get out of lockdown on Friday,” she said. “Family or close friends, unfortunately, bear the brunt of those 112 (cases) we have seen overnight.

“If you put yourself at risk, you’re putting your entire family — and that means extended family, as well as your closest friends and associates — at risk.”

https://i.imgur.com/q2WMtT2.jpg

[Fodster]

A further 2 weeks for Sydney!

[The Monk]

A further 2 weeks for Sydney!

It will take a lot longer than 2 weeks to fix the situation that Gladys has allowed to get out of control.

[lost in melb.]

5 day lockdown Victoria from midnight tonight.

This will save a lot of pain. Decisive Dan!

[lost in melb.]

https://twitter.com/QandA/status/1415623146699251713

The final speaker nails it

[lost in melb.]

A further 2 weeks for Sydney!

How are you bearing up, Fodster?

[Fodster]

How are you bearing up, Fodster?

The last few days I have really been struggling to be honest, I am working from home too so its very lonely. I've just started heading back out to sites to get some interaction back. Lots of walks (even though we are only allowed one per day). Plus my birthday next week so two years in a row they have been in lockdown (40th last year too). Lucky I have family over here but they are in another LGA (moved before covid last year). Typical. Aside from that coming here and other sites keeps me going ;)

How about you, after what happened there and now this, you must be really pissed off?

[Pony]

That just sucks. I do pretty well on my own for days or a week or so but after that I really need to get out of the house and interact one on one.

Even though I disagree with the severe lockdowns, I really hope things turn around quickly for you lot over there. Keep looking forward.

Also, have you tried sitting on your hand until it falls asleep? It feels like someone else is touching you! :theyareontome:

[The Monk]

Very fortunate in Western Australia - me and the wife are currently having a little holiday in Pemberton in the SOUTH WEST of the state. Much better off than those poor bastards on the eastern seaboard.

[lost in melb.]

The last few days I have really been struggling to be honest, I am working from home too so its very lonely. I've just started heading back out to sites to get some interaction back. Lots of walks (even though we are only allowed one per day). Plus my birthday next week so two years in a row they have been in lockdown (40th last year too). Lucky I have family over here but they are in another LGA (moved before covid last year). Typical. Aside from that coming here and other sites keeps me going ;)

How about you, after what happened there and now this, you must be really pissed off?

It's tough mate, I was in lockdown for most of last year in Melbourne by myself. All my school counselling was remote so I was stuck Skyping and audio with kids with mental health issues. Little did they know that I was struggling myself!

Good idea with the walks! Keeping moving and active and doing whatever physical activity you like saves the bacon. I'm a swimmer, so bought a thermal wetsuit and swam in the bay which was just under 5 k's from my house.

I'm not so much pissed, I'm just disappointed that a year on there's hardly any vaccine out there. It would really slow down the spread imo.

[lost in melb.]

That just sucks. I do pretty well on my own for days or a week or so but after that I really need to get out of the house and interact one on one.

Even though I disagree with the severe lockdowns, I really hope things turn around quickly for you lot over there. Keep looking forward.

Also, have you tried sitting on your hand until it falls asleep? It feels like someone else is touching you! :theyareontome:

It's not something that would work so well in the US, but here we kind of have no choice. If a state or city doesn't get it under control then they are shut off from the rest of the country.

Interesting suggestion :razz:

[lost in melb.]

Katie Hopkins fined $1000 before bring deported to UK after breaching hotel quarantine rules

Far-right British commentator Katie Hopkins has been fined $1000 in addition to having her visa cancelled after breaching hotel quarantine rules in Sydney.

Hopkins, 46, was escorted by police to Sydney's International Airport for deportation back to the UK after bragging on social media about flouting COVID-19 safety rules.

Police confirmed the fine in a statement this afternoon.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJkgRfhlL6zofspXywHo7nmhDCAR8VE _FzsQ&usqp=CAU

"Police attached to the hotel quarantine operation were notified of an alleged breach of the Public Health Order at a hotel on Sussex Street, Sydney, about 8.45pm on Friday," a NSW Police statement read.

"Following inquiries, a 46-year-old woman was issued a $1000 Penalty Infringement Notice for not wearing a face covering yesterday.

"NSW Police assisted Australian Border Force with the transfer of the woman to Sydney International Airport this afternoon, following the cancellation of her visa, departing to the United Kingdom."

Earlier, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews described Hopkins' behaviour as "absolutely appalling" during an interview with Today.

"I am very happy that this individual is going to be out of this country as soon as possible," she said.





https://amp.9news.com.au/article/38b05118-f06e-461a-8913-73235c10589a

:wave:

[Pony]

Did they throw a spit hood on a pole over her head and march her out?

[lost in melb.]

Did they throw a spit hood on a pole over her head and march her out?

Of course not.

https://i.ibb.co/1RVc5SL/93b0cd8061b00cca3dc09208b90bdc04.jpg (https://ibb.co/7rch59X)


I sense you feel this is unfair. She was boasting about running to the door naked immediately with no mask on to scare the quarantine workers. You're meant to wait until they put down the tray and put some distance in. Coming to Australia is a privilege not a right. Her behaviour was poorly timed and inappropriate :hand:

https://i.ibb.co/NYkJHby/a7633d7e8b0e9fbdf637aa62c0a1c202.jpg (https://ibb.co/zfLB0D4)

[Pony]

I think it would have been entertaining if they had.

[lost in melb.]

I think it would have been entertaining if they had.

Yes :)


https://youtu.be/Pt4mwy9OBNA

[Griffin]

I think it would have been entertaining if they had.

What I find entertaining is how many sheeple fail to notice that since the beginning of the plandemic, all outbreaks and high infection rates correspond to what used to be the flu season in those regions.

...but at least this manufactured disease has cured the flu and pneumonia, along with many other ways people used to die. :thumbsup:

[The Monk]

Coming to Australia is a privilege not a right


SPOT ON !!

[lost in melb.]

Queenslanders! :lol:


https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/3398005bf609e58425c829c4d5a35073?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=1080&cropW=1620&xPos=70&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100308950

[The Monk]

Queenslanders! :lol:


https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/3398005bf609e58425c829c4d5a35073?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=1080&cropW=1620&xPos=70&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100308950

Arseholes - flouting the Covid rules.......... they deserve heavy punishment.

https://i.imgur.com/HIMWsK7.jpg

[lost in melb.]

And those removalists came to Victoria and f***** up things there.

[lost in melb.]

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian wants other states to let Sydney have their Pfizer COVID vaccines

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-23/nsw-call-for-vaccines-to-be-focused-on-sydney/100317702


:ok:

[The Monk]

Gladys is trying to blame her state's woes on Morrison..... Everybody else's fault but hers... :shrug:

[lost in melb.]

Going from bad to worse in Sydney...

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/29a5e81f2c87b8b95f2459fa8cf1098e?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=3332&cropW=4998&xPos=2&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

[The Monk]

Going from bad to worse in Sydney...

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/29a5e81f2c87b8b95f2459fa8cf1098e?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=3332&cropW=4998&xPos=2&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

I wonder the idea came from for all of this?

[Pony]

I wonder the idea came from for all of this?

:usa:

[Griffin]

I wonder the idea came from for all of this?

Totalitarian rule laying more foundation for the great reset dude.

[lost in melb.]

Totalitarian rule laying more foundation for the great reset dude.

:hills:

[KevinD]

Going from bad to worse in Sydney...

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/29a5e81f2c87b8b95f2459fa8cf1098e?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=3332&cropW=4998&xPos=2&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

Whats the story here? Known reason for the arrest?

[The Monk]

Whats the story here? Known reason for the arrest?

Illegal gathering.

[The Monk]

Totalitarian rule laying more foundation for the great reset dude.

Pardon the government for trying to save lives..... :shrug:



https://i.imgur.com/QrNsw0w.jpg

[lost in melb.]

Whats the story here? Known reason for the arrest?


https://youtu.be/hgI_EKXdHaY

[lost in melb.]

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/353743b2428d406c00bb31926eb69786?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=3333&cropW=5000&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

[lost in melb.]

I view the anti vaxxers a bit like smokers. You can smoke in your own house fine, and in like-minded company but you can't go in public places and restaurants, etc.

I guess there's the other issues are they're going to keep COVID going and create dangerous variants, like the dangerous Delta variant that killed the perfectly healthy 38 year old woman in Sydney.

[The Monk]

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/353743b2428d406c00bb31926eb69786?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=3333&cropW=5000&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

Who'd want to penetrate him anyway....

[lost in melb.]

Another 4 weeks lockdown for Sydney. Doing it tough!

I know they will get out of it, but she's going to have to go so much harder. Is she up to it? :dunno:

[The Monk]

Funny stuff - now NSW are demanding the other states give up the vaccine allocation for them to have.

[lost in melb.]

South Australia out of lockdown, Victoria out of lockdown :cheer:

[lost in melb.]

Funny stuff - now NSW are demanding the other states give up the vaccine allocation for them to have.

Well good luck with that.

Gladys needs to grow a pair, put a ring of steel around Sydney and curfew. Just like we did.

(Sorry Rich and Fodster, it works)

[lost in melb.]

On good news, at least they're getting the defence forces in.

I'm told the problem is mainly SW Sydney with minorities/migrants, they're just ignoring or playing ignorant, going visiting people in the houses, not wearing mask properly, shopping together and becoming infected. They need to bump up the fines significantly. That will get their attention.

[The Monk]

On good news, at least they're getting the defence forces in.

I'm told the problem is mainly SW Sydney with minorities/migrants, they're just ignoring or playing ignorant, going visiting people in the houses, not wearing mask properly, shopping together and becoming infected. They need to bump up the fines significantly. That will get their attention.


Maybe they should use the ADF to shoot the troublemakers.... :shrug:

[lost in melb.]

Maybe they should use the ADF to shoot the troublemakers.... :shrug:

This is what the Right in America is hoping for.
:obama:

[The Monk]

Shit's getting real!!


https://i.imgur.com/3uCc2Kg.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kP0jcsd.jpg





As case numbers soar and the army hits the streets tomorrow to keep people indoors, the NSW crisis shows no signs of ending. Rhianna Mitchell investigates why the situation is so dire and what the State’s leader can do to end the nightmare

Across Sydney, about 550 contact tracers are working around the clock to identify and notify those people who have potentially been exposed to COVID-19.

At one point held up as the “gold standard” of pandemic management, those performing this vital task are now struggling under the day-to-day strain.

With Sydney’s lockdown so far failing to curb the spread of deadly Delta, and daily case numbers hitting a record 239 this week, the contract tracing system appears to have reached breaking point.

The stubbornly high daily number of people in the community while infectious, a number which needs to get to near zero before restrictions can ease, has experts worried it is now impossible to get in front of the virus.

With frustrated Sydney residents facing many more weeks in lockdown, and tensions high with a second anti-lockdown protest threatened, Premier Gladys Berejiklian — dubbed last year as “the woman who saved Australia” — is now under fire for her handling of the crisis.

The State reported 210 new locally acquired cases yesterday and a 14th death, a man in his 60s who died at home. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard described a “terrible situation” where families, particularly in the South West, are not coming forward when one of them falls ill.

The potential for more protest prompted a huge police operation, which excluded taxis and Ubers from the CBD yesterday, saw checkpoints on every major road into the city — and seemingly persuaded the hordes to stay home.

But that ring of steel around the city was in stark contrast to just five weeks ago, when on NSW State Budget night Treasurer Dominic Perrottet proudly announced, “NSW is open for business.”

“Keeping our economy open has made NSW the confidence capital of Australia,” he said. “Confidence is back because we kept calm and carried on.”

As he spoke in Parliament, the highly contagious Delta variant was already spreading its tentacles through the city.

A limousine driver from Bondi, who had transported international flight crews, had tested positive on June 16 and by Budget night the number of cases had reached 21.

Now, Sydney is in the grip of a major outbreak which has reached almost 3000 cases and is estimated to be costing the economy $220 million a day.

This week was the worst yet for residents desperate for positive signs five weeks after greater Sydney went into lockdown. Thursday’s record 239 cases prompted Ms Berejiklian to tighten restrictions across eight local government areas, in the West and South West, hardest hit by the outbreak. In those areas, masks are now mandatory outdoors and residents are restricted to a 5km radius area.

Health experts say the measures should have been introduced earlier, and want them applied across greater Sydney.

“The piecemeal approach being taken by the NSW Government is not working and there needs to be an urgent tightening of restrictions, with clear, consistent messaging,” AMA NSW president Danielle McMullen said.

“This means we need to look at more restrictions on retail activities that remain open, like garden centres and hardware stores, along with nonessential industries.”

As the pressure ramped up this week, the NSW Government also enlisted about 300 Australian Defence Force personnel to join police in enforcing lockdown measures across the eight council areas.

Announcing the new restrictions the NSW Premier predicted daily case numbers would “bounce around,” and issued a grim warning: “Based on those numbers we can only assume that things are likely to get worse before they get better, given the quantity of people infectious in the community.”

But Ms Berejiklian rejected suggestions she had failed by imposing restrictions too late and too gradually, insisting there was “no perfect way” to respond to an outbreak of Delta.

Her way, described by WA Premier Mark McGowan as arrogant and inadequate, has been met with growing anger. And during an intense exchange during Thursday’s press conference, Sky News journalist Andrew Clennell demanded she admit her strategy was not working.

He asked: “With these numbers today, will you admit that your strategy has failed, that you have failed?

“'Will you admit . . . this death of 1000 cuts, a little bit of restrictions every day, is not working and you have to come down hard?”

The next day, the Sydney Morning Herald declared it had lost faith in Ms Berejiklian’s “policy based on half measures” and used an editorial to back a blanket Sydneywide lockdown.

“It is now clear NSW should have gone much harder and much faster and thrown everything at the Bondi cluster from day one,” the newspaper said.

A GRIM OUTLOOK

Sydney-based data journalist Juliette O’Brien has been crunching the numbers on COVID-19 since the pandemic started, on a crowdfunded website she launched to bring together and display all the numbers relating to outbreaks, restrictions, testing and hospitalisations.

Ms O’Brien said the biggest concern amid the Sydney outbreak data was that, despite ever-increasing restrictions, the number of infectious people in the community each day remained high.

About 55 per cent of the 588 cases reported between Wednesday and Friday were infectious while in the community. That continued yesterday with at least 32, and possibly as many as 152 of the confirmed cases active in the community.

“We just don’t get enough information about why this number continues to grow,” Ms O’Brien said. “Are they asymptomatic essential workers?

“Are they symptomatic people going to the doctor or chemist, or are they people just breaking the rules and going to parties?

“We have no idea, but as a community, if we want to drive that number down, we have to understand it.”

Ms O’Brien said when it came to contact tracing, “all the data points are going in the wrong direction”.

“They all indicate not only is the virus ahead of the contact tracers, but it is gaining ground. We have more cases under investigation each day, and more in the community while infectious,” she said.

Another telling statistic was the percentage of COVID-19 cases who were notified within one day of a positive test. This fell to 84 per cent this week, from 90 per cent last week.

“We have been in lockdown for five weeks and right now, we are at a worse point than we were a fortnight ago,” Ms O’Brien said.

This fact had left many Sydneysiders, who were initially supportive of their Premier’s approach to the outbreak, angry.

Ms O’Brien said NSW had previously managed other outbreaks, including one which started at the Crossroads Hotel, south-west of Sydney, in June last year, and a second at Avalon, on the northern beaches, which peaked at 151 cases in January.

The Avalon outbreak was contained without city-wide lockdowns. Instead, impacted suburbs were given stay-athome orders and limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings were introduced.

It was this approach that prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison to praise the State’s handling of the pandemic.

“We were in such a unique position before, where we wouldn’t go into lockdown and they seemed to be able to control it,” Ms O’Brien said.

“People appreciated not being locked down, and the fact our contract tracers seemed able to handle it.

“Delta is obviously a totally different ball game and I guess now there are questions of, ‘If Delta is this much worse, why didn’t you realise beforehand?’

“Why did you think you could keep using the same tools against a very different virus? People are frustrated there wasn’t the foresight and there is now very little argument against short, sharp shutdowns when you compare to Victoria.”

NO MASKING TOUGH RULES THE REMEDY

The updated Sydney restrictions came days after a world-first study released by Melbourne’s Burnet Institute found mandating masks during Melbourne’s second wave in July last year was the “single most important control measure and turned the epidemic around.”

Co-lead author Dr Nick Scott said the Victorian Government’s mandatory mask rule, implemented on July 22 last year during Stage 3 restrictions, turned an exponential increase in community transmission into an exponential decrease, almost overnight.

Health authorities will be watching closely in the coming days to see if the new rules in Sydney make a difference. NSW Health’s central close contact tracing team started with just four people on March 12 last year, and has grown from 275 at the start of June to 350. Another 200 contact tracers work across the State, and NSW Health said more than 400 staff assisted in a surge capacity.

WA, the ACT and Tasmania have pledged 30 staff members to assist in the massive challenge.

Professor Mike Toole from the Burnet Institute believes the system reached breaking point this week, when a shopping mall in Sydney’s south west was listed as a “key venue of concern” across an 11-day period.

NSW Health revealed “many people” had been exposed at the “very popular” Campsie Central Shopping Centre between July 14 and 24 after a number of people with COVID-19 visited the centre.

“At the beginning of that 11-day period, all the shops were open,” Professor Toole explained. “An infected person attended more than a week ago, and it’s taken (contact tracers) that long to identify it (as a venue of concern.)

“If you were conservative and said 1000 people went through every day, that’s 11,000 people those 550 contact tracers have to call.”

Professor Toole said that didn’t include the secondary contacts, who would amount to another 55,000 people, and the overload was such that he doubted it was logistically possible to contact those people.

“The big problem at the moment is there are so many mystery cases, so they have to do contact tracing in two directions, and that doubles the workload.”

Professor Toole said mandatory masks outdoors should have been implemented far earlier, and also that the rule should have been applied Sydney-wide rather than in specific LGAs.

“It is the least-intrusive, cheapest method, but there seems to be resistance to it in Sydney,” he said.

Restricting all residents to a 5km, instead of 10km, radius would also reduce the workload of the contact tracers, Professor Toole said.

BURNING QUESTION

As the crisis in Sydney worsened, National Cabinet met on Friday to discuss the vaccination rollout and the burning question: What percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated before lockdowns are a thing of the past?

The answer was 70 per cent, with a caveat. The PM said reaching this target, phase B in Australia’s pathway out of the pandemic, would make lockdowns far less likely, but still possible.

“(Lockdowns) are not something that you would normally expect because of the much higher level of vaccination and protection that exists within the country,” he said.

This target will feel some way off for the five million people in Sydney who are in lockdown, with Australia’s vaccination rate sitting at 14.5 per cent.

No timeline was given for the vaccination targets but Mr Morrison hoped phase B could be reached by the end of the year.

Professor Toole said his most optimistic prediction for when Sydney might emerge from lockdown was November. “I can’t see how they could do it in the next four weeks.” He also warned about a potential disaster over the Christmas holiday period as people travelled and visited friends and family.

AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said the next few days would be crucial.

“Unless daily infection numbers come down over the next few days, NSW is in real danger of having to live with the COVID-19 Delta strain for the foreseeable future,” Dr Khorshid said.

“That means ongoing lockdowns and restrictions, not to mention a huge cost to the health and wellbeing of the community and the economy of the whole nation.

“The alternative is months of lockdown or having to face the enormous human toll inflicted by this terrible virus in other parts of the world.”

[lost in melb.]

Sad to say, they may lose control.

In practice this means New South Wales completely cut off from the rest of Australia.

We had our numbers in Victoria up to 700 new cases a day or something like that and we pulled it back slowly and painfully..but it wasn't the Delta variant.

[lost in melb.]

If there's any hope they need a ring of steel NOW, curfew NOW, 3 km limit NOW, significant penalties for breaking the rules NOW.

[lost in melb.]

Earlier on Sunday, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told ABC’s Insiders that whether Sydney reaches zero new cases and emerges from lockdown in four weeks is “entirely dependent on the response of the community,” Sydney Morning Herald reported.

If this is their politicians attitude, then they are doomed. What a cop out!

[The Monk]

Tough restrictions endured by people today are nothing compared to the restrictions and hardships of earlier times.

[lost in melb.]

Peter Bol 4th in 800m. Shame! But still proud...We don't usually do well in athletics

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Peter Bol 4th in 800m. Shame! But still proud...We don't usually do well in athletics

Maybe they can make Knifey Spoony an Olympic event someday :empathy:

[lost in melb.]

Maybe they can make Knifey Spoony an Olympic event someday :empathy:

We have an even better game!

Break in the Yankee :punish:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcE0aAhbVFc

[lost in melb.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcE0aAhbVFc

Yes I googled it just before :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:dance:

[lost in melb.]

Not looking good for Sydney...

Poor Fodster has disappeared. You ok mate??

[Griffin]

Not looking good for Sydney...

Poor Fodster has disappeared. You ok mate??

maybe their social lock-down includes internet :-k

[The Monk]

maybe their social lock-down includes internet :-k

If they can do that, maybe it could be done in many other places... :?: :lol:

[lost in melb.]

maybe their social lock-down includes internet :-k

Poor fbd :(

[The Monk]

Can Australia come up with a bigger moron that this?


https://i.imgur.com/v5IMCaw.jpg

[lost in melb.]

He's obviously an expert on vaccines! Lol

[Griffin]

Far enough up the ladder to know about the con.

[The Monk]

He's one of the biggest arseholes in the country. Like Trump, litigation is a hobby for him.

[lost in melb.]

https://i.ibb.co/8mGzR3g/Screenshot-20210815-161001-Chrome.jpg (https://ibb.co/mRdvYs5)


:wtf:

[lost in melb.]

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says zero cases now ‘near impossible’

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has given the clearest single yet the state has given up on any goal of getting Covid-19 case numbers back down to zero.

When asked directly if the state could still reach zero, given cases during the last two days had been in the 400s, the Premier on Sunday said eliminating the Delta variant was “near impossible”.

“We have to learn to live with it. But the best chance we have to live with it freely and safely is to get the case numbers down as low as possible.”

At his daily case numbers update, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was even blunter when asked for his assessment on the situation north of the Murray.

“There is no way they are going to get to zero,” he said. “They are going to have to vaccinate their way out of this”.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/politics/nsw-premier-gladys-berejiklian-says-zero-cases-now-near-impossible/news-story/920b8eeb314fe3c59e3c9a23b2b0fb37

[The Monk]

https://i.ibb.co/8mGzR3g/Screenshot-20210815-161001-Chrome.jpg (https://ibb.co/mRdvYs5)


:wtf:

So, per capita?

NSW has half of Australia's population?

[lost in melb.]

So, per capita?

NSW has half of Australia's population?

They have less than a third of our population :meh:

[lost in melb.]

Melbourne back in curfew. Watch them eradicate it while Sydney treads water

[lost in melb.]

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/9a1fee179a5d7674d2c66ffa8a80eaad?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=798&cropW=1199&xPos=40&yPos=32&width=862&height=575

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/fb915f5beb005f14a282b030605d9262?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=729&cropW=1096&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

[Griffin]

TURN OFF THOSE LIGHTS!:rant:

[lost in melb.]

Might as well :obama:

[The Monk]

They have less than a third of our population :meh:

That's what I was getting at - the per capita share is :bs:

[lost in melb.]

That's what I was getting at - the per capita share is :bs:

Ah, gotcha. Yep they are being rewarded for incompetence.

[The Monk]

Ah, gotcha. Yep they are being rewarded for incompetence.

How that woman sleeps at night is beyond me!

[lost in melb.]

How that woman sleeps at night is beyond me!

Fretting, and worrying about her reputation and her infaction pals :meh:

[The Monk]

Why Morrison is still praising her is also a mystery. He's not going to win the next election due to his fuck ups over covid but Albanese is not an option.

[lost in melb.]

Why Morrison is still praising her is also a mystery. He's not going to win the next election due to his fuck ups over covid but Albanese is not an option.

He's going to win. Albanese is a lame duck

[The Monk]

He's going to win. Albanese is a lame duck

It's the party I would like to see win but I think it is time that both major parties found some REAL talent!

[lost in melb.]

Gutter filth.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/go-home-premier-blasts-bartel-friends-for-visiting-house-20210905-p58oxg.html

[lost in melb.]

It's the party I would like to see win but I think it is time that both major parties found some REAL talent!

Agreed. I guess politics corrupts, so you don't get talent drawn to it.

What do you think of Andrews out of curiosity??

[The Monk]

Agreed. I guess politics corrupts, so you don't get talent drawn to it.

What do you think of Andrews out of curiosity??

I'm sort of ambivalent about him..... he was somewhat stupid in the past on Covid but these days is considerably more aware.

It does seem to me now that "medical advice has been replaced by political expedience.

[lost in melb.]

I like him because he keeps a direct finger to the pulse of what he thinks is good for Victoria. No nonsense.


__________________

E.g. this b.s.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/egg-and-spoon-race-daniel-andrews-slams-totally-unfair-nsw-vaccine-allocations/e988cb4b-bd91-4692-a49a-63a0efc00d01

'Egg and spoon' race: Daniel Andrews slams 'totally unfair' NSW vaccine allocations

Angry state premiers have blasted the Morrison government for pumping more coronavirus vaccines into NSW than other states.

State governments have demanded a fair share of coronavirus vaccines after data emerged showing NSW received a higher allocation than its population.

Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia received less than their population's share of Pfizer while the allocation for NSW increased last month.

The ABC published data showing NSW was being sent 45 per cent of the Pfizer doses being distributed despite having about 32 per cent of Australia's population.

[lost in melb.]

:woot:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X7_4hvEAi8k

[The Monk]

:woot:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X7_4hvEAi8k

Bunch of wankers IMHO!

[Fodster]

Absolute fucking idiots

[lost in melb.]

Missing 4-year-old found by Australian police 19 days after vanishing from campsite

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/02/americas/australian-police-cleo-smith-intl/

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/211102031418-05-cleo-smith-missing-large-169.jpg



:cheers:

[Pony]

Wow, thats awesome!

[lost in melb.]

So lucky

[lost in melb.]

https://twitter.com/WA_Police/status/1455761708262199308

https://twitter.com/WA_Police/status/1455784205548359682

These guys have been working day and night.

[lost in melb.]

The suspect :roll:


Apparently he somehow "injured himself" at the police station and they had to take them to the hospital ;)

https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.467%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$wid th_756%2C$x_70%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/82ab67aa82d5f894983a234613ed9d4d876b0409

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Aussie charged with snatching 4-year-old Cleo Smith had creepy doll obsession (https://nypost.com/2021/11/04/australian-man-charged-in-cleo-smith-abduction-had-doll-obsession/) via NY Post

:wtf:

[lost in melb.]

:shock:

[lost in melb.]

https://www.9news.com.au/national/police-abused-forced-out-of-queensland-business/f693762d-ac6b-424c-9c4b-ed753351c59b

The problem is the owner.

[lost in melb.]

Melbourne man set himself on fire after shouting about vaccine mandates

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/melbourne-man-set-himself-on-fire-after-shouting-about-vaccine-mandates/news-story/1fc6f8a95bc99359a2e527c28d333f51

____________________

Yep that'll help change vaccine policy

[deebakes]

:australia: