Go.

Spiny Norman said:

Go.

ggo

https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/shopping-malls-fight-virus-with-heat-mapping-and-digital-queues-20201027-p568wu.html

Spiny Norman said:

Go.

Thanks. I forgot to do a new one earlier and I’ve been out hunting chocolate and groceries since then. Bad news at the chocolate factory, the machine (I think the conching machine) has broken down. I commented on empty shelves and Erika told me about it. She’s not pleased. They’ve replaced a couple of parts but it’s still not working. I think this machine came from Europe. I was escorted out the back to look at it when it was new, quite some years ago now.

SCIENCE said:

Someone had drinks after work.

So who here has heard of Sono Sood:

“In May 2020, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sood helped thousands of stranded Indian migrant workers to reach their homes by arranging buses, special trains and chartered flights for them. In July 2020 he arranged a chartered flight to bring home over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, flying them from Bishkek to Varanasi. His charity during the pandemic was lauded, and he was hailed as a real-life hero in India.

On 25 July 2020, a video of a farmer’s daughters ploughing a field, like bulls with a yoke on their shoulders, went viral over social media. Sood quickly sent the family a tractor. On 5 August 2020, he helped 101 medical students, predominantly from Tamil Nadu, who were stranded in Moscow during the lockdown, reach Chennai safely on a chartered flight arranged by him after they contacted his team for help. On his birthday he launched a website and app called Pravasi Rojgar to help migrant workers find suitable jobs amid the pandemic.”

The Rev Dodgson said:

So who here has heard of Sono Sood:

“In May 2020, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sood helped thousands of stranded Indian migrant workers to reach their homes by arranging buses, special trains and chartered flights for them. In July 2020 he arranged a chartered flight to bring home over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, flying them from Bishkek to Varanasi. His charity during the pandemic was lauded, and he was hailed as a real-life hero in India.

On 25 July 2020, a video of a farmer’s daughters ploughing a field, like bulls with a yoke on their shoulders, went viral over social media. Sood quickly sent the family a tractor. On 5 August 2020, he helped 101 medical students, predominantly from Tamil Nadu, who were stranded in Moscow during the lockdown, reach Chennai safely on a chartered flight arranged by him after they contacted his team for help. On his birthday he launched a website and app called Pravasi Rojgar to help migrant workers find suitable jobs amid the pandemic.”

I had never heard of Sono Sood until I read your post.

The Rev Dodgson said:

So who here has heard of Sono Sood:

“In May 2020, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sood helped thousands of stranded Indian migrant workers to reach their homes by arranging buses, special trains and chartered flights for them. In July 2020 he arranged a chartered flight to bring home over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, flying them from Bishkek to Varanasi. His charity during the pandemic was lauded, and he was hailed as a real-life hero in India.

On 25 July 2020, a video of a farmer’s daughters ploughing a field, like bulls with a yoke on their shoulders, went viral over social media. Sood quickly sent the family a tractor. On 5 August 2020, he helped 101 medical students, predominantly from Tamil Nadu, who were stranded in Moscow during the lockdown, reach Chennai safely on a chartered flight arranged by him after they contacted his team for help. On his birthday he launched a website and app called Pravasi Rojgar to help migrant workers find suitable jobs amid the pandemic.”

I’ve not read of him before this.

The Rev Dodgson said:

So who here has heard of Sono Sood:

“In May 2020, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sood helped thousands of stranded Indian migrant workers to reach their homes by arranging buses, special trains and chartered flights for them. In July 2020 he arranged a chartered flight to bring home over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, flying them from Bishkek to Varanasi. His charity during the pandemic was lauded, and he was hailed as a real-life hero in India.

On 25 July 2020, a video of a farmer’s daughters ploughing a field, like bulls with a yoke on their shoulders, went viral over social media. Sood quickly sent the family a tractor. On 5 August 2020, he helped 101 medical students, predominantly from Tamil Nadu, who were stranded in Moscow during the lockdown, reach Chennai safely on a chartered flight arranged by him after they contacted his team for help. On his birthday he launched a website and app called Pravasi Rojgar to help migrant workers find suitable jobs amid the pandemic.”

He seems like a good guy.

The Department of Health’s Secretary Brendan Murphy told the hearing politicians were allowed to express their own views, even if he “respectfully disagreed”.

“Individual members of Parliament are entitled to their own opinions on a range of matters,” he said.

“But are they entitled to their own facts, Professor Murphy?” Senator Keneally asked.

“We would prefer everyone to stick with the evidence, that is always our view,” Professor Murphy said.

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

ChrispenEvan said:

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

It’s his brain that needs exercise.

Bubblecar said:

ChrispenEvan said:

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

It’s his brain that needs exercise.

generous

ChrispenEvan said:

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

So much nonsense, so much of it.

ChrispenEvan said:

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

I can’t wait for him to be vaccine-chipped.

Witty Rejoinder said:

ChrispenEvan said:

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

I can’t wait for him to be vaccine-chipped.

or just chipped. with a chipper. like the ones vermeer make. you know those nice yellow jobbies.

ChrispenEvan said:

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

This is the same bloke who savaged BLM protestors for spreading Covid-19 (despite having any evidence that anybody had caught it). He’s a right wing extremist.

Rule 303 said:

ChrispenEvan said:

sibeen said:

Journalist (sic) on the herald sun.

This is the same bloke who savaged BLM protestors for spreading Covid-19 (despite having any evidence that anybody had caught it). He’s a right wing extremist.

Jewish Neo-Nazis are so in right now.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Rule 303 said:

ChrispenEvan said:

This is the same bloke who savaged BLM protestors for spreading Covid-19 (despite having any evidence that anybody had caught it). He’s a right wing extremist.

Jewish Neo-Nazis are so in right now.

Shirley Jewish & Nazi are incompatible.

Tamb said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Rule 303 said:

This is the same bloke who savaged BLM protestors for spreading Covid-19 (despite having any evidence that anybody had caught it). He’s a right wing extremist.

Jewish Neo-Nazis are so in right now.

Shirley Jewish & Nazi are incompatible.

Probably more of a modern anti-muslim thing than a traditional European white-supremacist thing. But not too far removed.

Tamb said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Rule 303 said:

This is the same bloke who savaged BLM protestors for spreading Covid-19 (despite having any evidence that anybody had caught it). He’s a right wing extremist.

Jewish Neo-Nazis are so in right now.

Shirley Jewish & Nazi are incompatible.

Maybe I was too flippant by using Nazi but he is Jewish and identifies with the White Nationalist worldview because they are both anti-Islam and anti-socialist.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Tamb said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Jewish Neo-Nazis are so in right now.

Shirley Jewish & Nazi are incompatible.

Maybe I was too flippant by using Nazi but he is Jewish and identifies with the White Nationalist worldview because they are both anti-Islam and anti-socialist.

Throw in some Libertarianism as well.

ChrispenEvan said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

ChrispenEvan said:

I can’t wait for him to be vaccine-chipped.

or just chipped. with a chipper. like the ones vermeer make. you know those nice yellow jobbies.

Happened not that far from here, a couple of years back. Eventually two people were charged with Murder.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Tamb said:

Shirley Jewish & Nazi are incompatible.

Maybe I was too flippant by using Nazi but he is Jewish and identifies with the White Nationalist worldview because they are both anti-Islam and anti-socialist.

Throw in some Libertarianism as well.

and a bit of wife beating.

ChrispenEvan said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Maybe I was too flippant by using Nazi but he is Jewish and identifies with the White Nationalist worldview because they are both anti-Islam and anti-socialist.

Throw in some Libertarianism as well.

and a bit of wife beating.

LOL

Tamb said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Rule 303 said:

This is the same bloke who savaged BLM protestors for spreading Covid-19 (despite having any evidence that anybody had caught it). He’s a right wing extremist.

Jewish Neo-Nazis are so in right now.

Shirley Jewish & Nazi are incompatible.

there were Zionists in support of the National “Socialists” back in the day

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

dv said:

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

And standing up for them.

dv said:

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

I wish I were there with a client.

:-)

dv said:

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

What a terrific bloke. (Not.)

dv said:

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

Yeah but check out the body language of the person holding the mic.

Divine Angel said:

dv said:

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

Yeah but check out the body language of the person holding the mic.

Bored?

Arts said:

dv said:

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

And standing up for them.

well look don’t make fun of it, psychopathy is a real mental health issue as well

dv said:

He’s blocking a handicapped parking spot to talk about his unpopularity

Well spotted.

where is it anyway Darebin or something

Good News For Less-Lethal Second Waves And Flock Immunity

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/uk-records-highest-daily-covid-19-death-toll-since-may/12820274

Tuesday’s toll was the highest number of daily COVID-19-related deaths in the UK since May 27 It took the official Government death toll to 45,365 people, the highest in Europe It comes as a UK study showed antibody immunity declines rapidly after infection

SCIENCE said:

Good News For Less-Lethal Second Waves And Flock Immunity

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/uk-records-highest-daily-covid-19-death-toll-since-may/12820274

Tuesday’s toll was the highest number of daily COVID-19-related deaths in the UK since May 27
It took the official Government death toll to 45,365 people, the highest in Europe
It comes as a UK study showed antibody immunity declines rapidly after infection

sorry about the phorumatting

https://theconversation.com/of-all-the-places-that-have-seen-off-a-second-coronavirus-wave-only-vietnam-and-hong-kong-have-done-as-well-as-victorians-148520?

did any “first wave” controls turn out to be as effective as the VIC second control

Dr Sara Marzouk
48 m ·

To those critics of the Victorian lockdown, who have pivoted from expressing outrage that the restrictions were ‘too much’ to now claiming that the Andrews Government did ‘too little’ to protect the 650+ vulnerable people who died in Aged Care facilities, let me take a moment to enlighten you.

In 2010, the Federal Government negotiated with the States and Territories that as part of the National Health Reform Agreement, that the Commonwealth would assume full responsibility for funding and regulating all home and residential Aged Care services in Australia. While some State Governments still operate residential aged care services, the number of State operated facilities pale by comparison to those under the banner of the Commonwealth.
Today, the Aged Care sector in Australia represents a multibillion-dollar industry. It is an industry that is predominantly publicly funded, but is largely outsourced to the private sector. This has resulted in our most vulnerable Australians being treated like consumers instead of patients, because many private providers are driven mainly by profit and not philanthropy.

In Victoria, the State Government funds 178 public residential aged care services in the state. Most of these services are operated in rural and regional Victoria, to allow older Victorians to receive care in their local communities. These state-run Aged Care facilities operate under Victoria’s Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law a minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients.

In Victoria, the Commonwealth funds and regulates 623 residential aged care services in the state, which are outsourced to private profit and not-for-profit agencies. These Commonwealth-run Aged Care facilities do not have any such quotas regarding patient to nursing ratios, and are often understaffed with low paid and poorly trained workers.

So let’s talk accountability:

In Commonwealth-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there were 653 tragic deaths from COVID-19.
In State-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there have been no deaths from COVID-19.
Do you know what the Interim Report into the Royal Commission into Aged Care was titled?

Neglect.

And in it, the Commission heard about the woefully substandard and uncaring way in which the Commonwealth’s Aged Care facilities are run in this country, including:

- inadequate prevention and management of wounds, sometimes leading to septicaemia and death

- poor continence management, with many aged care residences not encouraging toilet use or strictly rationing continence pads, often leaving distressed residents sitting or lying in urine or faeces

- dreadful food, nutrition and hydration, and insufficient attention to oral health, leading to widespread malnutrition, excruciating dental and other pain, and secondary conditions

- a high incidence of assaults by staff on residents and by residents on other residents and on staff

- common use of physical restraint on residents, not so much for their safety or wellbeing but to make them easier to manage

- widespread overprescribing, often without clear consent, of drugs which sedate residents, rendering them drowsy and unresponsive to visiting family and removing their ability to interact with people

- patchy and fragmented palliative care for residents who are dying, creating unnecessary distress for both the dying person and their family.

Furthermore a special report into Aged Care and COVID-19 response, released this month, noted that the Federal Department of Health announced that Aged Care staff would be required to wear surgical masks five weeks AFTER the WHO had advised that all health care workers should wear masks, and four weeks AFTER community transmission numbers in Victoria had begun to rise.

It was due to the ongoing woefully incompetent response to COVID in these private facilities, as the second wave developed, that the Victorian Government instructed State Health Services to assume operation of the worst affected of them.

So when you hear the baying from politicians trying to exploit the tragic deaths of vulnerable elderly Victorians, never forget for one moment that it was the ongoing failings and mismanagement of the Commonwealth funded and regulated Aged Care Sector that allowed this second wave to become a deadly tsunami.

And that’s something you won’t read on the front of a Murdoch paper, now or ever.

My deepest sympathies to the families of all those who lost their lives in Victoria.

- Sara

I see Sweden’s daily case numbers are up again. But the cumulative deaths is stable. They are still dropping down the deaths per million table. Down to 17th place now. I think they were at about 12 when I started looking some weeks ago.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/

Australia is down at 113 on the deaths per million table.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

buffy said:

I see Sweden’s daily case numbers are up again. But the cumulative deaths is stable. They are still dropping down the deaths per million table. Down to 17th place now. I think they were at about 12 when I started looking some weeks ago.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/

https://cornucopia.cornubot.se/2020/10/september-2020-least-deadly-month-ever.html

COVID-19 SAVES LIVES

ChrispenEvan said:

Dr Sara Marzouk
48 m ·

To those critics of the Victorian lockdown, who have pivoted from expressing outrage that the restrictions were ‘too much’ to now claiming that the Andrews Government did ‘too little’ to protect the 650+ vulnerable people who died in Aged Care facilities, let me take a moment to enlighten you.

In 2010, the Federal Government negotiated with the States and Territories that as part of the National Health Reform Agreement, that the Commonwealth would assume full responsibility for funding and regulating all home and residential Aged Care services in Australia. While some State Governments still operate residential aged care services, the number of State operated facilities pale by comparison to those under the banner of the Commonwealth.
Today, the Aged Care sector in Australia represents a multibillion-dollar industry. It is an industry that is predominantly publicly funded, but is largely outsourced to the private sector. This has resulted in our most vulnerable Australians being treated like consumers instead of patients, because many private providers are driven mainly by profit and not philanthropy.

In Victoria, the State Government funds 178 public residential aged care services in the state. Most of these services are operated in rural and regional Victoria, to allow older Victorians to receive care in their local communities. These state-run Aged Care facilities operate under Victoria’s Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law a minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients.

In Victoria, the Commonwealth funds and regulates 623 residential aged care services in the state, which are outsourced to private profit and not-for-profit agencies. These Commonwealth-run Aged Care facilities do not have any such quotas regarding patient to nursing ratios, and are often understaffed with low paid and poorly trained workers.

So let’s talk accountability:

In Commonwealth-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there were 653 tragic deaths from COVID-19.
In State-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there have been no deaths from COVID-19.
Do you know what the Interim Report into the Royal Commission into Aged Care was titled?

Neglect.

And in it, the Commission heard about the woefully substandard and uncaring way in which the Commonwealth’s Aged Care facilities are run in this country, including:

- inadequate prevention and management of wounds, sometimes leading to septicaemia and death

- poor continence management, with many aged care residences not encouraging toilet use or strictly rationing continence pads, often leaving distressed residents sitting or lying in urine or faeces

- dreadful food, nutrition and hydration, and insufficient attention to oral health, leading to widespread malnutrition, excruciating dental and other pain, and secondary conditions

- a high incidence of assaults by staff on residents and by residents on other residents and on staff

- common use of physical restraint on residents, not so much for their safety or wellbeing but to make them easier to manage

- widespread overprescribing, often without clear consent, of drugs which sedate residents, rendering them drowsy and unresponsive to visiting family and removing their ability to interact with people

- patchy and fragmented palliative care for residents who are dying, creating unnecessary distress for both the dying person and their family.

Furthermore a special report into Aged Care and COVID-19 response, released this month, noted that the Federal Department of Health announced that Aged Care staff would be required to wear surgical masks five weeks AFTER the WHO had advised that all health care workers should wear masks, and four weeks AFTER community transmission numbers in Victoria had begun to rise.

It was due to the ongoing woefully incompetent response to COVID in these private facilities, as the second wave developed, that the Victorian Government instructed State Health Services to assume operation of the worst affected of them.

So when you hear the baying from politicians trying to exploit the tragic deaths of vulnerable elderly Victorians, never forget for one moment that it was the ongoing failings and mismanagement of the Commonwealth funded and regulated Aged Care Sector that allowed this second wave to become a deadly tsunami.

And that’s something you won’t read on the front of a Murdoch paper, now or ever.

My deepest sympathies to the families of all those who lost their lives in Victoria.

- Sara

Jules Hater

SCIENCE said:

buffy said:

I see Sweden’s daily case numbers are up again. But the cumulative deaths is stable. They are still dropping down the deaths per million table. Down to 17th place now. I think they were at about 12 when I started looking some weeks ago.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/

https://cornucopia.cornubot.se/2020/10/september-2020-least-deadly-month-ever.html

COVID-19 SAVES LIVES

We looked at that in last week’s thread, I think. Here is another look at it:

https://sebastianrushworth.com/2020/10/24/how-deadly-is-covid-19/

ChrispenEvan said:

Dr Sara Marzouk
48 m ·

To those critics of the Victorian lockdown, who have pivoted from expressing outrage that the restrictions were ‘too much’ to now claiming that the Andrews Government did ‘too little’ to protect the 650+ vulnerable people who died in Aged Care facilities, let me take a moment to enlighten you.

In 2010, the Federal Government negotiated with the States and Territories that as part of the National Health Reform Agreement, that the Commonwealth would assume full responsibility for funding and regulating all home and residential Aged Care services in Australia. While some State Governments still operate residential aged care services, the number of State operated facilities pale by comparison to those under the banner of the Commonwealth.
Today, the Aged Care sector in Australia represents a multibillion-dollar industry. It is an industry that is predominantly publicly funded, but is largely outsourced to the private sector. This has resulted in our most vulnerable Australians being treated like consumers instead of patients, because many private providers are driven mainly by profit and not philanthropy.

In Victoria, the State Government funds 178 public residential aged care services in the state. Most of these services are operated in rural and regional Victoria, to allow older Victorians to receive care in their local communities. These state-run Aged Care facilities operate under Victoria’s Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law a minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients.

In Victoria, the Commonwealth funds and regulates 623 residential aged care services in the state, which are outsourced to private profit and not-for-profit agencies. These Commonwealth-run Aged Care facilities do not have any such quotas regarding patient to nursing ratios, and are often understaffed with low paid and poorly trained workers.

So let’s talk accountability:

In Commonwealth-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there were 653 tragic deaths from COVID-19.
In State-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there have been no deaths from COVID-19.
Do you know what the Interim Report into the Royal Commission into Aged Care was titled?

Neglect.

And in it, the Commission heard about the woefully substandard and uncaring way in which the Commonwealth’s Aged Care facilities are run in this country, including:

- inadequate prevention and management of wounds, sometimes leading to septicaemia and death

- poor continence management, with many aged care residences not encouraging toilet use or strictly rationing continence pads, often leaving distressed residents sitting or lying in urine or faeces

- dreadful food, nutrition and hydration, and insufficient attention to oral health, leading to widespread malnutrition, excruciating dental and other pain, and secondary conditions

- a high incidence of assaults by staff on residents and by residents on other residents and on staff

- common use of physical restraint on residents, not so much for their safety or wellbeing but to make them easier to manage

- widespread overprescribing, often without clear consent, of drugs which sedate residents, rendering them drowsy and unresponsive to visiting family and removing their ability to interact with people

- patchy and fragmented palliative care for residents who are dying, creating unnecessary distress for both the dying person and their family.

Furthermore a special report into Aged Care and COVID-19 response, released this month, noted that the Federal Department of Health announced that Aged Care staff would be required to wear surgical masks five weeks AFTER the WHO had advised that all health care workers should wear masks, and four weeks AFTER community transmission numbers in Victoria had begun to rise.

It was due to the ongoing woefully incompetent response to COVID in these private facilities, as the second wave developed, that the Victorian Government instructed State Health Services to assume operation of the worst affected of them.

So when you hear the baying from politicians trying to exploit the tragic deaths of vulnerable elderly Victorians, never forget for one moment that it was the ongoing failings and mismanagement of the Commonwealth funded and regulated Aged Care Sector that allowed this second wave to become a deadly tsunami.

And that’s something you won’t read on the front of a Murdoch paper, now or ever.

My deepest sympathies to the families of all those who lost their lives in Victoria.

- Sara

And the Federal Minister, Mr R. Sole, won’t take any responsibility. None, zero, zip.

R. Sole.

ChrispenEvan said:

Dr Sara Marzouk
48 m ·

To those critics of the Victorian lockdown, who have pivoted from expressing outrage that the restrictions were ‘too much’ to now claiming that the Andrews Government did ‘too little’ to protect the 650+ vulnerable people who died in Aged Care facilities, let me take a moment to enlighten you.

In 2010, the Federal Government negotiated with the States and Territories that as part of the National Health Reform Agreement, that the Commonwealth would assume full responsibility for funding and regulating all home and residential Aged Care services in Australia. While some State Governments still operate residential aged care services, the number of State operated facilities pale by comparison to those under the banner of the Commonwealth.
Today, the Aged Care sector in Australia represents a multibillion-dollar industry. It is an industry that is predominantly publicly funded, but is largely outsourced to the private sector. This has resulted in our most vulnerable Australians being treated like consumers instead of patients, because many private providers are driven mainly by profit and not philanthropy.

In Victoria, the State Government funds 178 public residential aged care services in the state. Most of these services are operated in rural and regional Victoria, to allow older Victorians to receive care in their local communities. These state-run Aged Care facilities operate under Victoria’s Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law a minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients.

In Victoria, the Commonwealth funds and regulates 623 residential aged care services in the state, which are outsourced to private profit and not-for-profit agencies. These Commonwealth-run Aged Care facilities do not have any such quotas regarding patient to nursing ratios, and are often understaffed with low paid and poorly trained workers.

So let’s talk accountability:

In Commonwealth-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there were 653 tragic deaths from COVID-19.
In State-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there have been no deaths from COVID-19.
Do you know what the Interim Report into the Royal Commission into Aged Care was titled?

Neglect.

And in it, the Commission heard about the woefully substandard and uncaring way in which the Commonwealth’s Aged Care facilities are run in this country, including:

- inadequate prevention and management of wounds, sometimes leading to septicaemia and death

- poor continence management, with many aged care residences not encouraging toilet use or strictly rationing continence pads, often leaving distressed residents sitting or lying in urine or faeces

- dreadful food, nutrition and hydration, and insufficient attention to oral health, leading to widespread malnutrition, excruciating dental and other pain, and secondary conditions

- a high incidence of assaults by staff on residents and by residents on other residents and on staff

- common use of physical restraint on residents, not so much for their safety or wellbeing but to make them easier to manage

- widespread overprescribing, often without clear consent, of drugs which sedate residents, rendering them drowsy and unresponsive to visiting family and removing their ability to interact with people

- patchy and fragmented palliative care for residents who are dying, creating unnecessary distress for both the dying person and their family.

Furthermore a special report into Aged Care and COVID-19 response, released this month, noted that the Federal Department of Health announced that Aged Care staff would be required to wear surgical masks five weeks AFTER the WHO had advised that all health care workers should wear masks, and four weeks AFTER community transmission numbers in Victoria had begun to rise.

It was due to the ongoing woefully incompetent response to COVID in these private facilities, as the second wave developed, that the Victorian Government instructed State Health Services to assume operation of the worst affected of them.

So when you hear the baying from politicians trying to exploit the tragic deaths of vulnerable elderly Victorians, never forget for one moment that it was the ongoing failings and mismanagement of the Commonwealth funded and regulated Aged Care Sector that allowed this second wave to become a deadly tsunami.

And that’s something you won’t read on the front of a Murdoch paper, now or ever.

My deepest sympathies to the families of all those who lost their lives in Victoria.

- Sara

The reason so many people died and are still dying in Victoria is because Dan Andrews and the Victorian government stuffed up their hotel quarantining, he threw his health minister under a buss and still wont accept culpability.
In contrast the NSW Premier said the buck stops with me over the Ruby Princess debacle and apologised for it, that’s leadership.

buffy said:

SCIENCE said:

buffy said:

I see Sweden’s daily case numbers are up again. But the cumulative deaths is stable. They are still dropping down the deaths per million table. Down to 17th place now. I think they were at about 12 when I started looking some weeks ago.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/

https://cornucopia.cornubot.se/2020/10/september-2020-least-deadly-month-ever.html

COVID-19 SAVES LIVES

We looked at that in last week’s thread, I think. Here is another look at it:

https://sebastianrushworth.com/2020/10/24/how-deadly-is-covid-19/

Extrapolating mortality estimates from one country alone is basically useless IMO. All it shows is the situation in Sweden and doesn’t extend to questions of a general nature about the virus.

I think my brain must be celebrating no new cases in the Victorian regions for two weeks. Got a call from the bakery that the butcher had delivered our meat for our dogs. So I hopped in the car and went to collect it. After I’d been inside, bought a couple of jam tarts, and brought the meat for dogs out to the car I hopped back in to drive home. And then realized I’d neglected to wear a mask. No-one said a thing.

Peak Warming Man said:

ChrispenEvan said:

Dr Sara Marzouk
48 m ·

To those critics of the Victorian lockdown, who have pivoted from expressing outrage that the restrictions were ‘too much’ to now claiming that the Andrews Government did ‘too little’ to protect the 650+ vulnerable people who died in Aged Care facilities, let me take a moment to enlighten you.

In 2010, the Federal Government negotiated with the States and Territories that as part of the National Health Reform Agreement, that the Commonwealth would assume full responsibility for funding and regulating all home and residential Aged Care services in Australia. While some State Governments still operate residential aged care services, the number of State operated facilities pale by comparison to those under the banner of the Commonwealth.
Today, the Aged Care sector in Australia represents a multibillion-dollar industry. It is an industry that is predominantly publicly funded, but is largely outsourced to the private sector. This has resulted in our most vulnerable Australians being treated like consumers instead of patients, because many private providers are driven mainly by profit and not philanthropy.

In Victoria, the State Government funds 178 public residential aged care services in the state. Most of these services are operated in rural and regional Victoria, to allow older Victorians to receive care in their local communities. These state-run Aged Care facilities operate under Victoria’s Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law a minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients.

In Victoria, the Commonwealth funds and regulates 623 residential aged care services in the state, which are outsourced to private profit and not-for-profit agencies. These Commonwealth-run Aged Care facilities do not have any such quotas regarding patient to nursing ratios, and are often understaffed with low paid and poorly trained workers.

So let’s talk accountability:

In Commonwealth-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there were 653 tragic deaths from COVID-19.
In State-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there have been no deaths from COVID-19.
Do you know what the Interim Report into the Royal Commission into Aged Care was titled?

Neglect.

And in it, the Commission heard about the woefully substandard and uncaring way in which the Commonwealth’s Aged Care facilities are run in this country, including:

- inadequate prevention and management of wounds, sometimes leading to septicaemia and death

- poor continence management, with many aged care residences not encouraging toilet use or strictly rationing continence pads, often leaving distressed residents sitting or lying in urine or faeces

- dreadful food, nutrition and hydration, and insufficient attention to oral health, leading to widespread malnutrition, excruciating dental and other pain, and secondary conditions

- a high incidence of assaults by staff on residents and by residents on other residents and on staff

- common use of physical restraint on residents, not so much for their safety or wellbeing but to make them easier to manage

- widespread overprescribing, often without clear consent, of drugs which sedate residents, rendering them drowsy and unresponsive to visiting family and removing their ability to interact with people

- patchy and fragmented palliative care for residents who are dying, creating unnecessary distress for both the dying person and their family.

Furthermore a special report into Aged Care and COVID-19 response, released this month, noted that the Federal Department of Health announced that Aged Care staff would be required to wear surgical masks five weeks AFTER the WHO had advised that all health care workers should wear masks, and four weeks AFTER community transmission numbers in Victoria had begun to rise.

It was due to the ongoing woefully incompetent response to COVID in these private facilities, as the second wave developed, that the Victorian Government instructed State Health Services to assume operation of the worst affected of them.

So when you hear the baying from politicians trying to exploit the tragic deaths of vulnerable elderly Victorians, never forget for one moment that it was the ongoing failings and mismanagement of the Commonwealth funded and regulated Aged Care Sector that allowed this second wave to become a deadly tsunami.

And that’s something you won’t read on the front of a Murdoch paper, now or ever.

My deepest sympathies to the families of all those who lost their lives in Victoria.

- Sara

The reason so many people died and are still dying in Victoria is because Dan Andrews and the Victorian government stuffed up their hotel quarantining, he threw his health minister under a buss and still wont accept culpability.
In contrast the NSW Premier said the buck stops with me over the Ruby Princess debacle and apologised for it, that’s leadership.

It is great cherry picking. In Victoria it is obviously the Fed govs fault that there is so many deaths. In NSW, QLD, SA etc etc it is the Fed govs fault that…errr…I’ll get back to you on this one…

Witty Rejoinder said:

buffy said:

SCIENCE said:

https://cornucopia.cornubot.se/2020/10/september-2020-least-deadly-month-ever.html

COVID-19 SAVES LIVES

We looked at that in last week’s thread, I think. Here is another look at it:

https://sebastianrushworth.com/2020/10/24/how-deadly-is-covid-19/

Extrapolating mortality estimates from one country alone is basically useless IMO. All it shows is the situation in Sweden and doesn’t extend to questions of a general nature about the virus.

I reckon the mortality is mightily affected by the availability of good medical care. And the density of living conditions.

buffy said:

SCIENCE said:

buffy said:

I see Sweden’s daily case numbers are up again. But the cumulative deaths is stable. They are still dropping down the deaths per million table. Down to 17th place now. I think they were at about 12 when I started looking some weeks ago.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/

https://cornucopia.cornubot.se/2020/10/september-2020-least-deadly-month-ever.html

COVID-19 SAVES LIVES

We looked at that in last week’s thread, I think. Here is another look at it:

https://sebastianrushworth.com/2020/10/24/how-deadly-is-covid-19/

but what was the explanation for the negative excess death rate

sibeen said:

Peak Warming Man said:

ChrispenEvan said:

Dr Sara Marzouk
48 m ·

To those critics of the Victorian lockdown, who have pivoted from expressing outrage that the restrictions were ‘too much’ to now claiming that the Andrews Government did ‘too little’ to protect the 650+ vulnerable people who died in Aged Care facilities, let me take a moment to enlighten you.

In 2010, the Federal Government negotiated with the States and Territories that as part of the National Health Reform Agreement, that the Commonwealth would assume full responsibility for funding and regulating all home and residential Aged Care services in Australia. While some State Governments still operate residential aged care services, the number of State operated facilities pale by comparison to those under the banner of the Commonwealth.
Today, the Aged Care sector in Australia represents a multibillion-dollar industry. It is an industry that is predominantly publicly funded, but is largely outsourced to the private sector. This has resulted in our most vulnerable Australians being treated like consumers instead of patients, because many private providers are driven mainly by profit and not philanthropy.

In Victoria, the State Government funds 178 public residential aged care services in the state. Most of these services are operated in rural and regional Victoria, to allow older Victorians to receive care in their local communities. These state-run Aged Care facilities operate under Victoria’s Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law a minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients.

In Victoria, the Commonwealth funds and regulates 623 residential aged care services in the state, which are outsourced to private profit and not-for-profit agencies. These Commonwealth-run Aged Care facilities do not have any such quotas regarding patient to nursing ratios, and are often understaffed with low paid and poorly trained workers.

So let’s talk accountability:

In Commonwealth-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there were 653 tragic deaths from COVID-19.
In State-run Victorian Aged Care facilities, there have been no deaths from COVID-19.
Do you know what the Interim Report into the Royal Commission into Aged Care was titled?

Neglect.

And in it, the Commission heard about the woefully substandard and uncaring way in which the Commonwealth’s Aged Care facilities are run in this country, including:

- inadequate prevention and management of wounds, sometimes leading to septicaemia and death

- poor continence management, with many aged care residences not encouraging toilet use or strictly rationing continence pads, often leaving distressed residents sitting or lying in urine or faeces

- dreadful food, nutrition and hydration, and insufficient attention to oral health, leading to widespread malnutrition, excruciating dental and other pain, and secondary conditions

- a high incidence of assaults by staff on residents and by residents on other residents and on staff

- common use of physical restraint on residents, not so much for their safety or wellbeing but to make them easier to manage

- widespread overprescribing, often without clear consent, of drugs which sedate residents, rendering them drowsy and unresponsive to visiting family and removing their ability to interact with people

- patchy and fragmented palliative care for residents who are dying, creating unnecessary distress for both the dying person and their family.

Furthermore a special report into Aged Care and COVID-19 response, released this month, noted that the Federal Department of Health announced that Aged Care staff would be required to wear surgical masks five weeks AFTER the WHO had advised that all health care workers should wear masks, and four weeks AFTER community transmission numbers in Victoria had begun to rise.

It was due to the ongoing woefully incompetent response to COVID in these private facilities, as the second wave developed, that the Victorian Government instructed State Health Services to assume operation of the worst affected of them.

So when you hear the baying from politicians trying to exploit the tragic deaths of vulnerable elderly Victorians, never forget for one moment that it was the ongoing failings and mismanagement of the Commonwealth funded and regulated Aged Care Sector that allowed this second wave to become a deadly tsunami.

And that’s something you won’t read on the front of a Murdoch paper, now or ever.

My deepest sympathies to the families of all those who lost their lives in Victoria.

- Sara

The reason so many people died and are still dying in Victoria is because Dan Andrews and the Victorian government stuffed up their hotel quarantining, he threw his health minister under a buss and still wont accept culpability.
In contrast the NSW Premier said the buck stops with me over the Ruby Princess debacle and apologised for it, that’s leadership.

It is great cherry picking. In Victoria it is obviously the Fed govs fault that there is so many deaths. In NSW, QLD, SA etc etc it is the Fed govs fault that…errr…I’ll get back to you on this one…

right but did the federal or state governments force people to run around various indoor spaces without masks coughing and sneezing on other susceptible individuals or is there something else they missed there

My son was reading some of those ‘weird laws that still exists’ pages and apparently it is illegal to wear a mask in public in NYC… yikes.

More Whinging

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/nsw-coronavirus-one-new-local-case-confirmed/12821280

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has accused states with closed borders of “lumping” NSW in with Victoria during the coronavirus pandemic, warning the two jurisdictions were in “vastly different” positions.

She’s right, vastly different to the other states — what’s the average LOCAL transmission count in those other states?

whinge whinge whinge

Arts said:

My son was reading some of those ‘weird laws that still exists’ pages and apparently it is illegal to wear a mask in public in NYC… yikes.

well, same in Hong Kong last year … right … and then

Almost As Reliable As Predicting USSA Elections

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/09/03/the-100-safest-countries-for-covid-19-updated/

SCIENCE said:

Almost As Reliable As Predicting USSA Elections

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/09/03/the-100-safest-countries-for-covid-19-updated/

That’s from 11th September. It’s archaeological now.

Coronavirus cases are truly up across the US and it’s not just because of more testing Admiral Brett Giroir, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said Tuesday – directly contradicting President Trump.

“Testing may be identifying some more cases, I think that’s clearly true, but what we’re seeing is a real increase in the numbers,” Giroir said during a Washington Post live event on Tuesday.

In March and April, probably only one out of 10 or 15 cases were being detected, he said. Today can’t really be compared to that time period, “but compared to the post Memorial Day surge, even though testing is up, this is a real increase in cases,” he said.

Giroir said case numbers are up and also hospitalizations are also going up.

He said hospitals are filling up and coming under stress in some parts of the country, but the number of people in the hospital with coronavirus is still lower than it was in July.

—-
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-10-27-20-intl/h_7ce6c0d660703fee1b7bd8aa5d70535c

Arts said:

My son was reading some of those ‘weird laws that still exists’ pages and apparently it is illegal to wear a mask in public in NYC… yikes.

Most of those lists don’t bear close scrutiny

dv said:

Arts said:

My son was reading some of those ‘weird laws that still exists’ pages and apparently it is illegal to wear a mask in public in NYC… yikes.

Most of those lists don’t bear close scrutiny

“There are anti-mask laws in many U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

New York State’s anti-mask law was enacted in 1845, to provide for public safety after disputes between landlords and tenants.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-mask_law#United_States

True or false?

SCIENCE said:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

I’ll repeat it just for emphasis:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

mollwollfumble said:

True or false?

SCIENCE said:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

I’ll repeat it just for emphasis:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

You thinking the Royals are pulling a scam or something

Cymek said:

mollwollfumble said:

True or false?

SCIENCE said:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

I’ll repeat it just for emphasis:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

You thinking the Royals are pulling a scam or something

Moll lives in a fantasy world of his own making so probably.

Cymek said:

mollwollfumble said:

True or false?

SCIENCE said:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

I’ll repeat it just for emphasis:

Do not trust anything related to Covid statistics from England.

You thinking the Royals are pulling a scam or something

No. I’m just saying that it is easy to check the accuracy of statistics using mathematical methods.

I’ve done that.

The UK coronavirus statistics are by far the least accurate of all countries in the world.

To be precise, the UK doesn’t care. It doesn’t care how many of its people die. It doesn’t care how many recover. Why should it matter to a UK politician if half the population dies, so long as they keep their majority. It’s all they care about.

The UK doesn’t care if everybody in the world knows how shit-house their national health system is. Their national health is all about maximising government funding, which has nothing to do with either the health of patients or accurate statistics. And they’re quite happy to boldface lie in public – it’s almost a UK tradition from way back.

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

Beijing is investing immense resources to control the spread of the virus, including millions of tests in response to even small clusters and the firing of local health officials deemed responsible.

In Kashgar, the rapid mobilisation of millions of people for coronavirus testing is occurring against an uncomfortable political backdrop. Over the past few years, authorities in Xinjiang have built up one of the world’s most sophisticated surveillance networks. A heavy push to detain people deemed susceptible to religious extremism — which included those who resisted government rules — has left the population more compliant than most to official instructions.

Xinjiang health authorities said the first asymptomatic case in the Kashgar area was detected on Saturday and that 2.8 million residents had been tested by Sunday afternoon. By Monday evening, 4.5 million had been tested.

There were anecdotal reports out of Kashgar over the weekend of restrictions of movement.

“I was shooting a movie this afternoon in Kashgar’s Old City, when we got the notice to put on our face masks and return to the hotel to await instructions,” actor Li Chenhao wrote on the social network Weibo.

“Though there are indications now that the city is under lockdown,” he wrote, “from my window I can see the nearby residential community going through nucleic acid testing in an orderly fashion.”

Photos and video circulating on Weibo showed people lined up on Kashgar’s streets, waiting to be tested at pop-up booths staffed by medical workers in white hazmat suits.

Kashgar schools have suspended classes through to Friday. A number of flights in and out of the area were cancelled.

Media offices of the regional and city governments did not respond to faxed requests for comment.

A similar testing campaign was carried out earlier this month in coastal Qingdao: Authorities ordered all 11 million residents to be tested after the discovery of a cluster of 12 cases, half of them symptomatic.

China has also raced to administer early doses of experimental vaccines, even though clinical tests have yet to be completed. This month, several cities in Zhejiang province – a business hub – began offering limited numbers of emergency COVID-19 vaccines to the public.

Vaccines were rolled out to hundreds of thousands in priority groups, which included the military, government officials and employees of state-owned enterprises.

The outbreak in Kashgar has been traced back to workers at a clothing factory in “No. 3 Village” in the area’s Shufu County, according to the Beijing News. It’s unclear how the virus got to the factory.

The first confirmed case was a 17-year-old girl whose parents worked at the factory, according to a news conference held by the Xinjiang health commission.

The outbreak draws further attention to an area that has faced intense international scrutiny this year. A number of Xinjiang clothing and textile factories were put under US sanctions in recent months, after reports that Muslim Uighurs — the predominant ethnic minority in the region — were being forced to work in factories under threat of detention.

Xinjiang’s top leaders were put under US sanctions this year for human rights violations over a widespread political re-education and detention campaign targeting Uighurs.

Kashgar has been an important trade outpost on the Silk Road for centuries, and it continues to be a hub for trade between China and its neighbours in Central Asia and the Middle East. The city lies close to China’s borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

More than 2 million tourists visited Kashgar this month during the Golden Week holiday, according to official figures.

Xinjiang had a second-wave outbreak in July, which led to two months of lockdown in the region. The source of that outbreak has not been disclosed.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in mainland China now stands at 85,868, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4634.

The Washington Post

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

Witty Rejoinder said:

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

Beijing is investing immense resources to control the spread of the virus, including millions of tests in response to even small clusters and the firing of local health officials deemed responsible.

In Kashgar, the rapid mobilisation of millions of people for coronavirus testing is occurring against an uncomfortable political backdrop. Over the past few years, authorities in Xinjiang have built up one of the world’s most sophisticated surveillance networks. A heavy push to detain people deemed susceptible to religious extremism — which included those who resisted government rules — has left the population more compliant than most to official instructions.

Xinjiang health authorities said the first asymptomatic case in the Kashgar area was detected on Saturday and that 2.8 million residents had been tested by Sunday afternoon. By Monday evening, 4.5 million had been tested.

There were anecdotal reports out of Kashgar over the weekend of restrictions of movement.

“I was shooting a movie this afternoon in Kashgar’s Old City, when we got the notice to put on our face masks and return to the hotel to await instructions,” actor Li Chenhao wrote on the social network Weibo.

“Though there are indications now that the city is under lockdown,” he wrote, “from my window I can see the nearby residential community going through nucleic acid testing in an orderly fashion.”

Photos and video circulating on Weibo showed people lined up on Kashgar’s streets, waiting to be tested at pop-up booths staffed by medical workers in white hazmat suits.

Kashgar schools have suspended classes through to Friday. A number of flights in and out of the area were cancelled.

Media offices of the regional and city governments did not respond to faxed requests for comment.

A similar testing campaign was carried out earlier this month in coastal Qingdao: Authorities ordered all 11 million residents to be tested after the discovery of a cluster of 12 cases, half of them symptomatic.

China has also raced to administer early doses of experimental vaccines, even though clinical tests have yet to be completed. This month, several cities in Zhejiang province – a business hub – began offering limited numbers of emergency COVID-19 vaccines to the public.

Vaccines were rolled out to hundreds of thousands in priority groups, which included the military, government officials and employees of state-owned enterprises.

The outbreak in Kashgar has been traced back to workers at a clothing factory in “No. 3 Village” in the area’s Shufu County, according to the Beijing News. It’s unclear how the virus got to the factory.

The first confirmed case was a 17-year-old girl whose parents worked at the factory, according to a news conference held by the Xinjiang health commission.

The outbreak draws further attention to an area that has faced intense international scrutiny this year. A number of Xinjiang clothing and textile factories were put under US sanctions in recent months, after reports that Muslim Uighurs — the predominant ethnic minority in the region — were being forced to work in factories under threat of detention.

Xinjiang’s top leaders were put under US sanctions this year for human rights violations over a widespread political re-education and detention campaign targeting Uighurs.

Kashgar has been an important trade outpost on the Silk Road for centuries, and it continues to be a hub for trade between China and its neighbours in Central Asia and the Middle East. The city lies close to China’s borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

More than 2 million tourists visited Kashgar this month during the Golden Week holiday, according to official figures.

Xinjiang had a second-wave outbreak in July, which led to two months of lockdown in the region. The source of that outbreak has not been disclosed.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in mainland China now stands at 85,868, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4634.

The Washington Post

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

They tested 4.5 million people in 2 days?

Colour me sceptical.

sibeen said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

Beijing is investing immense resources to control the spread of the virus, including millions of tests in response to even small clusters and the firing of local health officials deemed responsible.

In Kashgar, the rapid mobilisation of millions of people for coronavirus testing is occurring against an uncomfortable political backdrop. Over the past few years, authorities in Xinjiang have built up one of the world’s most sophisticated surveillance networks. A heavy push to detain people deemed susceptible to religious extremism — which included those who resisted government rules — has left the population more compliant than most to official instructions.

Xinjiang health authorities said the first asymptomatic case in the Kashgar area was detected on Saturday and that 2.8 million residents had been tested by Sunday afternoon. By Monday evening, 4.5 million had been tested.

There were anecdotal reports out of Kashgar over the weekend of restrictions of movement.

“I was shooting a movie this afternoon in Kashgar’s Old City, when we got the notice to put on our face masks and return to the hotel to await instructions,” actor Li Chenhao wrote on the social network Weibo.

“Though there are indications now that the city is under lockdown,” he wrote, “from my window I can see the nearby residential community going through nucleic acid testing in an orderly fashion.”

Photos and video circulating on Weibo showed people lined up on Kashgar’s streets, waiting to be tested at pop-up booths staffed by medical workers in white hazmat suits.

Kashgar schools have suspended classes through to Friday. A number of flights in and out of the area were cancelled.

Media offices of the regional and city governments did not respond to faxed requests for comment.

A similar testing campaign was carried out earlier this month in coastal Qingdao: Authorities ordered all 11 million residents to be tested after the discovery of a cluster of 12 cases, half of them symptomatic.

China has also raced to administer early doses of experimental vaccines, even though clinical tests have yet to be completed. This month, several cities in Zhejiang province – a business hub – began offering limited numbers of emergency COVID-19 vaccines to the public.

Vaccines were rolled out to hundreds of thousands in priority groups, which included the military, government officials and employees of state-owned enterprises.

The outbreak in Kashgar has been traced back to workers at a clothing factory in “No. 3 Village” in the area’s Shufu County, according to the Beijing News. It’s unclear how the virus got to the factory.

The first confirmed case was a 17-year-old girl whose parents worked at the factory, according to a news conference held by the Xinjiang health commission.

The outbreak draws further attention to an area that has faced intense international scrutiny this year. A number of Xinjiang clothing and textile factories were put under US sanctions in recent months, after reports that Muslim Uighurs — the predominant ethnic minority in the region — were being forced to work in factories under threat of detention.

Xinjiang’s top leaders were put under US sanctions this year for human rights violations over a widespread political re-education and detention campaign targeting Uighurs.

Kashgar has been an important trade outpost on the Silk Road for centuries, and it continues to be a hub for trade between China and its neighbours in Central Asia and the Middle East. The city lies close to China’s borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

More than 2 million tourists visited Kashgar this month during the Golden Week holiday, according to official figures.

Xinjiang had a second-wave outbreak in July, which led to two months of lockdown in the region. The source of that outbreak has not been disclosed.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in mainland China now stands at 85,868, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4634.

The Washington Post

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

They tested 4.5 million people in 2 days?

Colour me sceptical.

94000 tests per hour 24 hours per day. I think not.

Tamb said:

sibeen said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

Beijing is investing immense resources to control the spread of the virus, including millions of tests in response to even small clusters and the firing of local health officials deemed responsible.

In Kashgar, the rapid mobilisation of millions of people for coronavirus testing is occurring against an uncomfortable political backdrop. Over the past few years, authorities in Xinjiang have built up one of the world’s most sophisticated surveillance networks. A heavy push to detain people deemed susceptible to religious extremism — which included those who resisted government rules — has left the population more compliant than most to official instructions.

Xinjiang health authorities said the first asymptomatic case in the Kashgar area was detected on Saturday and that 2.8 million residents had been tested by Sunday afternoon. By Monday evening, 4.5 million had been tested.

There were anecdotal reports out of Kashgar over the weekend of restrictions of movement.

“I was shooting a movie this afternoon in Kashgar’s Old City, when we got the notice to put on our face masks and return to the hotel to await instructions,” actor Li Chenhao wrote on the social network Weibo.

“Though there are indications now that the city is under lockdown,” he wrote, “from my window I can see the nearby residential community going through nucleic acid testing in an orderly fashion.”

Photos and video circulating on Weibo showed people lined up on Kashgar’s streets, waiting to be tested at pop-up booths staffed by medical workers in white hazmat suits.

Kashgar schools have suspended classes through to Friday. A number of flights in and out of the area were cancelled.

Media offices of the regional and city governments did not respond to faxed requests for comment.

A similar testing campaign was carried out earlier this month in coastal Qingdao: Authorities ordered all 11 million residents to be tested after the discovery of a cluster of 12 cases, half of them symptomatic.

China has also raced to administer early doses of experimental vaccines, even though clinical tests have yet to be completed. This month, several cities in Zhejiang province – a business hub – began offering limited numbers of emergency COVID-19 vaccines to the public.

Vaccines were rolled out to hundreds of thousands in priority groups, which included the military, government officials and employees of state-owned enterprises.

The outbreak in Kashgar has been traced back to workers at a clothing factory in “No. 3 Village” in the area’s Shufu County, according to the Beijing News. It’s unclear how the virus got to the factory.

The first confirmed case was a 17-year-old girl whose parents worked at the factory, according to a news conference held by the Xinjiang health commission.

The outbreak draws further attention to an area that has faced intense international scrutiny this year. A number of Xinjiang clothing and textile factories were put under US sanctions in recent months, after reports that Muslim Uighurs — the predominant ethnic minority in the region — were being forced to work in factories under threat of detention.

Xinjiang’s top leaders were put under US sanctions this year for human rights violations over a widespread political re-education and detention campaign targeting Uighurs.

Kashgar has been an important trade outpost on the Silk Road for centuries, and it continues to be a hub for trade between China and its neighbours in Central Asia and the Middle East. The city lies close to China’s borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

More than 2 million tourists visited Kashgar this month during the Golden Week holiday, according to official figures.

Xinjiang had a second-wave outbreak in July, which led to two months of lockdown in the region. The source of that outbreak has not been disclosed.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in mainland China now stands at 85,868, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4634.

The Washington Post

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

They tested 4.5 million people in 2 days?

Colour me sceptical.

94000 tests per hour 24 hours per day. I think not.

Doesn’t seem remarkable to me.

dv said:

Tamb said:

sibeen said:

They tested 4.5 million people in 2 days?

Colour me sceptical.

94000 tests per hour 24 hours per day. I think not.

Doesn’t seem remarkable to me.

Analysis of the tests takes some time.

Tamb said:

sibeen said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

Beijing is investing immense resources to control the spread of the virus, including millions of tests in response to even small clusters and the firing of local health officials deemed responsible.

In Kashgar, the rapid mobilisation of millions of people for coronavirus testing is occurring against an uncomfortable political backdrop. Over the past few years, authorities in Xinjiang have built up one of the world’s most sophisticated surveillance networks. A heavy push to detain people deemed susceptible to religious extremism — which included those who resisted government rules — has left the population more compliant than most to official instructions.

Xinjiang health authorities said the first asymptomatic case in the Kashgar area was detected on Saturday and that 2.8 million residents had been tested by Sunday afternoon. By Monday evening, 4.5 million had been tested.

There were anecdotal reports out of Kashgar over the weekend of restrictions of movement.

“I was shooting a movie this afternoon in Kashgar’s Old City, when we got the notice to put on our face masks and return to the hotel to await instructions,” actor Li Chenhao wrote on the social network Weibo.

“Though there are indications now that the city is under lockdown,” he wrote, “from my window I can see the nearby residential community going through nucleic acid testing in an orderly fashion.”

Photos and video circulating on Weibo showed people lined up on Kashgar’s streets, waiting to be tested at pop-up booths staffed by medical workers in white hazmat suits.

Kashgar schools have suspended classes through to Friday. A number of flights in and out of the area were cancelled.

Media offices of the regional and city governments did not respond to faxed requests for comment.

A similar testing campaign was carried out earlier this month in coastal Qingdao: Authorities ordered all 11 million residents to be tested after the discovery of a cluster of 12 cases, half of them symptomatic.

China has also raced to administer early doses of experimental vaccines, even though clinical tests have yet to be completed. This month, several cities in Zhejiang province – a business hub – began offering limited numbers of emergency COVID-19 vaccines to the public.

Vaccines were rolled out to hundreds of thousands in priority groups, which included the military, government officials and employees of state-owned enterprises.

The outbreak in Kashgar has been traced back to workers at a clothing factory in “No. 3 Village” in the area’s Shufu County, according to the Beijing News. It’s unclear how the virus got to the factory.

The first confirmed case was a 17-year-old girl whose parents worked at the factory, according to a news conference held by the Xinjiang health commission.

The outbreak draws further attention to an area that has faced intense international scrutiny this year. A number of Xinjiang clothing and textile factories were put under US sanctions in recent months, after reports that Muslim Uighurs — the predominant ethnic minority in the region — were being forced to work in factories under threat of detention.

Xinjiang’s top leaders were put under US sanctions this year for human rights violations over a widespread political re-education and detention campaign targeting Uighurs.

Kashgar has been an important trade outpost on the Silk Road for centuries, and it continues to be a hub for trade between China and its neighbours in Central Asia and the Middle East. The city lies close to China’s borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

More than 2 million tourists visited Kashgar this month during the Golden Week holiday, according to official figures.

Xinjiang had a second-wave outbreak in July, which led to two months of lockdown in the region. The source of that outbreak has not been disclosed.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in mainland China now stands at 85,868, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4634.

The Washington Post

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

They tested 4.5 million people in 2 days?

Colour me sceptical.

94000 tests per hour 24 hours per day. I think not.

It’s the collection and not the processing that would be the problem since completed tests are probably sent all over China by plane to get the results.

5 min per test and 12,000 testing teams would enable that level of testing over a 16 hour day over two days if I have my sums are right.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

Amazing. 4.5 million tests in two days.

Michael V said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

Amazing. 4.5 million tests in two days.

Seems to be some debate whether it is amazing or incredible.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Officials test 4.5m people in two days after one asymptomatic case

By Eva Dou
October 28, 2020 — 4.01pm

Seoul: Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China’s Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population.

By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. On Wednesday, authorities confirmed 22 more locally transmitted infections and 19 more asymptomatic cases in the far-western province of Xinjiang, where Kashgar is located.

The numbers contributed to the 42 total cases reported in Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the highest daily toll in more than two months.

The swift response by health authorities in the trade hub of 4.7 million people reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country’s largest since the northern summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/officials-test-4-5m-people-in-two-days-after-one-asymptomatic-case-20201028-p569cl.html

Amazing. 4.5 million tests in two days.

Seems to be some debate whether it is amazing or incredible.

I’m going with bullshit.

well look since they’re not people but they’re drones, it’s not that hard to test a few of them

The hERG gene is the human homolog of the Ether-à-go-go gene found in the Drosophila fly; Ether-à-go-go was named in the 1960s by William D. Kaplan and William E. Trout, III, while at the City of Hope Hospital in Duarte, California. When flies with mutations in the Ether-à-go-go gene are anaesthetised with ether, their legs start to shake, like the dancing at the then popular Whisky A Go-Go nightclub in West Hollywood, California.[

SCIENCE said:

More Whinging

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/nsw-coronavirus-one-new-local-case-confirmed/12821280

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has accused states with closed borders of “lumping” NSW in with Victoria during the coronavirus pandemic, warning the two jurisdictions were in “vastly different” positions.

She’s right, vastly different to the other states — what’s the average LOCAL transmission count in those other states?

whinge whinge whinge

And Now For The Breathtaking Hypocrisy

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-couple-of-zeroes-not-a-covid-free-state-nsw-not-ready-to-open-to-victoria-20201027-p5693d.html
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/rather-cute-nsw-waits-for-queensland-election-for-border-call-berejiklian-20201028-p5698f.html

NSW is reluctant to rush the opening of the Victorian border because of concerns with the Victorian health system, warning two consecutive days of zero cases does not indicate a state is free of COVID-19. Gladys Berejiklian said there was no reason for Queensland’s border closure, but in the case of Victoria, she said she was not ready to make changes before the impact of relaxed restrictions was clear. A fed-up Ms Berejiklian, on Wednesday, urged Queensland and Western Australia to open their borders to NSW residents. But senior ministers say they are reluctant to reopen the Victorian border until they are confident the state has its outbreak under control and its contact tracing up to scratch.

Communist Doctor From The DPRNA Praises Chairman Dan’s Stronghold

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/white-house-covid-expert-anthony-fauci-praises-victoria-masks/12823856

SCIENCE said:

Communist Doctor From The DPRNA Praises Chairman Dan’s Stronghold

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/white-house-covid-expert-anthony-fauci-praises-victoria-masks/12823856

Dr Fauci said among the country’s challenges were how states operated independently despite having a central government.

“Although there’s many positives of independent states, when you’re dealing with a pandemic and you say ‘we need everyone to be doing A, B and C’, and all of a sudden state 43 does this and state 27 does that, it becomes very difficult,” he said.

So just like here then.

sibeen said:

SCIENCE said:

Communist Doctor From The DPRNA Praises Chairman Dan’s Stronghold

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/white-house-covid-expert-anthony-fauci-praises-victoria-masks/12823856

Dr Fauci said among the country’s challenges were how states operated independently despite having a central government.

“Although there’s many positives of independent states, when you’re dealing with a pandemic and you say ‘we need everyone to be doing A, B and C’, and all of a sudden state 43 does this and state 27 does that, it becomes very difficult,” he said.

So just like here then.

But with a lot more states…

sibeen said:

SCIENCE said:

Communist Doctor From The DPRNA Praises Chairman Dan’s Stronghold

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/white-house-covid-expert-anthony-fauci-praises-victoria-masks/12823856

Dr Fauci said among the country’s challenges were how states operated independently despite having a central government.

“Although there’s many positives of independent states, when you’re dealing with a pandemic and you say ‘we need everyone to be doing A, B and C’, and all of a sudden state 43 does this and state 27 does that, it becomes very difficult,” he said.

So just like here then.

No. We only count up to 6 on our list of states.

Michael V said:

sibeen said:

SCIENCE said:

Communist Doctor From The DPRNA Praises Chairman Dan’s Stronghold

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/white-house-covid-expert-anthony-fauci-praises-victoria-masks/12823856

Dr Fauci said among the country’s challenges were how states operated independently despite having a central government.

“Although there’s many positives of independent states, when you’re dealing with a pandemic and you say ‘we need everyone to be doing A, B and C’, and all of a sudden state 43 does this and state 27 does that, it becomes very difficult,” he said.

So just like here then.

But with a lot more states…

well be that as it may, seems like most states here have individually gotten things under control, as well as together, so we suppose it’s quite different after all

indeed, judging by how large areas of ASIA can get away with lying about how under control they have things, perhaps “lots of different states approaching things their own way” really is what we think it is, which is an excuse

Germany will go into a national lockdown from the start of next week in an effort to curb rocketing COVID-19 infections, while France will enter a nationwide lockdown on Friday.

SCIENCE said:

Germany will go into a national lockdown from the start of next week in an effort to curb rocketing COVID-19 infections, while France will enter a nationwide lockdown on Friday.

Thanks mate. I’ve been cleaning my kitchen since 6AM and I’ve heard the news repeat itself that many times.

roughbarked said:

Thanks mate. I’ve been cleaning my kitchen since 6AM and I’ve heard the news repeat itself that many times.

well you’re welcome, we do appreciate the thanks for the opportunity to read it too, some people don’t have the privilege of a working auditory sense

SCIENCE said:

roughbarked said:

Thanks mate. I’ve been cleaning my kitchen since 6AM and I’ve heard the news repeat itself that many times.

well you’re welcome, we do appreciate the thanks for the opportunity to read it too, some people don’t have the privilege of a working auditory sense

Well, I’m only halfway there.

Woodie! One for you. Not in Victoria this time!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/pub-shut-for-incomplete-customer-covid-19-sign-ins/12823182

Ah, and a friend asked me a question yesterday that I can’t answer. When they do sewage testing for viral fragments, what volume of sewage do they test? If it’s a small volume, like a vial, there would have to be quite a high level of virus for it to be caught in the vial, wouldn’t it. If there wasn’t much in the sewage, there’d be a high chance of missing the viral bits in the sample?

buffy said:

Ah, and a friend asked me a question yesterday that I can’t answer. When they do sewage testing for viral fragments, what volume of sewage do they test? If it’s a small volume, like a vial, there would have to be quite a high level of virus for it to be caught in the vial, wouldn’t it. If there wasn’t much in the sewage, there’d be a high chance of missing the viral bits in the sample?

maybe they test many vials, so even if the chance of detection in any given vial is small, the chance of detection in some vial is good

cue each every discussion

Liars, We Thought Masks Prevent Communication And Make More Danger

Just a quick PSA, please make sure you’re keeping your mask on when talking to hospo staff- I can probably hear you behind the mask, and I’d rather ask you twice than you pull it down to talk to me. Not at all to detract from so many doing the right thing, but to make sure everyone is on the same page, thank you

Oh wait not just in healthcare, even in education imagine if paginated media were used in classrooms, students wearing masks might still be able to read, well, except those nerds with glasses who will get them all fogged up. But they’re nerds, they’re smart, they don’t need to hear the teacher whose voice is insignificantly muffled by a mask, anyway.

buffy said:

Ah, and a friend asked me a question yesterday that I can’t answer. When they do sewage testing for viral fragments, what volume of sewage do they test? If it’s a small volume, like a vial, there would have to be quite a high level of virus for it to be caught in the vial, wouldn’t it. If there wasn’t much in the sewage, there’d be a high chance of missing the viral bits in the sample?

I found this bit from

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/wastewater-surveillance/developing-a-wastewater-surveillance-sampling-strategy.html

Selecting a sample volume

The volume of sample to collect will depend on the sample type (wastewater or sludge). A 1 liter (L) composite wastewater sample or 100 milliliter (ml) grab sludge sample volume should be adequate for testing. The maximum amount of sludge solids that may be directly extracted is typically around 2 grams. The remaining sample volume (if any) can be used for repeat measurement or to assess biological variability.

The volume of sample that is concentrated and quantified will determine the lowest amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA that can be detected. Concentrating more than 1 L of wastewater may result in poor recovery or viral signal inhibition. If using grab samples, consult with wastewater treatment plant staff to collect representative samples that capture peak times of human fecal loading and to understand the solids residence time for sludge.

Developing a Wastewater Surveillance Sampling Strategy
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/wastewater-surveillance/developing-a-wastewater-surveillance-sampling-strategy.html

COVID-19 clues in a community’s sewage: 4 questions answered about watching wastewater for coronavirus https://theconversation.com/covid-19-clues-in-a-communitys-sewage-4-questions-answered-about-watching-wastewater-for-coronavirus-144255

During his address on French television, Mr Macron said the new wave of cases was worse than forecast.

“The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated,” he said.

Sure.

SCIENCE said:

During his address on French television, Mr Macron said the new wave of cases was worse than forecast.

“The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated,” he said.

Sure.

They need Daniel Andrews.

Tau.Neutrino said:

SCIENCE said:

During his address on French television, Mr Macron said the new wave of cases was worse than forecast.

“The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated,” he said.

Sure.

They need Daniel Andrews.

Looks like quite a few countries need Daniel Andrews.

Tau.Neutrino said:

buffy said:

Ah, and a friend asked me a question yesterday that I can’t answer. When they do sewage testing for viral fragments, what volume of sewage do they test? If it’s a small volume, like a vial, there would have to be quite a high level of virus for it to be caught in the vial, wouldn’t it. If there wasn’t much in the sewage, there’d be a high chance of missing the viral bits in the sample?

I found this bit from

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/wastewater-surveillance/developing-a-wastewater-surveillance-sampling-strategy.html

Selecting a sample volume

The volume of sample to collect will depend on the sample type (wastewater or sludge). A 1 liter (L) composite wastewater sample or 100 milliliter (ml) grab sludge sample volume should be adequate for testing. The maximum amount of sludge solids that may be directly extracted is typically around 2 grams. The remaining sample volume (if any) can be used for repeat measurement or to assess biological variability.

The volume of sample that is concentrated and quantified will determine the lowest amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA that can be detected. Concentrating more than 1 L of wastewater may result in poor recovery or viral signal inhibition. If using grab samples, consult with wastewater treatment plant staff to collect representative samples that capture peak times of human fecal loading and to understand the solids residence time for sludge.

Developing a Wastewater Surveillance Sampling Strategy
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/wastewater-surveillance/developing-a-wastewater-surveillance-sampling-strategy.html

COVID-19 clues in a community’s sewage: 4 questions answered about watching wastewater for coronavirus https://theconversation.com/covid-19-clues-in-a-communitys-sewage-4-questions-answered-about-watching-wastewater-for-coronavirus-144255

They do seem like small samples considering the volume of sewage in even a small town system.

buffy said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

buffy said:

Ah, and a friend asked me a question yesterday that I can’t answer. When they do sewage testing for viral fragments, what volume of sewage do they test? If it’s a small volume, like a vial, there would have to be quite a high level of virus for it to be caught in the vial, wouldn’t it. If there wasn’t much in the sewage, there’d be a high chance of missing the viral bits in the sample?

I found this bit from

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/wastewater-surveillance/developing-a-wastewater-surveillance-sampling-strategy.html

Selecting a sample volume

The volume of sample to collect will depend on the sample type (wastewater or sludge). A 1 liter (L) composite wastewater sample or 100 milliliter (ml) grab sludge sample volume should be adequate for testing. The maximum amount of sludge solids that may be directly extracted is typically around 2 grams. The remaining sample volume (if any) can be used for repeat measurement or to assess biological variability.

The volume of sample that is concentrated and quantified will determine the lowest amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA that can be detected. Concentrating more than 1 L of wastewater may result in poor recovery or viral signal inhibition. If using grab samples, consult with wastewater treatment plant staff to collect representative samples that capture peak times of human fecal loading and to understand the solids residence time for sludge.

Developing a Wastewater Surveillance Sampling Strategy
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/wastewater-surveillance/developing-a-wastewater-surveillance-sampling-strategy.html

COVID-19 clues in a community’s sewage: 4 questions answered about watching wastewater for coronavirus https://theconversation.com/covid-19-clues-in-a-communitys-sewage-4-questions-answered-about-watching-wastewater-for-coronavirus-144255

They do seem like small samples considering the volume of sewage in even a small town system.

Yes.

While Other Countries Infringe Human Rights Or Lie About Millions Of Tests Done Per Day, Australia Goes With A Shit Surveillance System

8.44am

NSW sewage testing ‘doesn’t seem’ to show large numbers of undetected cases

By Mary Ward

NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Jeremy McAnulty has provided some more information about the rationale behind the state’s sewage tracing system, stressing the coronavirus fragments found at a western Sydney plant do not necessarily mean the area has large numbers of undetected infections.

Earlier this week, virus fragments detected at a sewage treatment plant at Glenfield prompted alerts for residents in a number of suburbs to be alert for symptoms. On Wednesday, it was announced the sewage testing program was being expanded, with smaller catchments to be tested for more precise results.

Dr. Jeremy Mcanulty from NSW Health has urged people to get tested early after a new case of COVID-19 was detected at a school in Huxton Park.

Asked if he thought it was possible lots of Sydneysiders had the virus without knowing, Dr McAnulty told Today “that doesn’t seem to be the case”.

“This sewage surveillance system has been a real boom to help us understand where the virus might be,” he explained, adding it was largely being used as an indication as to where testing efforts should be focused.

“It is still experimental but we are using it more and more to get a better idea of where cases may be and, while there may be false negatives or false positives out of that sewage, it gives us an indication of where to do the testing.”

Pub forced to close after COVID breach.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/pub-shut-for-incomplete-customer-covid-19-sign-ins/12823182

TLDR: Patrons were supplying false details to contract tracing. Police raided, pub shut down, publican faces fines. Publican complains that “thousands of people are allowed in stadiums and hundreds through shopping centres, and they’re not asked to provide details.”

I don’t know about the claim that keeping records is costly. You can subscribe to a secure system using QR codes for $99, or you can do your own for free, or you can use pencils and paper. But you can never trust people to provide correct details themselves. In Qld (I don’t know about other states) you have to keep those details for 56 days for contact tracing purposes. If its done via QR code/website, you probably have to pay for hosting/storage but paper shouldn’t require anything other than labelled shoe boxes.

Divine Angel said:

Pub forced to close after COVID breach.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/pub-shut-for-incomplete-customer-covid-19-sign-ins/12823182

TLDR: Patrons were supplying false details to contract tracing. Police raided, pub shut down, publican faces fines. Publican complains that “thousands of people are allowed in stadiums and hundreds through shopping centres, and they’re not asked to provide details.”

I don’t know about the claim that keeping records is costly. You can subscribe to a secure system using QR codes for $99, or you can do your own for free, or you can use pencils and paper. But you can never trust people to provide correct details themselves. In Qld (I don’t know about other states) you have to keep those details for 56 days for contact tracing purposes. If its done via QR code/website, you probably have to pay for hosting/storage but paper shouldn’t require anything other than labelled shoe boxes.

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

buffy said:

Divine Angel said:

Pub forced to close after COVID breach.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/pub-shut-for-incomplete-customer-covid-19-sign-ins/12823182

TLDR: Patrons were supplying false details to contract tracing. Police raided, pub shut down, publican faces fines. Publican complains that “thousands of people are allowed in stadiums and hundreds through shopping centres, and they’re not asked to provide details.”

I don’t know about the claim that keeping records is costly. You can subscribe to a secure system using QR codes for $99, or you can do your own for free, or you can use pencils and paper. But you can never trust people to provide correct details themselves. In Qld (I don’t know about other states) you have to keep those details for 56 days for contact tracing purposes. If its done via QR code/website, you probably have to pay for hosting/storage but paper shouldn’t require anything other than labelled shoe boxes.

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Divine Angel said:

Pub forced to close after COVID breach.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/pub-shut-for-incomplete-customer-covid-19-sign-ins/12823182

TLDR: Patrons were supplying false details to contract tracing. Police raided, pub shut down, publican faces fines. Publican complains that “thousands of people are allowed in stadiums and hundreds through shopping centres, and they’re not asked to provide details.”

I don’t know about the claim that keeping records is costly. You can subscribe to a secure system using QR codes for $99, or you can do your own for free, or you can use pencils and paper. But you can never trust people to provide correct details themselves. In Qld (I don’t know about other states) you have to keep those details for 56 days for contact tracing purposes. If its done via QR code/website, you probably have to pay for hosting/storage but paper shouldn’t require anything other than labelled shoe boxes.

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Divine Angel said:

Pub forced to close after COVID breach.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/pub-shut-for-incomplete-customer-covid-19-sign-ins/12823182

TLDR: Patrons were supplying false details to contract tracing. Police raided, pub shut down, publican faces fines. Publican complains that “thousands of people are allowed in stadiums and hundreds through shopping centres, and they’re not asked to provide details.”

I don’t know about the claim that keeping records is costly. You can subscribe to a secure system using QR codes for $99, or you can do your own for free, or you can use pencils and paper. But you can never trust people to provide correct details themselves. In Qld (I don’t know about other states) you have to keep those details for 56 days for contact tracing purposes. If its done via QR code/website, you probably have to pay for hosting/storage but paper shouldn’t require anything other than labelled shoe boxes.

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

No barcode on my driver licence.

We went to the club a couple of weeks ago for a meal. We filled in a paper register and showed ID’s. We were then allowed in and shown to our seat. Simple, really.

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

No barcode on my driver licence.

We went to the club a couple of weeks ago for a meal. We filled in a paper register and showed ID’s. We were then allowed in and shown to our seat. Simple, really.

Just like old fashioned booking for a restaurant, except they want ID as well.

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

I don’t have a drivers license or a smartphone. But I also don’t have a life.

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

Yes but most going to a bar would have to be old enough to have a license and most young people get a license as soon as possible. Though I’ll admit I didn’t need a license until the birth of my first child was imminent and that’s when I got it.

PWM has a list. I’m not on it. yet.

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

No barcode on my driver licence.

We went to the club a couple of weeks ago for a meal. We filled in a paper register and showed ID’s. We were then allowed in and shown to our seat. Simple, really.

Yes. It isn’t rocket science.

buffy said:

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

No barcode on my driver licence.

We went to the club a couple of weeks ago for a meal. We filled in a paper register and showed ID’s. We were then allowed in and shown to our seat. Simple, really.

Just like old fashioned booking for a restaurant, except they want ID as well.

Pretty much.

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

I don’t have a drivers license or a smartphone. But I also don’t have a life.

You have a very full life. The pH can be a bit on the acidic side but very full. ;)

ChrispenEvan said:

PWM has a list. I’m not on it. yet.

A list of?

ChrispenEvan said:

PWM has a list. I’m not on it. yet.

what sort of list?

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

I don’t have a drivers license or a smartphone. But I also don’t have a life.

Ah, but you do have a passport. (Or at least I assume that when you went overseas that it wasn’t illicit.)

Michael V said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

I don’t have a drivers license or a smartphone. But I also don’t have a life.

Ah, but you do have a passport. (Or at least I assume that when you went overseas that it wasn’t illicit.)

:) He’s watching you. :)

Arts said:

ChrispenEvan said:

PWM has a list. I’m not on it. yet.

what sort of list?

a list of things that can get “rude word here”.

ChrispenEvan said:

Arts said:

ChrispenEvan said:

PWM has a list. I’m not on it. yet.

what sort of list?

a list of things that can get “rude word here”.

ah… that list.

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I’m not sure how long you have to keep the records here in Victoria. I could ask the bakery people, I suppose. But it did occur to me that electronic records are likely to be kept longer/can be easily kept longer than required.

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

No barcode on my driver licence.

We went to the club a couple of weeks ago for a meal. We filled in a paper register and showed ID’s. We were then allowed in and shown to our seat. Simple, really.

I paper check in at the library & the blood collection clinic.

ChrispenEvan said:

Arts said:

ChrispenEvan said:

PWM has a list. I’m not on it. yet.

what sort of list?

a list of things that can get “rude word here”.

So he likes you then?

Michael V said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

I don’t have a drivers license or a smartphone. But I also don’t have a life.

Ah, but you do have a passport. (Or at least I assume that when you went overseas that it wasn’t illicit.)

Yes. I have a passport.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

Yes but most going to a bar would have to be old enough to have a license and most young people get a license as soon as possible. Though I’ll admit I didn’t need a license until the birth of my first child was imminent and that’s when I got it.

You might be surprised how many young folk don’t bother with a licence these days. Especially in the city where public transport/uber etc are available.

roughbarked said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

I don’t have a drivers license or a smartphone. But I also don’t have a life.

You have a very full life. The pH can be a bit on the acidic side but very full. ;)

yours is acetic, ours is ascetic

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Not everyone has a driver’s licence. Of course, I haven’t got a smartphone, so I can’t do a QR code. So far our friend or Mr buffy has scanned and added me as an accompanying person. If I decide to go on my own to the bakery for coffee, Amanda will write me on the pencil and paper list.

Yes but most going to a bar would have to be old enough to have a license and most young people get a license as soon as possible. Though I’ll admit I didn’t need a license until the birth of my first child was imminent and that’s when I got it.

You might be surprised how many young folk don’t bother with a licence these days. Especially in the city where public transport/uber etc are available.

Yeah. I’ve never spent much time at all in any city. Even though my hometown is now a city.

SCIENCE said:

roughbarked said:

sarahs mum said:

I don’t have a drivers license or a smartphone. But I also don’t have a life.

You have a very full life. The pH can be a bit on the acidic side but very full. ;)

yours is acetic, ours is ascetic

Hers was nitric.

buffy said:

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

It all should come off the barcode on their drivers license.

No barcode on my driver licence.

We went to the club a couple of weeks ago for a meal. We filled in a paper register and showed ID’s. We were then allowed in and shown to our seat. Simple, really.

Just like old fashioned booking for a restaurant, except they want ID as well.

I just asked senior sprog, there is no registration required for anyone to enter the k-mart.

That’s just ridiculous.

Remember the days of Sunday trading for pubs for ‘bona fide travellers only’?

You had to write your name and address in the register to show that you weren’t a local.

So, you’d write down a fictitious name and an address that was about 100 km away, and then go in to join all your friends and neighbours, none of whom was there under their own name.

captain_spalding said:

Remember the days of Sunday trading for pubs for ‘bona fide travellers only’?

You had to write your name and address in the register to show that you weren’t a local.

So, you’d write down a fictitious name and an address that was about 100 km away, and then go in to join all your friends and neighbours, none of whom was there under their own name.

and all recognisable locals to the publican. Underage as well. I recall on my eighteenth birthday the publican asked me for my drivers license. I said why? You have been serving me for the past four years and you only ask on my birthday because you don’t believe me?
In fact you also know that I don’t have one if you are observant.

Not So Up Ourselves About Tearing Down Borders Now Are We

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/nsw-coronavirus-five-new-coronavirus-infections-four-local/12825228

NSW coronavirus cases increase by five with four locally acquired cases

NSW Premier says health authorities need to watch Victorian numbers for two weeks before reopening borders

NSW has recorded its first mystery coronavirus infection in over two weeks, while a Sydney school has closed after two students tested positive.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called Queensland’s 28-day benchmark for reopening “unrealistic”

“What we need to see is evidence that once the so-called ‘ring of steel’ is open in Melbourne and once restrictions are eased, the impact of what those easing of restrictions means, that is really the critical decision-making process for NSW,” she said.

“It takes at least two weeks for us to see what that will do.”

But she said she was unable to commit to opening the border with Victoria by Christmas amid too many unknowns about what is to come.

But she reinforced calls for other states to open their borders to NSW residents, commending her state for being the “only state that has such intense COVID-safe plans for business, for community events and for community gatherings” which dwindled the state’s numbers.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-22/right-wing-trolling-magda-szubanski-sharon-ad-covid-coronavirus/12800140

I mentioned FB highlighting the dumbest comment in a thread…

dv said:

I mentioned FB highlighting the dumbest comment in a thread…

Well I don’t know Anne, but if I did I’d probably want to know that she was clueless. FB may be doing many people a favour by pointing her out.

dv said:

I mentioned FB highlighting the dumbest comment in a thread…

She’s right, the US is at THE TOP OF THE LIST for Covid, Australia is nowhere.

Thank God President Trump doesn’t follow the losers.

dv said:

I mentioned FB highlighting the dumbest comment in a thread…

Anne Owen can Piss Off.

hasn’t been completely swamped by the trolls yet but the stories can be quite sad

https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1321579402879291399

it’s 10 months into a pandemic and these experts are finally cracking the case

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/28/understanding-aerosol-transmission-key-controlling-coronavirus-wash-hands

no, wait, 10 months is early,
it only took 20 years for cleaning hands and equipment before surgical procedures to become a thing,
and it’s been over 30 years and look how good we’re doing with the global warming hoax

Just looking at Worldometer numbers.

Belgium had 21,000 new cases yesterday, with a population of less than 12 million.

At the same rate/head USA would have 600,000 new cases/day and India 2.5 million.

Victoria has recorded four new cases of coronavirus and no further COVID-19 deaths, the state’s health department says.

With 36 infections recorded in the past two weeks, Melbourne’s rolling 14-day average has risen slightly to 2.6, up from 2.4 on Thursday.

But the number of mystery cases with an unknown source over a fortnight has fallen to just two, down from four in Thursday’s reporting period.

One of the mystery cases was from October 15, and the other was recorded on October 24.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Just looking at Worldometer numbers.

Belgium had 21,000 new cases yesterday, with a population of less than 12 million.

At the same rate/head USA would have 600,000 new cases/day and India 2.5 million.

Trump Was Right The American Pandemic Has Ended

The Rev Dodgson said:

Just looking at Worldometer numbers.

Belgium had 21,000 new cases yesterday, with a population of less than 12 million.

At the same rate/head USA would have 600,000 new cases/day and India 2.5 million.

Bloody!

SCIENCE said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Just looking at Worldometer numbers.

Belgium had 21,000 new cases yesterday, with a population of less than 12 million.

At the same rate/head USA would have 600,000 new cases/day and India 2.5 million.

Trump Was Right The American Pandemic Has Ended

I think you are being unfair on the American pandemic. It may not have the flair of the Belgian version, but it’s doing a steady job, and it’s on the way back up.

The Rev Dodgson said:

SCIENCE said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Just looking at Worldometer numbers.

Belgium had 21,000 new cases yesterday, with a population of less than 12 million.

At the same rate/head USA would have 600,000 new cases/day and India 2.5 million.

Trump Was Right The American Pandemic Has Ended

I think you are being unfair on the American pandemic. It may not have the flair of the Belgian version, but it’s doing a steady job, and it’s on the way back up.

Well technically, in any single country or province/state, it is an epidemic. Pandemic describes combined epidemics in all countries.

New South Wales has recorded one new locally acquired coronavirus infection in a child in Sydney’s south west

You have to wonder if they just did what those lying murdering hacking countries in ASIA did and blanket test hotspots, might they be getting on top of this ongoing South West Sydney problem a little faster, it’s been going on a while, like a 6 month while…

This is going to be interesting.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/sweden-hits-highest-daily-coronavirus-case-number/12829990

They have been moving down the deaths per million table recently.

buffy said:

This is going to be interesting.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/sweden-hits-highest-daily-coronavirus-case-number/12829990

They have been moving down the deaths per million table recently.

“Striving for herd immunity is neither ethical nor otherwise justifiable,” Dr Tegnell told German paper Die Zeit.

It Was That Other Guy Who Suggested It

https://www.caas.gov.sg/who-we-are/newsroom/Detail/singapore-welcomes-visitors-from-mainland-china-and-victoria-state-(australia)-from-6-november-2020/

2 Both Mainland China and Victoria State (Australia) have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and displayed successful control over the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Over the past 28 days, Mainland China and Victoria State (Australia) has a virus local incidence rate of 0.00009 and 0.099 per 100,000 respectively. The risk of importation from these places is low.

4 We will also update the travel advisory to allow travel to Mainland China and all of Australia. Travellers are advised to check the entry requirements imposed by these countries and take the necessary precautionary measures.

(1)
How Dare Dan Achieve Victorian Reunification With The Rest Of Australia

(2)
See, Told You Victoria Was Just A New South China

How Dare This Upstart Little Asian Island Country Treat Australia The Same As China

SCIENCE said:

https://www.caas.gov.sg/who-we-are/newsroom/Detail/singapore-welcomes-visitors-from-mainland-china-and-victoria-state-(australia)-from-6-november-2020/

2 Both Mainland China and Victoria State (Australia) have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and displayed successful control over the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Over the past 28 days, Mainland China and Victoria State (Australia) has a virus local incidence rate of 0.00009 and 0.099 per 100,000 respectively. The risk of importation from these places is low.

4 We will also update the travel advisory to allow travel to Mainland China and all of Australia. Travellers are advised to check the entry requirements imposed by these countries and take the necessary precautionary measures.

(1)
How Dare Dan Achieve Victorian Reunification With The Rest Of Australia

(2)
See, Told You Victoria Was Just A New South China

How Dare This Upstart Little Asian Island Country Treat Australia The Same As China

Another Corner Turned

Airman Ann Pulls October Surprise

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/queensland-border-decision-covid-coronavirus-reopening-nsw-close/12802652

Queensland will open its border to New South Wales from 1:00am on November 3, but it will remain closed to Greater Sydney and Victoria, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

The decision has been made on the eve of the state election.

SCIENCE said:

Airman Ann Pulls October Surprise

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/queensland-border-decision-covid-coronavirus-reopening-nsw-close/12802652

Queensland will open its border to New South Wales from 1:00am on November 3, but it will remain closed to Greater Sydney and Victoria, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

The decision has been made on the eve of the state election.

Damn coincidence

Australian Sheeple Flock Back To CHINA Instead Of Standing Up For Rights

China is now buying 83 per cent of Australia’s wool clip, up from 76 per cent — or 423 million kgs — in 2018–19

Australian Wool Innovation made the call in mid March to pull out of its global marketing campaigns as the pandemic heightened, lockdowns continued, and retail spending plummeted.

Both India and Italy are buying very little Australian wool

“The clubhouse leader, by a long way at the moment, is China,” Mr McCullough said.

“We’re still particularly concerned about Italy, the UK and the US.

AWI is hoping to capitalise on China’s population of 1.4 billion people with its economic recovery during the pandemic.

“It’s the only economy in the world that we can see with any GDP growth at the moment,” Mr McCullough said.

“Every other macro economy of the world that consumes our product is in negative GDP growth.

“And China seems to be coming out of COVID with a V curve.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2020-10-30/australian-wool-trade-reliance-on-china-grows/12821054

It’s almost as if lying about how good your pandemic control is, and having some evidence to back it up, could make your economy a bull’s hit ¡

SCIENCE said:

Australian Sheeple Flock Back To CHINA Instead Of Standing Up For Rights

AWI is hoping to capitalise on China’s population of 1.4 billion people with its economic recovery during the pandemic.

“It’s the only economy in the world that we can see with any GDP growth at the moment,” Mr McCullough said.

“Every other macro economy of the world that consumes our product is in negative GDP growth.

“And China seems to be coming out of COVID with a V curve.”

Sure, they’re childish and petulant authoritarians who believe that they have some sort of divine right to conquer the world, and incarcerate and eliminate any people or peoples who suggest that they don’t.

They’re all that. But, they also have money.

So, there’s no reason to not deal with them.

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Australian Sheeple Flock Back To CHINA Instead Of Standing Up For Rights

AWI is hoping to capitalise on China’s population of 1.4 billion people with its economic recovery during the pandemic.

“It’s the only economy in the world that we can see with any GDP growth at the moment,” Mr McCullough said.

“Every other macro economy of the world that consumes our product is in negative GDP growth.

“And China seems to be coming out of COVID with a V curve.”

Sure, they’re childish and petulant authoritarians who believe that they have some sort of divine right to conquer the world, and incarcerate and eliminate any people or peoples who suggest that they don’t.

They’re all that. But, they also have money.

So, there’s no reason to not deal with them.

How Dare You Insult The DPRNAmericans

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/daniel-andrews-takes-day-off-after-120-covid-media-briefings/12831460

Good. I hope he is able to turn off, have a sleep in, relax a bit.

91350 new cases in the US yesterday. Three consecutive days with over 1000 deaths

dv said:

91350 new cases in the US yesterday. Three consecutive days with over 1000 deaths

Yep this China is going away I tell you. Don’t let it affect you.

roughbarked said:

dv said:

91350 new cases in the US yesterday. Three consecutive days with over 1000 deaths

Yep this China is going away I tell you. Don’t let it affect you.

“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

dv said:

91350 new cases in the US yesterday. Three consecutive days with over 1000 deaths

Yep this China is going away I tell you. Don’t let it affect you.

“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

The stars will burn out, baryonic matter will all decay, and kerblamo, no virus

buffy said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/daniel-andrews-takes-day-off-after-120-covid-media-briefings/12831460

Good. I hope he is able to turn off, have a sleep in, relax a bit.

bludger

dv said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

dv said:

91350 new cases in the US yesterday. Three consecutive days with over 1000 deaths

Yep this China is going away I tell you. Don’t let it affect you.

“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

The stars will burn out, baryonic matter will all decay, and kerblamo, no virus

3000 fewer Democrat voters no problem

dv said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Yep this China is going away I tell you. Don’t let it affect you.

“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

The stars will burn out, baryonic matter will all decay, and kerblamo, no virus

I think while leaders like Scomo, Andrews and Gladys Unspellable can comment on the virus we need to listen to those who have actually had It, those warriors who have done battle with it and seen it face to face, those who know it’s evil and have bettered it in the dark chasms of their very being.

dv said:

91350 new cases in the US yesterday. Three consecutive days with over 1000 deaths

Trump told them it’d gone away. Gone a way, way up high.

dv said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Yep this China is going away I tell you. Don’t let it affect you.

“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

The stars will burn out, baryonic matter will all decay, and kerblamo, no virus

LOL

If a virus is not alive how can they say it will live for x days on a surface?

Donald Trump Jr claims Covid numbers are “basically down to nothing”.

https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1322001939266109441?s=21

Peak Warming Man said:

If a virus is not alive how can they say it will live for x days on a surface?

Isn’t it technically not alive by some definitions

Peak Warming Man said:

If a virus is not alive how can they say it will live for x days on a surface?

Where live = survive and still be able to replicate.

Michael V said:

Peak Warming Man said:

If a virus is not alive how can they say it will live for x days on a surface?

Where live = survive and still be able to replicate.

or lie in wait for prospective victims.

Cymek said:

Peak Warming Man said:

If a virus is not alive how can they say it will live for x days on a surface?

Isn’t it technically not alive by some definitions

What they mean that it remains viable for x days on a surface. It is not alive as such.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/western-australia-hard-border-update/12830120

Peak Warming Man said:

If a virus is not alive how can they say it will live for x days on a surface?

That’s the argument they’re going to run for abortion in the Supreme Court we think.

Hey we’ve got some dickheads in Australian politics but at least none of the deputy premiers are doing this

https://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/idaho-republicans-including-lt-gov-mcgeachin-decry-pandemic-measures-in-new-video/article_72eda5ac-2a09-561d-9b31-db313c29bb18.html

dv said:

Hey we’ve got some dickheads in Australian politics but at least none of the deputy premiers are doing this

https://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/idaho-republicans-including-lt-gov-mcgeachin-decry-pandemic-measures-in-new-video/article_72eda5ac-2a09-561d-9b31-db313c29bb18.html

they deny what??

dv said:

Hey we’ve got some dickheads in Australian politics but at least none of the deputy premiers are doing this

https://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/idaho-republicans-including-lt-gov-mcgeachin-decry-pandemic-measures-in-new-video/article_72eda5ac-2a09-561d-9b31-db313c29bb18.html

Several Idaho lawmakers should be locked up.

dv said:

Hey we’ve got some dickheads in Australian politics but at least none of the deputy premiers are doing this

https://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/idaho-republicans-including-lt-gov-mcgeachin-decry-pandemic-measures-in-new-video/article_72eda5ac-2a09-561d-9b31-db313c29bb18.html

Feck me!

Good News, Death Rate Is Low

It’s a ‘worst of both worlds’ scenario that risks wearing down the public’s patience, according to Professor Robert West, an expert in health psychology at University College London who also advises the UK Government.

“The half-measures… don’t seem to work,” he told the ABC.

—

‘sif, they work just fine when you say they work just fine

SCIENCE said:

Good News, Death Rate Is Low

Still dropping down the deaths per million chart, down to number 17 now.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

buffy said:

SCIENCE said:

Good News, Death Rate Is Low

Still dropping down the deaths per million chart, down to number 17 now.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

And thinking about that, they should be able to tell about re-infections from their numbers too.

An interesting write-up.

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-10-28/a-room-a-bar-and-a-class-how-the-coronavirus-is-spread-through-the-air.html

Dan Is Probably To Blame For This

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-31/covid-19-check-in-data-using-qr-codes-raises-privacy-concerns/12823432

Classic For Us, Do It Badly Then Sell The Good Bits To Surveillance Capitalists

SCIENCE said:

Dan Is Probably To Blame For This

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-31/covid-19-check-in-data-using-qr-codes-raises-privacy-concerns/12823432

Classic For Us, Do It Badly Then Sell The Good Bits To Surveillance Capitalists

Mr buffy tells me you scan the QR code, you put in your name (he just puts his first name) and phone number. You can put in your email if you want. And names of any accompanying people. So it’s pretty much what you could get from the White Pages anyway.

https://sebastianrushworth.com/2020/10/28/covid-19-a-swedish-care-home-doctors-perspective/?_gl=1*13mtyep*_ga*YW1wLTB2UXdQQlBXaC1LNHBDai1CSHRaM0E.

CORONAVIRUS RHAPSODY :)

Coronavirus Rhapsody (based on Bohemian Rhapsody) – Covid19

dv said:

The meaning of queer.

Fact checking Trump’s claim that hospitals are inflating Covid numbers to get more cash.
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/hospital-payments-and-the-covid-19-death-count/

technical slightly, decent likely

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/coronavirus-melbourne-how-we-hit-our-target/12826692

101000 new cases yesterday in the US and A. Over 3 million active cases now.
988 deaths yesterday, 5900 in the past week.

Wonder what those numbers would be if CDC were reporting.

Interesting read.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32206-6/fulltext

There have been just over 2000 cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care in Australia. Of the 904 deaths from COVID-19 in the country at the time of writing, 682 have been in aged care homes, mostly in the state of Victoria.

State-run aged care—which operates under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients—has recorded very few COVID-19 cases and no deaths. Private facilities have no such quotas.

To paraphrase:

The bulk of Australia’s COVID deaths have been in Victorian privately run aged care facilities. State run aged care facilities have recorded zero deaths.

Dark Orange said:

Interesting read.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32206-6/fulltext

There have been just over 2000 cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care in Australia. Of the 904 deaths from COVID-19 in the country at the time of writing, 682 have been in aged care homes, mostly in the state of Victoria.

State-run aged care—which operates under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients—has recorded very few COVID-19 cases and no deaths. Private facilities have no such quotas.

To paraphrase:

The bulk of Australia’s COVID deaths have been in Victorian privately run aged care facilities. State run aged care facilities have recorded zero deaths.

¿ you mean the ones that Federal are responsible for ?

SCIENCE said:

Wonder what those numbers would be if CDC were reporting.

sigh

Dark Orange said:

Interesting read.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32206-6/fulltext

There have been just over 2000 cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care in Australia. Of the 904 deaths from COVID-19 in the country at the time of writing, 682 have been in aged care homes, mostly in the state of Victoria.

State-run aged care—which operates under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients—has recorded very few COVID-19 cases and no deaths. Private facilities have no such quotas.

To paraphrase:

The bulk of Australia’s COVID deaths have been in Victorian privately run aged care facilities. State run aged care facilities have recorded zero deaths.

And the Federal Minister takes no responsibility whatsoever.

:(

Michael V said:

Dark Orange said:

Interesting read.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32206-6/fulltext

There have been just over 2000 cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care in Australia. Of the 904 deaths from COVID-19 in the country at the time of writing, 682 have been in aged care homes, mostly in the state of Victoria.

State-run aged care—which operates under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients—has recorded very few COVID-19 cases and no deaths. Private facilities have no such quotas.

To paraphrase:

The bulk of Australia’s COVID deaths have been in Victorian privately run aged care facilities. State run aged care facilities have recorded zero deaths.

And the Federal Minister takes no responsibility whatsoever.

:(

But the federal government also looks after the care home in NSW, QLD, SA. etc. Places that didn’t have a shedload of deaths. Do they get the kudos for that?

sibeen said:

Michael V said:

Dark Orange said:

Interesting read.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32206-6/fulltext

There have been just over 2000 cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care in Australia. Of the 904 deaths from COVID-19 in the country at the time of writing, 682 have been in aged care homes, mostly in the state of Victoria.

State-run aged care—which operates under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients—has recorded very few COVID-19 cases and no deaths. Private facilities have no such quotas.

To paraphrase:

The bulk of Australia’s COVID deaths have been in Victorian privately run aged care facilities. State run aged care facilities have recorded zero deaths.

And the Federal Minister takes no responsibility whatsoever.

:(

But the federal government also looks after the care home in NSW, QLD, SA. etc. Places that didn’t have a shedload of deaths. Do they get the kudos for that?

No. That is not how the scoring system works.

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

Michael V said:

And the Federal Minister takes no responsibility whatsoever.

:(

But the federal government also looks after the care home in NSW, QLD, SA. etc. Places that didn’t have a shedload of deaths. Do they get the kudos for that?

No. That is not how the scoring system works.

Yeah, I know, statistics are so grand and so easy to cherry pick to suit.

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

Michael V said:

And the Federal Minister takes no responsibility whatsoever.

:(

But the federal government also looks after the care home in NSW, QLD, SA. etc. Places that didn’t have a shedload of deaths. Do they get the kudos for that?

No. That is not how the scoring system works.

maybe the situation in vic showed up the deficiencies in the system and if the situations in nsw and qld etc had been similar then maybe the outcomes would have been similar.

sibeen said:

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

But the federal government also looks after the care home in NSW, QLD, SA. etc. Places that didn’t have a shedload of deaths. Do they get the kudos for that?

No. That is not how the scoring system works.

Yeah, I know, statistics are so grand and so easy to cherry pick to suit.

Man if you basically do your job in 5 out of 6 places, and in 1 place it’s a shitfire, you aren’t getting the employee of the month award

sibeen said:

Michael V said:

Dark Orange said:

Interesting read.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32206-6/fulltext

There have been just over 2000 cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care in Australia. Of the 904 deaths from COVID-19 in the country at the time of writing, 682 have been in aged care homes, mostly in the state of Victoria.

State-run aged care—which operates under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015, which enshrines in law minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for patients—has recorded very few COVID-19 cases and no deaths. Private facilities have no such quotas.

To paraphrase:

The bulk of Australia’s COVID deaths have been in Victorian privately run aged care facilities. State run aged care facilities have recorded zero deaths.

And the Federal Minister takes no responsibility whatsoever.

:(

But the federal government also looks after the care home in NSW, QLD, SA. etc. Places that didn’t have a shedload of deaths. Do they get the kudos for that?

Newmarch?

dv said:

sibeen said:

party_pants said:

No. That is not how the scoring system works.

Yeah, I know, statistics are so grand and so easy to cherry pick to suit.

Man if you basically do your job in 5 out of 6 places, and in 1 place it’s a shitfire, you aren’t getting the employee of the month award

But the state run facilities were perfect! Perhaps forgot to point out that the state run facilities are really only set up in the bush, the place where there were fuck all deaths anyway.

Well Yeah Like Last 5 Times We Ran A Red Light, It Was Fine, So Clearly It’s Just The Right Thing To Do To Run Them Red Lights

sibeen said:

state run facilities are really only set up in the bush, the place where there were fuck all deaths anyway.

so are we perhaps implying that pandemic-causing viruses spread anyway, and when there’s virus, it’ll spread, and so a transmission out of hotel quarantine could be held responsible for the transmission out of hotel quarantine, and the cases arising from dodgy personal infection control approaches among the community should be the responsibility of the community, and not the hotel quarantine, and therefore also not by extension the state government, and therefore also not by extension the purported originator of the virus in the first place

fair

SCIENCE said:

sibeen said:

state run facilities are really only set up in the bush, the place where there were fuck all deaths anyway.

so are we perhaps implying that pandemic-causing viruses spread anyway, and when there’s virus, it’ll spread, and so a transmission out of hotel quarantine could be held responsible for the transmission out of hotel quarantine, and the cases arising from dodgy personal infection control approaches among the community should be the responsibility of the community, and not the hotel quarantine, and therefore also not by extension the state government, and therefore also not by extension the purported originator of the virus in the first place

fair

Something I’ve never seen mentioned is whether there was quarantine planning guidelines in the pandemic preparedness report.

Witty Rejoinder said:

SCIENCE said:

sibeen said:

state run facilities are really only set up in the bush, the place where there were fuck all deaths anyway.

so are we perhaps implying that pandemic-causing viruses spread anyway, and when there’s virus, it’ll spread, and so a transmission out of hotel quarantine could be held responsible for the transmission out of hotel quarantine, and the cases arising from dodgy personal infection control approaches among the community should be the responsibility of the community, and not the hotel quarantine, and therefore also not by extension the state government, and therefore also not by extension the purported originator of the virus in the first place

fair

Something I’ve never seen mentioned is whether there was quarantine planning guidelines in the pandemic preparedness report.

What pandemic preparedness report? (Federal?)

;)

Back In The Old Days

Well, all right, Australia / Thailand / South Korea got a mention.

SCIENCE said:

Back In The Old Days

Well, all right, Australia / Thailand / South Korea got a mention.

I read somewhere that NZ was like 54th…

SCIENCE said:

Back In The Old Days

Well, all right, Australia / Thailand / South Korea got a mention.

To be fair, that chart probably didn’t take into account Trump would be Pres.

sarahs mum said:

SCIENCE said:

Back In The Old Days

Well, all right, Australia / Thailand / South Korea got a mention.

I read somewhere that NZ was like 54th…

That was pre-Jacinda…

runs away

That was close

SCIENCE said:

Back In The Old Days

Well, all right, Australia / Thailand / South Korea got a mention.

Back before the pandemic response team was abolished

Remember when it was cool to vilify anyone who got a false positive result, good times.

Victoria’s one positive case reported on Saturday morning has been reviewed and rejected as a false positive, as Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton tells Victorians to enjoy their newfound freedoms — within the limits.