Has the new Omicron variant delay the restart of cruising?

[sewgood]

43 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

Just out of interest, how are things managed in States where restrictions on the unvaccinated exist?  I'm thinking in terms of pubs / cafes / restaurants / gyms / hairdressers etc.  Does each individual business have a designated person at the door checking all wanting to enter have a confirmation of vax document on their phones or whatever?  Also, who monitors mask wearing in public places?  

 

As you probably know, we're opening up in early February and I'm intrigued to know how the situation will be managed.  I was at Aldi the other day and while I was Q Coding in, my husband counted 13 people who walked passed me and didn't register at all.  Obviously, there's an awful lot of people over here in the West who will seriously need to make a huge paradigm shift in February.

I live in a small town of less than 10 000 people in NSW and I have found that it varies from shop to shop.

One dress shop in town you only get three steps in and you have to show your vaccination and check in status and it's a wonder they don't take your temperature , yet in another small business in town nothing is checked, it really depends on the owner.

In Woolworths and Coles they had at times someone on the door making sure that you checked in and sanitised your hands. They had one door for the entrance and one door for the exit but people did sneak through the exit door which was unattended. At this time there wasn't any known cases in town but when covid did reach our small town nobody was on the door checking anything.

In regards to masks people have been very good in wearing them, my friend entered Woolworths and was wondering why other customers were giving her strange looks, she was horrified to realise that she had forgotten to put on her mask. A lot of people in the open air car park still wear their masks until they get in their car even though you don't have to wear them outside anymore.

In our small town the peak was about 18 known cases. The first case was detected two weeks after covid showed up in the sewage. It took another three weeks to get rid of it out of town. It has since come back again to town but we have a higher vaccination rate now and this time there are only about three known cases after two weeks.

[possum52]

1 hour ago, Bubbeh said:

Just out of interest, how are things managed in States where restrictions on the unvaccinated exist?  I'm thinking in terms of pubs / cafes / restaurants / gyms / hairdressers etc.  Does each individual business have a designated person at the door checking all wanting to enter have a confirmation of vax document on their phones or whatever?  Also, who monitors mask wearing in public places?  

 

As you probably know, we're opening up in early February and I'm intrigued to know how the situation will be managed.  I was at Aldi the other day and while I was Q Coding in, my husband counted 13 people who walked passed me and didn't register at all.  Obviously, there's an awful lot of people over here in the West who will seriously need to make a huge paradigm shift in February.

We're in Melbourne. We went to Kmart at our closest large shopping centre early this morning. There was a person at the entrance and we had to show our vaccination cert on the app as we checked in.  Victoria will do away with proving vaccination status from midnight tonight it has been announced this morning for retail, weddings and funerals. Shops etc will not have to check vaccination status. But masks will still be required for retail venue and QR check ins will still be required.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Bubbeh said:

Just out of interest, how are things managed in States where restrictions on the unvaccinated exist?  I'm thinking in terms of pubs / cafes / restaurants / gyms / hairdressers etc.  Does each individual business have a designated person at the door checking all wanting to enter have a confirmation of vax document on their phones or whatever?  Also, who monitors mask wearing in public places?  

 

As you probably know, we're opening up in early February and I'm intrigued to know how the situation will be managed.  I was at Aldi the other day and while I was Q Coding in, my husband counted 13 people who walked passed me and didn't register at all.  Obviously, there's an awful lot of people over here in the West who will seriously need to make a huge paradigm shift in February.

When Sydney first came out of the recent lockdown supermarkets and other essential shopping venues had a staff member checking sign-ins, other shops, cafes, hairdressers, beauticians, checked sign-ins and vaccination certificates but after a few weeks very little checking was done. Of course, places we went to regularly knew we were fully vaccinated and we always checked in.

 

We just received an alert saying a person who tested positive had been in our local Woollies at the same time we were there on Saturday afternoon. We're not too concerned, we were wearing masks and moved through the store very quickly.

[NSWP]

I have just come back from Batehaven Pharmacy with my 'stay alive pills.'   This pharmacy is very busy, 4 pharmacists going flat out filling scripts and 5 girls doing the counter stuff.  Now all the staff had masks and face shields on. I had my mask in my pocket and one of the staff told me they could not force customers to wear a mask but encouraged it, so I put mine on as I had it in my pocket.  This pharmacy did have covid cases in there a few months ago, so they are still nervous, plus many out of towners go there.

 

Not a bad idea to continue to wear masks in a pharmacy, many sick people go in and out of there with various ailments.

 

Commonsense should prevail, but I fear a further explosion of cases in the coastal towns with massive influx of Sydney people and interstaters.  NSW numbers have increased 500% in the past week.

[ilikeanswers]

I was surprised to see so many shops remove their QR codes. I know it is not compulsory anymore but I thought it would still be optional🤔. 

[NSWP]

Dr Kerry Chant NSW Chief Health Officer has indicated come January NSW will have 25,000 new covid cases per day. Crikey. All the festivities and holidays.

 

Personally I believe this easing of restrictions will not last, another lockdown looms.

[Bubbeh]

2 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We just received an alert saying a person who tested positive had been in our local Woollies at the same time we were there on Saturday afternoon. We're not too concerned, we were wearing masks and moved through the store very quickly

Thanks for the advice and fingers crossed that all will be well for you.

[Porky55]

4 hours ago, NSWP said:

Dr Kerry Chant NSW Chief Health Officer has indicated come January NSW will have 25,000 new covid cases per day. Crikey. All the festivities and holidays.

 

Personally I believe this easing of restrictions will not last, another lockdown looms.

I thought it was the Health Minister who said this, he was just on the News here - (on Aust Eastern Standard Time) 🙄

 

Hazzard at it again - Premier Perrotet looked mortified (behind him) when he said this 😳
 

[lyndarra]

6 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

 

 

We just received an alert saying a person who tested positive had been in our local Woollies at the same time we were there on Saturday afternoon. We're not too concerned, we were wearing masks and moved through the store very quickly.

I also got one of those for the first time today as I had been to Bunnings, Bennett's Green 13/12.

[gogo65]

36 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

I also got one of those for the first time today as I had been to Bunnings, Bennett's Green 13/12.

The alerts are only to advise you someone positive was there within a 24 hour period, not a specific time, so pretty useless. Of course as of today i doubt they will be sent at all, considering there is no checkin requirement..

there was urgent meetings today with all those important people looking at how we are going to manage the surge of cases, we were also advised the expectation will be approx 25000 per day, obviously we cannot continue to provide a virtual service to so many people without resources, so virtually all will be self care (i.e. no contact from health care providers unless you have medical requirements). Makes sense.

 

Funny thing this week, we have had people asking for NSW health to come and provide a deep clean of their house. Apparently their was some WhatsApp group advising they will come and clean for free 😂after you are released from isolation! Yep I’m sure all us tax payers would support that 😳its called disinfectant and bleach and some hard work!

[pully8]

Sounds it will be challenging if the cases multiply to the extent reported.

The premier said he had confidence in the health system. Self care at home would not be risk free. Wishing all the best in the challenging circumstances.

 

 

[Chiliburn]

2 years with out a cruise,I didn’t think the human body could stand such pain.

And Joel Katz said there’s no end in sight.

 

https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-international-travel-update-australia-five-billion-dollar-cruise-industry-pass-two-years-shutdown/5130c1ca-2912-4ca7-8df5-91ecb46c55c4

[NSWP]

12 hours ago, Porky55 said:

I thought it was the Health Minister who said this, he was just on the News here - (on Aust Eastern Standard Time) 🙄

 

Hazzard at it again - Premier Perrotet looked mortified (behind him) when he said this 😳
 

The media is in melt down over this guestimate of 25,000 cases a day in NSW.   Yes,  NSW Premier looks worried, mortified is a good word !!

[Chiliburn]

1 minute ago, NSWP said:

The media is in melt down over this guestimate of 25,000 cases a day in NSW.   Yes,  NSW Premier looks worried, mortified is a good word !!

Gladys wouldn’t lose her nerves like that.

[NSWP]

2 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Gladys wouldn’t lose her nerves like that.

I agree with that statement. I do not have a lot of confidence in the current NSW Govt.

[Russell21]

The operative words regarding 25,000 cases are MAY HAVE, I also may have won Lotto by that time too. Any sane person would know that the lifting of restrictions would increase the number of infections due in part to the DaDa idiots who would not vaccinate or not obey the general safety precautions. Apologies to the very rare people with a genuine reason for not vaccination.

[OzKiwiJJ]

30 minutes ago, NSWP said:

The media is in melt down over this guestimate of 25,000 cases a day in NSW.   Yes,  NSW Premier looks worried, mortified is a good word !!

At the start of the last outbreak the modelling predicted around 8,000 cases a day I think. It didn't happen, the maximum was just over 1,500. Of course we were in lockdown then but vaccination levels weren't as high as they are now.

Edited December 15, 2021 by OzKiwiJJ

[Docker123]

The main researcher has said that the numbers are preliminary. They did not include figures such as the big uptake in boosters (nor the growing issue of not being able to get the vax at clinics. Sounds like govt has jumped the gun. Then again, Dom has flagged the potential for some new lockdowns. 

 

A lot of modelling puts in various scenarios to calculate predictions of what may happen. Early models varied around herd immunity (basically doing nothing), social distancing, masks, lock downs etc. Highest numbers typically come from the least action choices.

 

However, we can look at the growth in jolly old. Wed  78,000. Tues around 58,000. Mon around 48,000. 

Exponential growth is frightening.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Docker123

[NSWP]

UK is totally out of control.😟

Edited December 15, 2021 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

36 minutes ago, NSWP said:

UK is totally out of control.😟

Has the UK ever had the pandemic under control?☹️

[NSWP]

5 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Has the UK ever had the pandemic under control?☹️

November Oscar.  They have their heads stuck in the sand.

[By The Bay]

This planned music event in Newcastle makes no sense. Watch the numbers soar next week. 🤧😡 I'm off to do the grocery shopping, and then into self imposed lockdown. 😷 I will stick my head up on Tuesday to get my 3rd shot, Pfizer this time.

 

"A music festival on Newcastle's foreshore will go ahead on Saturday despite the surge in COVID-19 cases in the Hunter Valley." ABC

[GUT2407]

14 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

This planned music event in Newcastle makes no sense. Watch the numbers soar next week. 🤧😡 I'm off to do the grocery shopping, and then into self imposed lockdown. 😷 I will stick my head up on Tuesday to get my 3rd shot, Pfizer this time.

 

"A music festival on Newcastle's foreshore will go ahead on Saturday despite the surge in COVID-19 cases in the Hunter Valley." ABC

Yeah I thought it was strange especially given the recent Argyl and was it Criterion or Cambridge outbreaks?

[By The Bay]

1 hour ago, GUT2407 said:

Yeah I thought it was strange especially given the recent Argyl and was it Criterion or Cambridge outbreaks?

Cambridge.

[GUT2407]

46 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

Cambridge.

Knew it was one or the other but the poor old brain doesn’t hold info so well at the moment.