Coronavirus

[AngryAnt]

And electricity from renewables is expensive. Dan's got it all parcelled up.

Ahahahah more butthurt and cognitive dissonance coming your way

NSW unveils $32bn renewable energy plan with focus on pumped hydro

Roadmap could increase share of renewable energy in state from 16% today to more than 60% by 2030

www.theguardian.com

 

[AngryAnt]

‘We have failed’: Sweden’s king delivers damning verdict on nation’s coronavirus strategy​

Bevan Shields
Sydney Morning Herald
December 18, 2020

Sweden’s king says his country’s coronavirus response has “failed”, as public faith in the anti-lockdown strategy’s chief architect falls and intensive care capacity is breached in Stockholm.

In a rare royal rebuke of government policy, King Carl XVI Gustaf said the number of deaths in Sweden - which has shunned a nationwide lockdown and the wearing of face masks - had been “terrible”.

“I believe we have failed,” the 74-year-old said in excerpts from a television program to air on December 21.

“We have had a large number of deaths and that is terrible. That is something that brings us all suffering.

“The people of Sweden have suffered tremendously in difficult conditions. One thinks of all the family members who have happened to be unable to say goodbye to their deceased family members.”

Sweden’s unorthodox approach to the pandemic made it a lightning rod for those who support lockdowns and others who believe such strict measures are not sustainable on health grounds or worth the economic cost.

Nearly 7900 people have died from COVID-19 in Sweden since the start of year compared to 961 in nearby Denmark, 466 in Finland and 395 in Norway.

Adjusted for population size, Sweden’s death toll is about 10 times higher than Norway and Finland and about five times greater than Denmark.

However it is lower than other countries in Europe which opted for hard lockdowns during the first and second waves like the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy.

Sweden announced a record 8881 new infections on Thursday, local time, hours after the king’s comments were made public. Its case rate has been growing faster than most other countries in Europe over the past fortnight.

Stockholm regional health director Bjorn Eriksson also revealed this week that the usual capacity of the capital’s intensive care units had been breached.

“We are far beyond 100 per cent of capacity in intensive care,” he told reporters. “We are approaching almost double the number of available spaces.”

Sweden has drawn praise and heavy criticism for leaving restaurants, shops and schools open in favour of asking the public to voluntarily social distance and act responsibly. Health authorities have also actively discouraged the wearing of face masks.

But the government has been inching away from its light-touch approach over recent weeks by imposing localised restrictions and limits on how many people can gather in public.

Anders Tegnell, the state epidemiologist and architect of Sweden’s response, defended his record during an interview with broadcaster TV4 but conceded the country was in trouble.

“More or less all countries are struggling with this,” he said.

“We are beginning to approach breaking point in many different aspects. I understand that healthcare is having a very tough time now...the staff are worn out.”

An Ipsos poll of nearly 1300 voters published by Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter found support for Tegnell has fallen 13 points since October to 59 per cent. Support for the Swedish Public Health Agency tumbled from 68 per cent in October to just 52 per cent now.

Tegnell this week said he was “surprised” by the intensity of Europe’s second wave - echoing comments from Prime Minister Stefan Lofven who on Monday said experts had underestimated the risk of a resurgence.

“It was not like we were not prepared for something to happen again, but no one could predict that it would be with this strength,” Lofven said.

He conceded Sweden had failed to protect nursing home residents despite risks to the elderly being well understood early in the pandemic.

The European Commission’s autumn economic forecast - prepared before the continent’s second wave - forecast Sweden’s GDP to fall by 3.4 per cent this year compared to the EU average of 7.4 per cent.

Economic output was forecast to fall 3.9 per cent in Denmark in 2020 and 4.3 per cent in Finland.

Swedish Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson told a briefing on Wednesday that the economy had recovered from the first wave faster than anticipated. She said Sweden’s anti-lockdown approach had helped cushion the blow but stressed that was not the motivation behind the strategy.

“It has never been the case that the government has sat and balanced people’s lives and health against development of the economy,” she said.

The poster child of the altright anti-lockdown brigade bites the dust.

 

[Tigers of Old]

NSW Gov/Health filling nobody with confidence that they can get this outbreak under control with this press conference.

Queensland announcing that they have already had someone in their state from this clusterfuck. Won't be at all surprised if it's already spread to Victoria.

Border closures imminent.

 

[IanG]

NSW border closed apparently. Permits required and if you're from the Northern beaches you aren't allowed in Vic at all.

 

[eZyT]

NSW Gov/Health filling nobody with confidence that they can get this outbreak under control with this press conference.

Queensland announcing that they have already had someone in their state from this clusterfuck. Won't be at all surprised if it's already spread to Victoria.

Border closures imminent.

If qld and wa keep slamming their borders shut,

I think Gladys simply has to ban qld and WA resident from quarantining in NSW.

Its an absurd, reactionary, populist loop that will continue as long as international quarantine is in the CBD of our most densely populated centres.

FFS, get the quarantine right. Its not that hard

 

[Sintiger]

NSW Gov/Health filling nobody with confidence that they can get this outbreak under control with this press conference.

Queensland announcing that they have already had someone in their state from this clusterfuck. Won't be at all surprised if it's already spread to Victoria.

Border closures imminent.

Don't worry, according to our PM NSW is the poster child for COVID control......

 

[Sintiger]

Its an absurd, reactionary, populist loop that will continue as long as international quarantine is in the CBD of our most densely populated centres.

FFS, get the quarantine right. Its not that hard

It's got little to do with where the hotels are, this is about control of airline crews.

The only way to control them is to have an airline quarantine hotel for all crews until they leave run by the same people who run the ones for passengers or have them isolate in our quarantine hotels. NSW has not got it right.

Not sure Victoria has either

 

[tigerdell]

It's got little to do with where the hotels are, this is about control of airline crews.

The only way to control them is to have an airline quarantine hotel for all crews until they leave run by the same people who run the ones for passengers or have them isolate in our quarantine hotels. NSW has not got it right.

Not sure Victoria has either

How are airline crews not kept in a quarantine with the same organisation and control mechanisms?
Surprised

 

[Sintiger]

How are airline crews not kept in a quarantine with the same organisation and control mechanisms?
Surprised

In NSW they weren’t. They were sent to various hotels and had to self isolate until they leave. Recipe for disaster
Not sure what is happening in Victoria
Diplomatic staff another issue, not required to go to quarantine hotel.
Hopefully they can get this under control and close the loopholes.

 

[Tigers of Old]

I’m due to drive up to Canberra & see my parents/siblings on Tuesday for Christmas after being unable to see them for over a year. No idea whether I can go (or get back) at this point. Painful.

 

[Sintiger]

I’m due to drive up to Canberra & see my parents/siblings on Tuesday for Christmas after being unable to see them for over a year. No idea whether I can go (or get back) at this point. Painful.

Can't see you being unable to go into NSW but getting back may be the problem depending on what happens

 

[eZyT]

I’m due to drive up to Canberra & see my parents/siblings on Tuesday for Christmas after being unable to see them for over a year. No idea whether I can go (or get back) at this point. Painful.

my understanding based on a year of living on the qld/nsw border is up will be no worries,

and back youlle make an online declaration that you haven't been to northern beaches (or Sydney?) for 14 days

and you bluetack the printed permit to your windscreen on return??

Hope you enjoy your reunion xmas Olly.

Its the flimsy rules that really *smile* *smile* me off.

A flight attendant can do the rounds in a small space with 500 people from LosAngelos, for 20 hours,

then catch a bus to a Motel.

A mate just returned via LA and did his 2 weeks in a hotel,

and he is astonished he didn't catch Covid at LAX or on the plane

 

[Tigers of Old]

What's so infuriating is the inconsistent approach between Premiers. It's dividing the country.
Glady's relatively tepid efforts to shut down her outbreak is putting the entire country at risk.
That the Premiers are not all following the same playbook is a very poor reflection on Morrison's leadership.
He needs to take control of this situation. The politicisation of business interests vs public health has never been more stark.

Can't see you being unable to go into NSW but getting back may be the problem depending on what happens

I'm going on the assumption that there will be a window (24 hours?) to get back before borders are closed.

 

[Sintiger]

I'm going on the assumption that there will be a window (24 hours?) to get back before borders are closed.

You would expect so but even now you have to apply for a permit to get across

 

[eZyT]

What's so infuriating is the inconsistent approach between Premiers. It's dividing the country.
Glady's relatively tepid efforts to shut down her outbreak is putting the entire country at risk.
That the Premiers are not all following the same playbook is a very poor reflection on Morrison's leadership.
He needs to take control of this situation. The politicisation of business interests vs public health has never been more stark.


I'm going on the assumption that there will be a window (24 hours?) to get back before borders are closed.

I put that down to flaws in our Federation. Its a microbiological version of different railway gauges.

check out this

'This is ridiculous': Experts point to holes in hotel quarantine system

There are calls to triage returning travellers from "high-risk" countries, as Australia finds itself grappling with the implications of yet another coronavirus cluster ahead of Christmas.

www.abc.net.au

um, der.

why does this take experts to band together and lobby?

You could find the dumbest taxi driver in Australia, and I reckon they could look at the system and go 'um wait a minute, do you really trust a flight attendants with your lives, mental health, social fabric of your family, and economic well being? I dont even trust them to warm a roast chicken roll right through'

They are using the plumbers leak test to continually find leaks in the system, then react, when they aren't imperceptible pin pricks.

They are big, gaping holes

here's the latest permits explain @Tigers of Old. Im trying to decipher them to see if I can see my W.A son for the first time in 14 months (I cant) Victoria has THE most common sense system by a mile. Youlle be right.

Australia border restrictions: here are the state and territory Covid rules for NSW travellers

New border measures have been introduced as Sydney’s northern beaches Covid cluster continues to grow. Here’s what we know about the current rules

www.theguardian.com

and in this article, the expert talks about 'hindsight being 20-20'.

Um, how about not politically and systemically circumcising foresight?

I dont think recognising and planning for the Dog's Balls Obvious even counts as foresight does it?

'Doesn't make sense' to treat flight crews as less risky than passengers, epidemiologist says

An epidemiologist says airline crew members' exemption from state-run hotel quarantine procedures is a "potential loophole in the system" that Australia cannot afford, and thinks the risk should be re-assessed in every state.

www.abc.net.au

rant over

 

[Sintiger]

I put that down to flaws in our Federation. Its a microbiological version of different railway gauges.

check out this

'This is ridiculous': Experts point to holes in hotel quarantine system

There are calls to triage returning travellers from "high-risk" countries, as Australia finds itself grappling with the implications of yet another coronavirus cluster ahead of Christmas.

www.abc.net.au

um, der.

why does this take experts to band together and lobby?

You could find the dumbest taxi driver in Australia, and I reckon they could look at the system and go 'um wait a minute, do you really trust a flight attendants with your lives, mental health, social fabric of your family, and economic well being? I dont even trust them to warm a roast chicken roll right through'

They are using the plumbers leak test to continually find leaks in the system, then react, when they aren't imperceptible pin pricks.

They are big, gaping holes

here's the latest permits explain @Tigers of Old. Im trying to decipher them to see if I can see my W.A son for the first time in 14 months (I cant) Victoria has THE most common sense system by a mile. Youlle be right.

Australia border restrictions: here are the state and territory Covid rules for NSW travellers

New border measures have been introduced as Sydney’s northern beaches Covid cluster continues to grow. Here’s what we know about the current rules

www.theguardian.com

and in this article, the expert talks about 'hindsight being 20-20'.

Um, how about not politically and systemically circumcising foresight?

I dont think recognising and planning for the Dog's Balls Obvious even counts as foresight does it?

'Doesn't make sense' to treat flight crews as less risky than passengers, epidemiologist says

An epidemiologist says airline crew members' exemption from state-run hotel quarantine procedures is a "potential loophole in the system" that Australia cannot afford, and thinks the risk should be re-assessed in every state.

www.abc.net.au

rant over

good rant

 

[Brodders17]

What's so infuriating is the inconsistent approach between Premiers. It's dividing the country.
Glady's relatively tepid efforts to shut down her outbreak is putting the entire country at risk.
That the Premiers are not all following the same playbook is a very poor reflection on Morrison's leadership.
He needs to take control of this situation. The politicisation of business interests vs public health has never been more stark.


I'm going on the assumption that there will be a window (24 hours?) to get back before borders are closed.

The problem with want the Fed Liberals to enforce consistency is that they back the NSW approach and want open borders, if they had there way Victoria would still be chasing our tail trying to limit the spread, as would every other state as our boarders would have remained open. actually no states would have elimated their cases to zero in the first place if we had the nationwide approach that Morrsion and Frydenburg wanted.

 

[tigerdell]

Its staggering that we have such stringent controls for returning Australians, and such lax and non-binding requirements for aircrew diplomats etc.
A compromise that should never have happened.
Its the old chestnut about the chain only as strong as the weakest willed flight attendant...
It completely undermines the entire quarantine and lockdown process.
Why bother doing it with such obvious gaping holes

 

[tigerdell]

Me and my family returned to oz this year and landed in the FNB (Far northern beaches)
We are smack bang in the middle of ground zero.
Teachers hairdressers etc are coming up positive. Everyone getting tested.
Its a quiet town now apart from the drive thru testing, so hopefully its quickly brought into control like in SA.

The only saving grace is that my folks came up from Melbourne at the start of the month so that they could see their grandbabies. Lucky we got that in. I feel for you Tooheys.

Its pissing down so no incentive to break out. And an excuse not to go see the inlaws. Actually its not all bad

 

[spook]

Diplomatic staff another issue, not required to go to quarantine hotel.

Because they have...immunity?

Glady's relatively tepid efforts to shut down her outbreak is putting the entire country at risk.

Not to worry. Her mates in the media will spin it for her.

"She's tired."
"It took advantage of her trusting nature."
"It's not like she pork-barrelled $250 million to steal an election...she did that last year."