The whole of New South Wales is now in lockdown

When will they get a grip?

;Your hospitality industry must be on its knees.

As is the whole of the tourism industry, as overseas visitors have not been allowed in (unless sports or film stars), overseas students are banned so teachers have lost their jobs, there are no casual farm workers and backpackers who normally spend time doing farm work etc etc.

The Health Minister of Queensland has said:

I don’t want an 18 year old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got COVID, probably wouldn’t die.

The irresponsibility of this remark is breathtaking in its ignorance. Do they honestly believe they can lock down people in a democratic society endlessly. They are destroying their countries economy all to avoid using a life saving vaccine. New Zealand is exactly the same.

Just heard of someone else who will be forced into bankruptcy as they had decided to follow their dream and sink everything they had into a tourist business 3 years ago.

twitter.com/celestebarber_/status/1426806399833575430?s=21
'Quick recap for our international friends'

My son in Australia has just sent me this, saying 'Sums it up nicely'.

More news from NSW:

Apparently children were vaccinated without parental consent
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-health-says-it-gave-pfizer-jab-to-more-than-160-students-in-error-20210706-p587eq.html

Callistemon that is not what that article is about - an exclusive school like Eton who has some Aboriginal students on scholarships and who in the school holidays go back to their Aboriginal communities wanted to get them vaccinated so hopefully it would possibly protect them from catching covid and if they did it wouldn’t kill them also possibly preventing them from transmitting it to their Aboriginal communities in the school holidays. Please remember Aborigines have a far weaker immune system as all the rest of us - we have developed ours over thousand of years intermingling whilst they have been pleasantly floating around on this big island on their own without their immune systems having to fight and create antibodies for the Black Death, Small pox, Influenza, the common cold etc etc. Covid could potentially decimate them. So the article is actually about a large pre-organised cohort being vaccinated- with their parents permission- not just the indigenous students which is really who it should only have been.

Australia also has provided tons of vaccines to the many many Pacific Island nations and Papua New Guinea.

AstraZeneca is only for the over 60s in Australia with Pfizer for those below. The blood clotting issue was predominant in the younger age groups hence why they only were able to get Pfizer. The over 60s in which the blood clotting issue isn’t a problem refused to get vaccinated with Astra just in case they hit a blood clot - they want Pfizer - so the very people the rest of the country are protecting by staying home are refusing to help themselves and want to take away the Pfizer vaccines from the young. Hopefully that sums it all up.

It was summed up for me during a long phone call this morning.

In essence, some students were vaccinated without parental permission.

I lived in Australia for several years, and continue to be amazed at the parochial attitude towards aboriginals by large parts of the population. None of us are immune to COVID, not naturally, whether we are Aborigine or not. They're not at risk because they were pleasantly floating around on this big island like it was some southern paradise, it is unequal access to healthcare and the higher rate of chronic health issues that makes them more susceptible to Covid.

I do think you should be counting your blessings. We were discussing this in the family (UK, USA, and Australia) WhatsApp group in the middle of this last week. As my son reminded us:

Australia:
Population - 25M
Total Cases - 37,800
Deaths - 945

UK:
Population - 65M
Total Cases - 6,117,450
Deaths - 130,503

The vaccine is available and we have seen how well it works.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well" with a bit of patience

Lack of immunity to diseases such as smallpox, etc doesn't make Indigenous Australians more susceptible to Covid-19. The immune system just doesn't work like that. Nevertheless, they do have a number of underlying health conditions such as diabetes and renal problems, which makes them more likely to die. They also live in conditions which means that the virus will spread quickly and they are a long way from medical help. An outbreak could wipe out all the elderly in a community.

Alegrias1

I lived in Australia for several years, and continue to be amazed at the parochial attitude towards aboriginals by large parts of the population. None of us are immune to COVID, not naturally, whether we are Aborigine or not. They're not at risk because they were pleasantly floating around on this big island like it was some southern paradise, it is unequal access to healthcare and the higher rate of chronic health issues that makes them more susceptible to Covid.

Cross post Alegrias. I didn't see yours before I wrote my last post.

No problem growstuff - we agree.

From the article Callistemon posted, it seems that lack of parental permission wasn't the main issue. People were angry that these pupils had been jabbed while others they deemed more worthy weren't.

It sounds to me that there's a lack of accurate information about vaccinations in Australia.

Alegrias1

No problem growstuff - we agree.

That's good

Incidentally, smallpox has been eradicated worldwide, so that was a bad example I gave.

growstuff

From the article Callistemon posted, it seems that lack of parental permission wasn't the main issue. People were angry that these pupils had been jabbed while others they deemed more worthy weren't.

It sounds to me that there's a lack of accurate information about vaccinations in Australia.

I agree with yours and *Alegrias's posts, growstuff

Possibly not the main issue in that article, growstuff but certainly of great concern to many parents, apparently, according to a DD I spoke to at length this morning about several issues, not just that one.
Just because some Community leaders had been consulted about vaccinating under 18s does that mean their parents have no right to be consulted.
DGS was given a vaccination in school (not Covid) without any parental consent too.

It seems that the State has assumed they are in loco parentis in some cases.

Yes, I was going to say that there still seems to be a paternalistic attitude towards certain communities, Algerias

paternalistic - yes, that's the word, Callistemon

I was providing a simplistic explanation of indigenous Australians vulnerability to covid not a thesis on their unique DNA and heightened susceptibility to newly imported infections whilst they can also resist many auto immune and allergic disorders that non indigenous cannot. It was supposed to be light hearted, nothing more and not a representation of a parochial or paternalistic attitude.

In reference to the article. Australian kids are not given (not covid) vaccinations without parental permission. State Health departments work in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council in a school-based vaccination program.

Parent information kits are sent home to parents early in the school year. To consent to vaccination, parents are advised to read all the information provided, complete and sign the consent form and return it to their child's school. If the form is not signed the child does not participate in the vaccination program.

I don't agree with lockdowns, they are not a way of "dealing" with the virus at all and I really feel for the people in Australia.

We have had it here. You get used to it. My cousin tells me the uptake of vaccination is really low in Australia. They need to get their act together...it makes a difference

The trouble with Australia is they thought they were different to the rest of the world and could keep COVID away by locking themselves in, now they have fell behind with being vaccinated and keeping the people licked in for even longer now and keeping us licked out

Apparently they will not come out of lockdown until 70pc vaccinated and if cases are still high they will stay in lockdown, not much of an incentive to get vaccinated

Try it for over a year as we did in Leicester. At least you've got better weather and can sit out in the garden.

esgt1967

I don't agree with lockdowns, they are not a way of "dealing" with the virus at all and I really feel for the people in Australia.

The quick lockdowns in Australia have certainly worked for them. Why should anyone take any notice of a post that does not tell us why they shouldn't use them other than "esgt1967 doesn't agree".