abner

Sorry, but that's just b***shit.

Some professions (doctors, nurses, ambos/paramedics, firies, police, armed forces) carry an ongoing expectation of being pressed into extraordinary service when the public faces extreme need. And where they are called upon to serve in that capacity, there are preset expectations involving hygiene protocols, personal protective equipment, and so forth, enabling them to take on those extraordinary roles as safely as possible.

"Teachers" are not on that list. In the present environment, many are being "pressed into service" in the old and involuntary sense of that phrase, without choice, without preparation, and without appropriate protection (PPE and other hygienic measures) being in place.

And that's just wrong, particularly for the older and more physically vulnerable among them.

In that context, it is no wonder that the teachers' unions are pushing back. That's *their* job.

Dmorgan07

Bless your wife, it's very hard to see everyone around you losing their hours. It's a very nice gesture. Also glad she will be at home and safe

Dmorgan07

Doesn't surprise me at all. Like I said earlier some parents can be very selfish- they will send their kids in come rain or shine, drugged up to the eyeballs on panadol and they are always the first ones through the door and the last ones to leave at night. Never fails

Beoz

Nor are bus drivers, checkout attendants, delivery drivers, physiotherpists, hairdressers, ................ simple answer. Shut down society for a few weeks. One should not get special privileges over the other.

Dmorgan07

Most of those are on the 'keyworker' list in the UK except hairdressers I think. Maybe there should be a move towards that and a lockdown?

carcajou

There's some panic in the regions tonight. The WA Government isn't announcing where regional cases are occurring - ie, for the bus driver in Perth, they released the exact routes, days and times that he was driving, but for regional cases they are just saying "Kimberley" (which is almost half a million square kilometres) or "Great Southern" (almost 50,000 square kilometres). This is causing a guessing game and a bunch of "telephone" game style whispers as everyone tries to figure out the towns, and someone heard something from someone and so on, and then that is feeding back on itself.

But it's here, too late to close the barn gates, if there is something that Morrison and McGowan have taught me it is that they will always be three or four steps too late. The caravans from Perth area also starting to roll through the coastal regions to the north and south of Perth with Easter holiday-makers. No government decree to cancel holidays and non-essential travel is going to cancel their holiday, it doesn't apply to them and they deserve their break. Plenty of caravans rolling around with NSW and Vic number plates who ignored the border closure. The talked about regional lockdown won't happen until it is well too late.

There are no confirmed cases in my area of my region (and of course I heard that from someone who heard it from someone) but we can't be far behind.

Agree with Beoz to pop in prison those who are endangering others. Give them the Putin "deal you can't refuse" that's going around. 14 days in iso or 5 years in prison, your choice. We are on tight restrictions, home-work-supermarket-petrol station and that's it. Hope it is enough. No takeaways for us.

Beoz

I am sure there are many more occupations that aren't in a position to practice social distancing. Especially with adults who known to be more infectious.

Unless the curve start to bend over with the current persuasion tactics, which is unlikely, I don't think we have a choice other than total lockdown.

moneypenny20

According to this article they only closed the border yesterday and anyone coming in after just have to self isolate for 14 days so apart from them being idiots, it's not illegal. https://www.google.com/amp/amp.abc.n...ticle/12084628

If that's not correct, I apologise. I know a silver surfer who've gone off driving for the foreseeable future to avoid people, not the worst idea but they're a very sensible couple who won't take the piss when they come across people on their travels. I think they may be in a minority sadly. I'd kill my husband in those circumstances unless he got me first obviously.

bcworld

It really doesn't matter. Everyone should be assuming that CV IS in their community and be acting accordingly.

abner

And that is what teachers' union input has accomplished, in VIC and NSW particularly, over ScoMo's objections. Meanwhile, bus drivers, checkout attendants, delivery drivers, physiotherapists, and hairdressers remain (with restrictions) on the job, because they mostly deal with adults, who are capable of understanding and executing social distancing restrictions far better than children are.

carcajou

No, you are correct - but the state government here (and the national government) has been very direct that everyone should cancel non-essential travel including holidays, go home and stay there. It wasn't continue your holiday if you're a Gray Nomad who got here before the border closure.

I think it gets back to what has become one of the central themes of this crisis, already highlighted by disparate posters - government recommendations don't mean anything, to too many people, unless backed up with an enforcement mechanism.

abner

Why would you assume that?

From what we do know so far, infected children seem likely to be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic of the disease itself, but that does not preclude them from being spreaders. Meanwhile, their comparative lack of symptoms make it less likely that they'll be systematically subject to testing and tracking, in those countries (i.e. most, at the current time) where testing remains rationed to patients showing more obvious signs of the infection.

Beoz

I think you missed the large outbreaks bit. Which means they don't appear to be spreaders. Of course the media might not be reporting large outbreaks amongst groups of children and prefer to report on cruise ships, weddings and parties, but unlikely.

Beoz

Not sure how a physiotherapist can practice social distancing when working your quads. I guess they can where a mask. So can a teacher. Everyone needs to play a part, including the teachers union.

abner

I think rather we're taking different views on the numbers and the potential for COVID-19 spread in aggregate, rather than the spreading efficacy or newsworthiness of any individual source.

For every cruise ship, there are several hundred classrooms. And it doesn't take more than a few minutes of observation to discern that younger children in particular are hopeless at social distancing, and hand-washing, and avoiding face-touching prior to hand-washing. Older ones "get it", but the discipline breaks down at the drop of a hat, let alone any more interesting distraction.