GarryP

I'm think NT, TAS & SA. All three have low new case numbers, which are very geographically clustered. So by the end of the month they should have been able to contain, or even burn out, those cases. Not sure if WA can hit the same standard, but if so that would account for a massive slice of the country.

carcajou

They won't use the NT as a trial because of the high Aboriginal population.

Birmingham in his comments flagged that Australia-NZ restrictions might ease but as for when restrictions with the rest of the world ease, that will depend on control of the virus elsewhere.

I think this situation highlighted that country-specific bans don't work because of too many holes. We didn't start to get a handle on this until we just closed and barred the gate entirely.

Charismatic

Should probably be tested across a representative population sample with each group large enough to produce a statistically meaningful result. After all can you imagine the uproar if it was later discovered to only be effective in the Europeans?
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GarryP

NT hasn't had a new case for 6 days now.

I can see them throwing in a 'no travel to remote communities' limitation, but also wanting to get those mine sites up and running again properly,

Beoz

7 new cases in NSW on the back of bugger all testing. People must have gone away for the long weekend.

Beoz

Yeah I saw that article. We have seen this thing die out pretty quickly in Wuhan but also re-emerge again in other places.

If the world can get this to die out as quick as it started in a similar speed to Wuhan, international travel could restart this year for sure.

GarryP

As I mentioned before, I expected them to bugger up the reporting over easter, and NSW have deleted 10 cases from their numbers as well as doing little testing (though those numbers would take 2-3 days to work through to the case numbers).

Point is, the total number of new cases is now so small, and so in already known clusters, that they ought to be able to practically eradicate it by the end of the month - if they actually try. If you try and fail, well you are in no worse a situation. If you try and succeed, even in individual states, then you have an economic win.

I'm kind of expecting them to make such a statement, but it involves politicians and them having a clue - which is always difficult.

carcajou

I think they are still running? They are in WA, just with a "don't leave your campsite/don't visit town" prohibition. You may be right about WA/SA. McGowan this morning said that if the trend WA is on continues we could see some easing at the end of next month.

I think he was talking about the easing of travel and business restrictions, not a vaccine.

Beoz

I would be surprised to see this figure in NSW be under 50 by the end of this week. Too many people went away for Easter here. However, good if it does go below that.

carcajou

Three new cases in Western Australia yesterday - two of the three related to cruise ships.

Yesterday seven of the eight cases in WA were related to cruise ships.

So with one non-cruise case today and one non-cruise case yesterday, some very encouraging signs in Western Australia.

GarryP

It might be easter, but today NT, ACT and SA all reported zero new cases.

TAS still has problems with the hospital cluster in the NW, but they are seriously attacking it by closing down the hospital and deep cleaning it.

Luthien

We could have a "country" called Cruise Ships. Australia figures will take a hit when the rescue flight of 112 passengers from the Greg Mortimer Antarctic cruise lands in Melbourne today - up to 80 of them already infected.

Luthien

From Angus: AU a crazy 0.19% growth. Fewer tests done over Easter. That may spike in the next few days as we welcome home some of our fellow Australians straight off another Corona Cruises Incubation Special from the Antarctic.

Beoz

Plus all the Easter time markets, trips away, BBQ's with families and friends. A resurgence definitely expected over the next couple of weeks.

Amazulu

And while the MSM and social media fawns over Ardern, what ScoMo is doing hardly gets a mention. We all know the reason but there it is

Bullshit I know but ho hum