Pollyana

Last week she cancelled Wednesday's Public Holiday, today she announced the new date, saying she wants families to "get away for the weekend" - smack bang in the middle of Year 12 external exams in October. Apparently there are three exams scheduled for that day, but the exam board and the Dept of Education knew nothing about the it until the announcement was made.
Not that it'll matter, I'm sure we'll be back in lockdown by then.,

physiogirl76

She will be grilled by the Qld tourism industry and other businesses. I wish her good luck (she will need plenty of it) in educating Queenslanders that living a long-term Covid-free life is not possible and sustainable - as multiple scientists have repeated over and over again.
Her condescending and parochial rhetoric is appalling - and NSW $$$ is the only thing she cares for really: https://www.news.com.au/national/qld...77718a7c764b49. Quote: "If NSW is in lockdown for months … we’re hoping everyone can come out before Christmas because our tourism industry relies on that." At least she is not hiding her true colours...

Concentrate on vaccinating your population - then lockdowns are a thing of the past.

I plan to return to Sydney in October - by the time I leave hotel quarantine mid October, I am quite confident that Sydney will be a different place than it is now and vaccinated people (like me) will be given more freedoms - while WA and QLD will still play their border and lockdown games.

I am currently in Germany and this is already happening in Europe. No more lockdowns and an essentially normal life (with minor restrictions like masks indoors) for vaccinated people. Covid numbers are not really breaking news anymore and hospitalisation is very low. Governments are still using carrots to get more people vaccinated but the stick is slowly getting more visible - I have no issue with that as it's unvaccinated people who keep this pandemic going (and vaccine supply is not an excuse here anymore). Same will happen in Australia - well, in NSW at least...

Pollyana

Sitting here and reading news from Europe, hearing about all my family in the UK and Spain living normal lives.... I'm so pleased for them, but as I am getting older and less mobile I really feel that my chances of ever seeing them again are ebbing away as the State Premiers here bitch at each other and everyone promises miracles in return for vaccination, only to change their minds the next day.
The politician George Christensen made a speech last week in which he said Australians have to accept COVID will always be around in some form and we have to learn to live with it and get on with our lives. I don't necessarily agree with anything else he said, but people really do need to listen to that bit. We cannot stay prisoners forever.

Beoz

Good post.

I can barely find a covid related post on the UK press sites now.

Whilst we are in our first week of proper lockdown in Sydney (with golf, fishing, playgrounds, beaches and no curfews) it's actually kind of unpleasant for a city not used to lockdowns, but we do know that this will all end in about 6 weeks, when the vaccination rate reaches the mark.

We would not be happy if the government held back on that promise to the people. They only way I can see this not happening is if the hospital system is placed under too much stress but they have to figure that out. There is no way we are not going to live with Covid

All in time for you to emerge from quarrentine.

themerlin

It wont be long here, vaccine rate are really good now, and the situation in NSW will force them to live with the virus, which should then force everyone else to do the same.

Beoz

This outbreak is a blessing in many respects. Its going to get us back to a normal life sooner. Not for everyone at first but eventually the people will prevail and these power tripping premiers will be muzzled.

Tom Sawyer

Before we start planning our freedom, what is the plan for vaccinating under 16's? Currently there isn't one that I am aware of and this cohort make up a large group that will be intermixing when school returns. I've got twin 13 year olds and would be a bit concerned letting them lose at school with Delta appearing to affect the younger groups more heavily, although I acknowledge this is probably a skewed statistic due to the vaccine rollout starting with older age groups. Within family transmission is a major cause of virus spread at the moment, so would potentially not take much for an adult to pass to one of their children who then passes it on at school and away we go. I think Moderna could the first approved vaccine for under 16's so maybe Government are waiting on that approval before releasing the plan?

tum

Hi Tom, just for perspective purposes, over here in the Netherlands, 12 year olds and upwards get Pfizer. I think because it is more readily available than Moderna. The 12-15 year olds need to have their parents consent, 16 and over do not. They are talking about opening vaccination hubs (small ones) in schools itself to promote it and make it more easily available for them. Still Summer School Hols over here, so we’ll wait and see what happens. As a mum, I can understand your concerns.

physiogirl76

The Pfizer/Biontech vaccine is already approved for children aged 12 and older in the US and EU. I expect that ATAGI will follow in the foreseeable future and vaccines will be available for 12+ year olds in Australia.

Pfizer and Moderna are currently undertaking trials with younger children. Pfizer expects to have results for the 5-to-11-year-old group in September, with results for children aged 2 to 5 shortly after that. Results for the youngest children — 6 months to 2 years old — are expected in October or November. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/26/u...-children.html

While I am supportive of offering safe vaccines for children, the important thing to remember is (at this stage) that while kids can get Covid, they are very unlikely to develop severe symptoms. I used to work in a Covid vaccination centre run by a big tertiary hospital in Germany - and even during our biggest outbreaks, there were NO children in ICU due to Covid. There were positive cases amongst kids, yes, but Covid was not the reason they required hospitalisation, it was usually another underlying health condition.

The best protection for children is - at this stage - if everyone around them is vaccinated - parents, (older) siblings, relatives, childcare staff, teachers, etc. That's why I am in great support of making Covid vaccinations mandatory for certain groups (teachers, childcare, disability, health etc). That's the idea of vaccination - protect the ones who cannot be vaccinated (younger children) or those where vaccines are less effective (e.g. older or immunocompromised people). I am losing my patience with people who claim that vaccination is purely a personal choice. No - it's not, it's an act of solidarity. If you can't accept that, then maybe time to change jobs where you don't interact with vulnerable groups.

Beoz

I have two under 10 and my wife and I have discussed pulling them from day care and school today on the back of the CHO in Sydney saying kids should not be in day care.

We are yet to make a decision but I have been asking the opinion of friends in Europe and the US where Covid is more in abundance.

We share the fully vaccination status of our friends in the Europe and the US the consensus seems to be send them, they are mildly affected, and learn to live with the virus. If parents catch it off the kids, you've been vaxxed and done everything possible to minimise the severity.

On the flipside we would be very unhappy with ourselves if one of the kids got infected, yet we know sooner or later we are opening up and we will have to learn to live with it eventually and the chances are pretty solid, one of them will get Covid at some point, unless it just disappears which is unlikely. Logic says it might as well be today but it's a tough one to wrap your head around.

Tom Sawyer

Right on cue. Must have heard me.....ATAGI decision on opening COVID vaccine rollout to 12- to 15-year-old children expected soon
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-...ovid/100387662

themerlin

Won't that move the 70% eligible population goal post ?

Beoz

Well spotted. However we will hit 70% before its approved by ATAGI

Amazulu

Not really. Vaccinating under 16s is a nice to have but not a necessity and should stay out of the 70% target

themerlin

Lets see if that changes once we hit 69%