The Reality of Living in Australia and Covid

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

This is not entirely correct.

The commonwealth health department has been responsible for vaccinating aged and disability care residents. The responsibility has been firmly on the PM’s shoulders, not the state premiers’.

SWL

This may amaze you but:

The commonwealth health department does not have any front line health services providers in it's ranks, it is a purely bureaucratic organization which delegates any health services provision to the state authorities.

This is a common occurrence when the commonwealth puts it's nose into constitutionally state areas of government. Most of Australia has commonwealth government family courts. However the state of Western Australia has it's own which is run by the state government but the costs burden is charged to the commonwealth government. The down side of this is that the commonwealth courts have a digitized system whereby you can file documents from anywhere in Australia via the internet but the WA court still uses the old appear and tend paper system.

Now, in the covid case NSW appears to have an IT based tracking system whereby Victoria has a paper and fax transmission system. Victoria will probably have to wait for a spell of conservative government before it can upgrade it's systems as the trade union movement hates digitization (except for social media) and they dominate the present government there.

Similarly if you were allowed to dig deep enough into the decrepit state of the WA health system you would probably find that rather than the massive upgrade in covid response facilities the NSW government has spent it's health budget on since the crisis began the WA health budget has been spent on vast improvements to the pay, conditions and numbers of the unionized segment of the health work force.

This is how things work in Australia and it is actually one of the strengths diversity in state governments brings to Australia, although it doesn't always appear so.

Digging further back into the industrial relations history of Australia you would find that the retrograde influence of the trade unions has destroyed a number of industries, white goods and auto manufacture for instance. Whilst those folks do a lot of good work their organizations also contain some of the most reactionary elements in Australian society which the lefts system of factions in their organizational structure endows with inordinate power. It's one of the down sides of one of the fairer and most progressive industrial relations systems in the world.

I suspect that we'll work our way through the crisis and it will eventually come out pretty much as well as anywhere else in the world and a lot better than many places, it's the Australian way to be good with a crisis and terrible with success.

[Apollo19.5]

Where we are in QLD, we can register for a jab one day and get it the next (including my 16yr old daughter). Wife walked in and got it after work. She was registered but no booking. Talking to my brother's family yesterday in NSW and they have been waiting since Jun. This inconsistent roll out makes it hard for people to get jabbed if wanted.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Apollo19.5

Where we are in QLD, we can register for a jab one day and get it the next (including my 16yr old daughter). Wife walked in and got it after work. She was registered but no booking. Talking to my brother's family yesterday in NSW and they have been waiting since Jun. This inconsistent roll out makes it hard for people to get jabbed if wanted.

Also my experience, I made an appointment one day and went in the next for the jab in Airlie Beach. The downside of the good availability is that QLD has one of the lowest percentages of immunized.

However NSW is in the middle of an outbreak so they are probably diverting most of their resources to the areas of, and proximal to, the outbreak. Even so NSW has the highest percentage of first jabs.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

This may amaze you but:

The commonwealth health department does not have any front line health services providers in it's ranks, it is a purely bureaucratic organization which delegates any health services provision to the state authorities.
.........

That would be exactly why the vaccination program in private aged care was and probably still is such a shambles. Everybody thought someone else was in charge.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Apollo19.5

Where we are in QLD, we can register for a jab one day and get it the next (including my 16yr old daughter). Wife walked in and got it after work. She was registered but no booking. Talking to my brother's family yesterday in NSW and they have been waiting since Jun. This inconsistent roll out makes it hard for people to get jabbed if wanted.

I think that is simply a product of supply and demand. The demand in QLD is relatively low, hence it is well behind in the vaccination race. (Sorry PM, it IS a race.). If there were a major outbreak in QLD I bet you’d have the same delays.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by GILow

I think that is simply a product of supply and demand. The demand in QLD is relatively low, hence it is well behind in the vaccination race. (Sorry PM, it IS a race.). If there were a major outbreak in QLD I bet you’d have the same delays.

Or is it people in NSW demanding and prepared to wait for phizer, damn the torpedoes?
Second bit seems a bit silly, having to see a gp first is ridiculous.

The number of unused AstraZeneca vaccine doses has increased to three million, despite repeated claims that Australia’s vaccine rollout is being hampered by a lack of supply.

NSW is poised to scrap a requirement that anyone under 40 needs to see their GP before first receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine as the state races to suppress the faster-spreading Delta variant.


https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fede...27-p58di3.html

And....

While NSW was allocated 800,000 doses of AstraZeneca, it has only taken up 145,000. Amid the latest outbreak, the federal government offered NSW an extra 150,000 doses of AstraZeneca doses for its population, along with 150,000 Pfizer jabs. But the state opted only to take on the Pfizer vaccinations, and has regularly called for more of that vaccine.

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...zeneca-vaccine

[JPA Cate]

I went to Hobart Respiratory Clinic with a sore throat. It is located on a corner on a main road, a house size place. Although I was quite certain I had not been exposed to anyone with Covid, they treated me as if it were a Covid infection. All personnel were masked and I was given a mask to wear upon entering the building, which was locked. One has the appointment, arrives, phones that one did arrive, and when one rattles the door, they come open it.

The Social Distancing was increased to about 3 m. I stood waiting a few minutes, and was escorted into a room, about 10' x 12', with a chair and a desk. I sat with my back against the wall, and the doc, who did come examine my throat, and took swabs as for Covid, then went and sat about 10 feet from me to discuss what was going on. The doctor was intelligent, listened carefully, and made useful comments. They told me to quarantine till the results came back, which was about 48 hrs. I wore the mask home. Clearly, they were not taking chances. It was actually sort of comforting. If everyone were that much on the ball, we'd have a better situation here in Oz, not just TAS.

The respiratory clinic seems like the first triage for possible Covid sufferers.

Ann

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

I went to Hobart Respiratory Clinic with a sore throat. It is located on a corner on a main road, a house size place.
......

Ann

Q? Was that a state or a federal run establishment?

[chrisr]

we got first jab (AZ) at mooloolaba in june and second in bundaberg in august

both times jabbed upon first visit...fill in the forms and bang, you're done

admittedly we were lucky in m'bah as the surgery had a cancellation, and had to ring around 4-5 places at bundy. generally our impression is that qld are not pushing the vaccination barrow nearly as hard as they should be - mainly 'cause folk here see the low levels of covid and are laid back. i'm worried this this will come back to bite them (as it did earlier in nsw)

cheers,

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by chrisr

admittedly we were lucky in m'bah as the surgery had a cancellation, and had to ring around 4-5 places at bundy. ,

We just walked into a Chemist in Cleveland (Bris)
Did it then and there

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

This may amaze you but:
...................
Similarly if you were allowed to dig deep enough into the decrepit state of the WA health system you would probably find that rather than the massive upgrade in covid response facilities the NSW government has spent it's health budget on since the crisis began the WA health budget has been spent on vast improvements to the pay, conditions and numbers of the unionized segment of the health work force.

................

Maybe you could detail some of the massive upgrade of the NSW Health Covid facilities. I haven't been able to find any evidence of a massive upgrade or even a significant upgrade for that matter.

Yes I know Gladys and Brad reckon they have (or are going to) 'quadrupled' ICU capacity but when one goes looking for confirmation, the claim sounds more like desperate shrill cry that is becoming the new normal for that pair. I get it though, they have no good news and in distress, they (apparently) make stuff up on the spot.

According to NSW Health, they had 592 ICU beds on July 23 https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infect...e-planning.pdf

Back in 2018, they had 874 - according to https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2020/...aused-covid-19

And according to the Feds, they have 846 https://www.health.gov.au/sites/defa...ugust-2021.pdf

It is quite possible that NSW Health has spent any extra money they have received but it doesn't appear to have been spent a massive upgrade of Covid response facilities (at least so far).

Maybe Brad should change his surname.

[SV DINGO]

The reality of living in Australia today depends on where you are. I am in QLD and it is wonderful here. Freedom , beautiful weather , no communists like Chairman Dan and well Anna , yes she is a Mum but i am now supporting her. Keep QLD closed , we like it here , i dont want to live in a concentration camp like Victoria. In regards to vaccines , the issue of supply is NO issue in QLD , if you are happy to take AZ , walk in. The issue is if you are over 60 and want Pfizer , so far i was denied Pfizer in all clinics i went to even Airlie. I try my luck in Townsville next week , may be yes may be no but then let's have a look at the latetest Columbian nutation , resistant to all vaccines so where will that leave all of us? Lets have a look when the secret cabinet papers get released in 25 years , will be interesting reading i think. Coming back to Australia , my feeling is we need to have another look at this Federation , may be we split up and become individual countries , i will live in QLD country for sure. May be WA i visit but the rest well they are starting to become basket cases. I will visit Tasmania yes as i hold very found memories of it . This is just my five QLD cents of thoughts while i have my morning coffee , waiting for the wind to calm down a bit.

[Wotname]

Re the ICU beds in NSW, depending on whose numbers you choose, there is around 2,000 beds (and associated staff) missing, if we take Gladys and Brad at their word.

Perhaps we should go looking for the beds ASAP!

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by SV DINGO

The reality of living in Australia today depends on where you are. I am in QLD and it is wonderful here. Freedom , beautiful weather , no communists like Chairman Dan and well Anna , yes she is a Mum but i am now supporting her. Keep QLD closed , we like it here , i dont want to live in a concentration camp like Victoria. In regards to vaccines , the issue of supply is NO issue in QLD , if you are happy to take AZ , walk in. The issue is if you are over 60 and want Pfizer , so far i was denied Pfizer in all clinics i went to even Airlie. I try my luck in Townsville next week , may be yes may be no but then let's have a look at the latetest Columbian nutation , resistant to all vaccines so where will that leave all of us? Lets have a look when the secret cabinet papers get released in 25 years , will be interesting reading i think. Coming back to Australia , my feeling is we need to have another look at this Federation , may be we split up and become individual countries , i will live in QLD country for sure. May be WA i visit but the rest well they are starting to become basket cases. I will visit Tasmania yes as i hold very found memories of it . This is just my five QLD cents of thoughts while i have my morning coffee , waiting for the wind to calm down a bit.

Over 60 and want Phizer? You may well die while waiting.
So sez the AMA
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-...tion/100430324

[tanngrisnir]

Originally Posted by SV DINGO

The reality of living in Australia today depends on where you are. I am in QLD and it is wonderful here.

I'm genuinely happy for you, it's the life we all wish we were having. Looks like it is not going to happen in Vic now as the case numbers are slipping away from us. I think with our extended days in lockdown and as more people feel a bit safer because of being vaccinated that everyone is relaxing their interpretation of the rules a bit and we are not going to get the case numbers back down. What we have done is won a little time to get to higher vaccination rates so hopefully when you get it you won't need hospitalization.

Originally Posted by SV DINGO

In regards to vaccines , the issue of supply is NO issue in QLD , if you are happy to take AZ , walk in. The issue is if you are over 60 and want Pfizer , so far i was denied Pfizer in all clinics i went to even Airlie.

Glad to here of this, every available Pfizer dose in Qld should be going to the vulnerable 1A and indigenous people. Kind of curious why you are hanging out for Pfizer, It has not yet been released to the general population over 60 and there is no scheduled time frame, so your reluctance to get Az means you may be caught out if delta escapes in Qld in the next 2 months.

Have a look at this from the European Medicines Agency, it's a nice visualization of the relative risk of TTS vs covid hospitalisation, ICU admission and Death.
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documen...isation_en.pdf