Covid 19 -

[MITCHAY]

5715 for GSS and 2005 for VIC. ACT also had its own record of 58 () so expect that to shoot up as well today.

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

Unvaccinated patients could be forced to pay their own hospital bills under radical proposal being considered by The GSS government after being put forward by cabinet ministers



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tal-stays.html

and

‘Unethical’: doctors condemn GSS government for considering charging unvaccinated patients for Covid care



https://www.theguardian.com/australi...for-covid-care

How does that work when you are obligated to pay Medicare levy and some would also be paying MLS?

[T3rminator]

Holy smokes... 20,000 here we come....no turning back now.

Better hope Omnicron does turn out to be less severe than its predecessors, and that it doesn't present something more sinister further down the track.

Looks like face nappies will be back on at the MCG :((((((

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Holy smokes... 20,000 here we come....no turning back now.

Better hope Omnicron does turn out to be less severe than its predecessors, and that it doesn't present something more sinister further down the track.

Looks like face nappies will be back on at the MCG :((((((

Enjoy wearing them better than being locked up I suppose; curtesy of govco.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

Unvaccinated patients could be forced to pay their own hospital bills under radical proposal being considered by The GSS government after being put forward by cabinet ministers



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tal-stays.html

and

‘Unethical’: doctors condemn GSS government for considering charging unvaccinated patients for Covid care


https://www.theguardian.com/australi...for-covid-care

Segregation of the citizens "Let the fun times begin with protests or possible riots"

[MITCHAY]

Back to back records for ACT with 85. Testing sites jammed. They really need to get rid of casual contact sites and also remove PCR tests that some states have. Just clogging **** up.

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Holy smokes... 20,000 here we come....no turning back now.

Better hope Omnicron does turn out to be less severe than its predecessors, and that it doesn't present something more sinister further down the track.

Looks like face nappies will be back on at the MCG :((((((

They are back

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

They are back

They never really went away here. We still had to use them in retail spaces. Not that everyone was doing that, but.....

[arm79]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

What's with all the people buying home testing kits at the moment? I'm seeing signs all over the place saying its sold out.

I just bought a 5 test pack from Officeworks. $50 for the 5 test or $30 for the 2 test. Their website also says out of stock but I stopped in to double check and they still had about 40 or so kits left on shelf.

Originally Posted by T3rminator

What are these kits being used for? Are there places (work, events etc) recognising home testing kits as being official?

Personally I got them because Dad and I are, for lack of a better word, lazy.

If we ever get symptoms sufficient enough for us to be concerned we can take a quick test at home to see whether we need to follow up with a proper test.

It's just a way of avoiding having to sit in a car for hours at our local test centre if it turns out unnecessary.

Plus there is talk that chicken lady will be changing the requirements to allow a rapid antigen test instead of the demanded PCR test for entry into Qld. Travellers could be stocking up in preparation.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...dbcf7417ef127e

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by arm79

I just bought a 5 test pack from Officeworks. $50 for the 5 test or $30 for the 2 test. Their website also says out of stock but I stopped in to double check and they still had about 40 or so kits left on shelf.



Personally I got them because Dad and I are, for lack of a better word, lazy.

If we ever get symptoms sufficient enough for us to be concerned we can take a quick test at home to see whether we need to follow up with a proper test.

It's just a way of avoiding having to sit in a car for hours at our local test centre if it turns out unnecessary.

Plus there is talk that chicken lady will be changing the requirements to allow a rapid antigen test instead of the demanded PCR test for entry into Qld. Travellers could be stocking up in preparation.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...dbcf7417ef127e

Your approach on the personal front makes sense.

But interested in the travel bit. Like how will officials know your results are genuine? Do you bring the coloured "strip" to show them? And whats to say you didn't run the test on someone else.

I must say, I'm really surprised that we are still seeing 10s of thousands of people willing to line up for hours to get tested, excluding holiday makers.

[russellw]

Data valid as at 00:00 GMT December 22nd 2021.

Note: As not all Australian States report at the same time, the data below is based on the previous full day reporting.

5,531 new cases for Australia (another record high) and 8 deaths so the CMR is 0.817%. NSW (3,763), Queensland (186), Tasmania (26) and SA (85) all set new daily highs again yesterday (22/12).

58 new cases for NZ and no deaths so CMR is 0.361%.

The UK had 105,330 cases yesterday m(another record) and 140 deaths for a CMR of 1.267%.

213,063 new cases in the USA yesterday and 1,630 deaths sees CMR at 1.589%. That's the first day over 200k since January.

Other notable points: (weekend reporting)
Global cases pass 277M, the last 1M in 1 day;
Global cases pass 800k for the first time since May this year;
Europe sets a new daily case high with 470,014 cases;
North America goes over the 90th percentile for the 10-day period;
Russia passes 300k (official) deaths;

Greenland (213);
Iceland (372);
Malta (582) - the previous high on 10/3/21;
Nigeria (2,123) - the previous high on 21/1/21;
Finland (2,877);
Ethiopia (2,992) - the previous high on 1/4/21;
Kenya (3,328);
Réunion (4,558);
Australia (5,531);
Vietnam (16,555);
Spain (60,041);
France (84,272); and
United Kingdom (105,330)

.... recorded new highs; those in blue for the second consecutive day and those in red for a third or more consecutive day.

Ghana, Angola, Ivory Coast and Uganda move above the 90th percentile for the 10 day period while no countries drop below.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

I must say, I'm really surprised that we are still seeing 10s of thousands of people willing to line up for hours to get tested, excluding holiday makers.

It seems the governments indoctrination is working on the masses.

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

Unvaccinated patients could be forced to pay their own hospital bills under radical proposal being considered by The GSS government after being put forward by cabinet ministers



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tal-stays.html

and

‘Unethical’: doctors condemn GSS government for considering charging unvaccinated patients for Covid care



https://www.theguardian.com/australi...for-covid-care

not going to matter

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Holy smokes... 20,000 here we come....no turning back now.

Better hope Omnicron does turn out to be less severe than its predecessors, and that it doesn't present something more sinister further down the track.

Looks like face nappies will be back on at the MCG :((((((

at this rate its not going to be long before it's spread across the last 10% of the population yet to be vaccinated

[russellw]

NSW/VIC
NSW records a higher 5,715 cases (another new record) in the current period and the 10-day average growth rate increases to 1.2815 (from 1.2431) while the actual line remains well above the predictive trend line.



VIC records 2,005 cases in the current period and the 10-day average growth rate increases to 1.0556 (from 1.0429) while the actual line is about level with the predictive trend.

[arm79]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Your approach on the personal front makes sense.

But interested in the travel bit. Like how will officials know your results are genuine? Do you bring the coloured "strip" to show them? And whats to say you didn't run the test on someone else.

I must say, I'm really surprised that we are still seeing 10s of thousands of people willing to line up for hours to get tested, excluding holiday makers.

I have to do something sensible every now and then or people might think I was the village idiot.

Chicken lady changes direction like a fart in the wind. It could be something she's said just to placate other state governments given how many people are testing just to get into Qld.

I'm sure I saw an article earlier this week that said something like 160,000 people have travelled here since the border opened and there are still 200,000 border passes that have been issued. That's a fu*k load of tests. All of who have to be retested 5 days after arrival. Make that a double fu*k load of tests.

Like you I'm stunned at the testing numbers. I cant understand what would make someone wake up at 5am drag the whole family into a car to sit in a line for 5 hours in the sun to get a test that has no real basis for needing.

The only thing I can think of is the scaremongering by the media and messages from the government. Got everyone running scared and in a panic.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by arm79

I just bought a 5 test pack from Officeworks. $50 for the 5 test or $30 for the 2 test. Their website also says out of stock but I stopped in to double check and they still had about 40 or so kits left on shelf.



Personally I got them because Dad and I are, for lack of a better word, lazy.

If we ever get symptoms sufficient enough for us to be concerned we can take a quick test at home to see whether we need to follow up with a proper test.

It's just a way of avoiding having to sit in a car for hours at our local test centre if it turns out unnecessary.

Plus there is talk that chicken lady will be changing the requirements to allow a rapid antigen test instead of the demanded PCR test for entry into Qld. Travellers could be stocking up in preparation.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...dbcf7417ef127e

Thats not lazy bud, thats smart

[MITCHAY]

Domicron finally folds on mask requirement

[ford71V8]

Had this pointed out to me the other day....

Rearrange the letters of Delta and Omicron and you get "media control"

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Had this pointed out to me the other day....

Rearrange the letters of Delta and Omicron and you get "media control"

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Domicron finally folds on mask requirement

And density limits. Even Vic hasn't gone there yet.....probably influenced by the Aus Open looming in the background.

Reckon the 10% jump in hospitilisations overnight may have prompted a rethink. That and businesses now saying people are cancelling bookings due to the surge in case numbers.

In the UK people are tending to stay home even though no lock down have been imposed.

[arm79]

Wow. That's an interesting change in tact.

NSW Premier urges people without symptoms to avoid getting a PCR test

https://www.news.com.au/world/corona...7d0aab88707a0d

Mr Perrottet said 20 per cent of those tests that are occurring are for the requirement of interstate travel and that large numbers of people with no symptoms were getting swabbed.

“If you aren’t feeling unwell, please do not get a PCR test. You’re taking the place and extending the queue for someone who is unwell and sick at this time. We need to get those tests back as quickly as possible,” he said.

Certainly a very different position to take from the norm, but a regional and pragmatic request.

He's also kicked off indoor mask requirements again.

Mr Perrottet said NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant had advised him on Thursday the Omicron strain appeared less severe than the Delta strain.

“It looks like the Omicron will be probably five times less severe than Delta,” he said.

Dr Chant said about 80 per cent of NSW cases are of the Omicron variant, which “largely explains the steep rise in cases”.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw...fad9b586794155

[PooDog]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

And density limits. Even Vic hasn't gone there yet.....probably influenced by the Aus Open looming in the background.

Reckon the 10% jump in hospitilisations overnight may have prompted a rethink. That and businesses now saying people are cancelling bookings due to the surge in case numbers.

In the UK people are tending to stay home even though no lock down have been imposed.

You certainly wouldn't trust Boris Trump to get anything right would you

[zilo]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Had this pointed out to me the other day....

Rearrange the letters of Delta and Omicron and you get "media control"

Or .....Omicron = Moronic

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Had this pointed out to me the other day....

Rearrange the letters of Delta and Omicron and you get "media control"

Or Erotic Almond

[yakcam]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Had this pointed out to me the other day....

Rearrange the letters of Delta and Omicron and you get "media control"

Also Erotic Almond and many others. But I really like Moron Dialect.

[jaydee]

I see on Yahoo News NSW are contemplating billing unvaccinated who are admitted to hospital.

"But the premier on Monday said of 33 in the ICU on that day, 26 were unvaccinated people. It is not immediately clear how many of Wednesday’s ICU patients are unvaccinated.

According to the Medical Journal of Australia, the average cost for an ICU bed is $4375."

[russellw]

NSW/VIC
NSW records a slightly lower 5,612 cases in the current period and the 10-day average growth rate decreases to 1.2317 (from 1.2815) while the actual line remains well above the predictive trend line.



VIC records 2,095 cases in the current period and the 10-day average growth rate increases to 1.0680 (from 1.0556) while the actual line is still about level with the predictive trend.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by yakcam

Also Erotic Almond and many others. But I really like Moron Dialect.

I dont know mate, Erotic Almond really took my breath away

[russellw]

Data valid as at 00:00 GMT December 23rd 2021.

Note: As not all Australian States report at the same time, the data below is based on the previous full day reporting.

8,370 new cases for Australia (another record high) and 11 deaths so the CMR is 0.796%. NSW (5,715), Queensland (369), ACT (85) and SA (188) all set new daily highs again yesterday (23/12).

59 new cases for NZ and no deaths so CMR is 0.359%.

The UK had 119,789 cases yesterday (another record) and 147 deaths for a CMR of 1.255%.

246,045 new cases in the USA yesterday and 2,501 deaths sees CMR at 1.587%.

Other notable points:
Global cases pass 278M, the last 1M in 1 day;
Global deaths pass 5.4M, the last 50k in 7 days;
Global cases set a new daily high of 946,803 – the previous high on 29/4/21;
Africa sets a new daily high with 52,716 cases (22/12);
Europe sets a new daily high with 516,222 cases;
Europe passes 82M cases and 1.5M deaths;

Iceland (500);
Malta (733);
Angola (1,163);
DRC (2,761);
Finland (3,000);
Kenya (3,746);
Ethiopia (3,793);
Australia (8,370);
Canada (21,493) – the previous high (11,493) on 3/1/21;
Italy (44,595) – the previous high (40,902) on 13/11/20;
Spain (72,912);
France(91,608); and
United Kingdom (119,789)

.... recorded new highs; those in blue for the second consecutive day and those in red for a third or more consecutive day.

No countries move above the 90th percentile for the 10 day period while Russia and Jordan drop below.

[MITCHAY]

ACT raises the bat with 105

[russellw]

Originally Posted by jaydee

I see on Yahoo News NSW are contemplating billing unvaccinated who are admitted to hospital.

"But the premier on Monday said of 33 in the ICU on that day, 26 were unvaccinated people. It is not immediately clear how many of Wednesday’s ICU patients are unvaccinated.

According to the Medical Journal of Australia, the average cost for an ICU bed is $4375."

That's per day of course. Going down this path is not a good thing by any stretch of the imagination. As a society, we (perhaps begrudgingly sometimes) that 'free' health care is available to all whether they pay Medicare levies or not and regardless of how much they might have contributed to their need for hospital care.

The logic is obviously based on the fact that they could 'probably' have avoided the need for hospitalisation if they were vaccinated although that's certainly not a 100% guarantee but then do we:

Charge RTA victims if they were speeding or careless?
Charge smokers if they get a smoking related illness?
Charge anyone who has ever had a drink if they get a related illness?
Charge the overweight if they get a related illness?

Those 4 things add up to about 50k or a third of our annual death toll but closer to 40% of our hospitalisations - although sometimes the 'contribution' is a bit tenuous which is a problem in itself!

[russellw]

The year isn't quite over yet but I was just comparing the annual data 2020 to 2021 on a global basis.

In 2020, over the 9 months that the pandemic really ran for there were 83.5M cases reported and 1.935M deaths for a CMR of 2.3064%.

In 2021 (with a week to go), the year has seen 194M cases (+231%) and 3.453M deaths (+178%) for a CMR of 1.7763%.

The difference in those CMR numbers resulted in 1,030,441 people not dying, largely due to the vaccination programs along with better treatment protocols.

In our little microcosm, the numbers are a bit more stark given how bad the impact was of the aged-care debacle in 2020.

2020 saw 29,707 cases and 910 deaths for a CMR that was poor by global standards, of 3.063%. This year to date, we've had 258,346 (8.7x more) cases and 2,181 deaths (1.4x more) for a much better than the global average CMR of 0.492%.

Just as well we didn't have the same CMR as last year becasue that would have resulted in another 6,643 deaths or about triple the number we actually had.