wuhan - coronavirus

[Melissa Louise]

4 minutes ago, lewelma said:

0 cases again. Waste water clear.  Crossing fingers. We have 48 more hours to see if our Australian traveller has infected anyone in my city. Lockdown decision will be made on Sunday. 

Fingers crossed. 

[Ausmumof3]

https://apple.news/AHFJoISqXShqiC3PqPBgcsw
 

Mask mandates back in Israel as cases are doubling every few days again.

[TravelingChris]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

https://apple.news/AHFJoISqXShqiC3PqPBgcsw
 

Mask mandates back in Israel as cases are doubling every few days again.

I am going to look later to see what kind of cases these are- unvaccinated, vaccinated and positive but not really sick, or vaccinated, positive and very sick.

[Corraleno]

According to the WSJ, 50% of Israelis who have tested positive for the Delta variant were fully vaccinated, and Delta accounts for 90% of current infections. The new spike originated in a group of school children, and spread rapidly from there, despite 85% of the adult population being fully vaccinated.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaccinated-people-account-for-half-of-new-covid-19-delta-cases-in-israeli-outbreak-11624624326

Edited June 25, 2021 by Corraleno
link

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, Corraleno said:

According to the WSJ, 50% of Israelis who have tested positive for the Delta variant were fully vaccinated, and Delta accounts for 90% of current infections. The new spike originated in a group of school children, and spread rapidly from there.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaccinated-people-account-for-half-of-new-covid-19-delta-cases-in-israeli-outbreak-11624624326

Ugh. I've been extremely curious what will happen in Israel, given that Delta is spreading. Good to know, although depressing. 

Of course, Israel is blisteringly hot in the summer, so that is probably not going to help -- people are inside with AC on, just like in the South in the US. 

[Ausmumof3]

20 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

According to the WSJ, 50% of Israelis who have tested positive for the Delta variant were fully vaccinated, and Delta accounts for 90% of current infections. The new spike originated in a group of school children, and spread rapidly from there, despite 85% of the adult population being fully vaccinated.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaccinated-people-account-for-half-of-new-covid-19-delta-cases-in-israeli-outbreak-11624624326

Eek. Also I think they had mostly Pfizer not Astra.

Edited June 25, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[Penelope]

In the reports, how many of the cases were asymptomatic, though? As pointed out by sources I read, if you do a lot of asymptomatic testing, you will find some vaccinated people testing positive for the virus, and we should expect that no matter what variant is around. CDC doesn’t recommend testing for asymptomatic vaccinated people. If the person is not symptomatic or has very mild symptoms, then the vaccine-induced immunity is doing it’s job. 

[TCB]

2 hours ago, Corraleno said:

According to the WSJ, 50% of Israelis who have tested positive for the Delta variant were fully vaccinated, and Delta accounts for 90% of current infections. The new spike originated in a group of school children, and spread rapidly from there, despite 85% of the adult population being fully vaccinated.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaccinated-people-account-for-half-of-new-covid-19-delta-cases-in-israeli-outbreak-11624624326

Any idea why theses findings are so different than those in the UK? I’m fairly sure I read that a study there showed good protection with vaccination even with the Delta variant.

[TCB]

1 hour ago, Penelope said:

In the reports, how many of the cases were asymptomatic, though? As pointed out by sources I read, if you do a lot of asymptomatic testing, you will find some vaccinated people testing positive for the virus, and we should expect that no matter what variant is around. CDC doesn’t recommend testing for asymptomatic vaccinated people. If the person is not symptomatic or has very mild symptoms, then the vaccine-induced immunity is doing it’s job. 

Yes this is what we need to know. 
 

Also really important is do we really know how much risk there is of a vaccinated person, who does get infected, passing it on to someone else.

I feel really safe from severe illness, having been vaccinated, but I really wish I knew for sure about the risk of passing it on. Being in an area with increased prevalence of Delta, along with work exposure to Covid, I feel very unsure about going without a mask inside public areas. I really don’t want to expose anyone. Can anyone point me to hard facts about this? I don’t think I’ve actually looked at a study about transmission, just read news reports about it.

[TravelingChris]

3 hours ago, Corraleno said:

According to the WSJ, 50% of Israelis who have tested positive for the Delta variant were fully vaccinated, and Delta accounts for 90% of current infections. The new spike originated in a group of school children, and spread rapidly from there, despite 85% of the adult population being fully vaccinated.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaccinated-people-account-for-half-of-new-covid-19-delta-cases-in-israeli-outbreak-11624624326

But that report still did not say whether the vaccinated were actually sick or asymptomatic or mildly sick or very sick.  I am going to look up info now.

[KSera]

3 hours ago, Corraleno said:

According to the WSJ, 50% of Israelis who have tested positive for the Delta variant were fully vaccinated, and Delta accounts for 90% of current infections. The new spike originated in a group of school children, and spread rapidly from there, despite 85% of the adult population being fully vaccinated.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaccinated-people-account-for-half-of-new-covid-19-delta-cases-in-israeli-outbreak-11624624326

I'm trying to think of a reason this isn't as worrying as it sounds, but I can't come up with one yet. I can't access the full article, but this part near the beginning just makes it worse: "Children under 16, most of whom haven’t been vaccinated, accounted for about half of those infected, he said."

If half of the people infected were vaccinated and half were kids who couldn't be vaccinated, that means most of those over 16 who were infected were fully vaccinated. That's super different than in UK. Even more different from the US, which has much lower Delta at this point and has more than 99% of hospitilizations and deaths in unvaccinated right now.

[KSera]

4 minutes ago, TCB said:

Yes this is what we need to know. 
 

Also really important is do we really know how much risk there is of a vaccinated person, who does get infected, passing it on to someone else.

I feel really safe from severe illness, having been vaccinated, but I really wish I knew for sure about the risk of passing it on. Being in an area with increased prevalence of Delta, along with work exposure to Covid, I feel very unsure about going without a mask inside public areas. I really don’t want to expose anyone. Can anyone point me to hard facts about this? I don’t think I’ve actually looked at a study about transmission, just read news reports about it.

It seems that the low risk of transmission by vaccinated people has been based on the low rate of contracting even asymptomatic illness. If someone doesn't contract the illness, obviously they can't transmit it. Logically, that makes me think that if they are contracting it, they may spread it. If I see any good studies about this, I'll share them here.

[Penelope]

9 minutes ago, KSera said:

I'm trying to think of a reason this isn't as worrying as it sounds, but I can't come up with one yet. I can't access the full article, but this part near the beginning just makes it worse: "Children under 16, most of whom haven’t been vaccinated, accounted for about half of those infected, he said."

If half of the people infected were vaccinated and half were kids who couldn't be vaccinated, that means most of those over 16 who were infected were fully vaccinated. That's super different than in UK. Even more different from the US, which has much lower Delta at this point and has more than 99% of hospitilizations and deaths in unvaccinated right now.

That’s a good point.

Israel does have a higher percentage fully vaccinated than the UK. 
I think that who is getting tested and why might make a big difference in what these numbers look like, though. If there is a lot of screening testing and much is in schools or workplaces where everyone tested is vaccinated, then cases in previously vaccinated is mostly what will be found.

I think hospitalizations are better numbers to look at to know whether to be worried in a particular area. 

 

 

[Laura Corin]

42 minutes ago, TCB said:

Any idea why theses findings are so different than those in the UK? I’m fairly sure I read that a study there showed good protection with vaccination even with the Delta variant.

Vaccines have been shown in the UK to be effective against Delta symptomatic disease and hospitalisation. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/15/the-covid-delta-variant-how-effective-are-the-vaccines?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[TCB]

12 minutes ago, KSera said:

It seems that the low risk of transmission by vaccinated people has been based on the low rate of contracting even asymptomatic illness. If someone doesn't contract the illness, obviously they can't transmit it. Logically, that makes me think that if they are contracting it, they may spread it. If I see any good studies about this, I'll share them here.

It does make sense that if you aren’t contracting you can’t spread, but how closely are they looking. I wish we knew for sure, or at least pretty sure. I’d appreciate reading anything you come across.

[Penelope]

This from England shows 50% less likely to pass on infection after just one dose of vaccination. Not Delta variant, but vaccine seems to be about as effective against symptomatic infection in vaccinated person for Delta as it is for Alpha. Results the same whether Pfizer or Astra Zeneca.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMc2107717?articleTools=true

Edited June 25, 2021 by Penelope
Change to link since not sure if embedded was okay for copyrighted paper

[KSera]

36 minutes ago, TCB said:

It does make sense that if you aren’t contracting you can’t spread, but how closely are they looking. I wish we knew for sure, or at least pretty sure. I’d appreciate reading anything you come across.

Here's one of the early studies I remember giving some of the best data that vaccines were preventing illness and not just symptoms: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7013e3.htm?s_cid=mm7013e3_w

"Prospective cohorts of 3,950 health care personnel, first responders, and other essential and frontline workers completed weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing for 13 consecutive weeks. Under real-world conditions, mRNA vaccine effectiveness of full immunization (≥14 days after second dose) was 90% against SARS-CoV-2 infections regardless of symptom status; vaccine effectiveness of partial immunization (≥14 days after first dose but before second dose) was 80%."

[Corraleno]

I think one reason the efficacy of Pfizer against Delta looks so much lower in Israel is that, with 85% of the adult population fully vaxxed, there is no true control group, because vaccinated adults and unvaccinated children are not matched cohorts. At this point, there's really no way to know what percentage of vaccinated adults were exposed to Delta and didn't get infected, but would have gotten infected if they weren't vaxxed.

And OTOH, if the UK was only picking up infections in vaccinated folks with significant symptoms, then their calculations for the efficacy rate of Pfizer vs Delta is probably too high. I think the fact that the initial symptoms with Delta are much less distinctive and more common-cold-ish is likely to make it a lot harder to  collect really accurate stats on infection rates, and by extension, vaccine efficacy.

[TravelingChris]

And with me, if I get a common cold, with just some sneezing and coughing, I wouldn't go for any kind of testing- because I sneeze and cough with allergies too.   And I do not get fevers so there is that too. And that is if I was one of the unlucky who actually got Delta and got symptoms.  I think most get either no symptoms or such minor symptoms that no one gets tested in many areas. In the US, if you get no symptoms, you aren't even supposed to get tested.

[lewelma]

2 hours ago, TCB said:

Also really important is do we really know how much risk there is of a vaccinated person, who does get infected, passing it on to someone else.

The Australian visitor to Wellington will be an interesting IRL case study of this exact thing. Because we have no covid here at all, any cases that we find in the next week will be directly linked to him.

1) He had the delta variant.

2) He had one vaccine jab 10 weeks ago (I think it was Pfizer, but my Australian counterparts might know for sure).

3) He had symptoms starting on the flight over on Friday. By Saturday the symptoms were enough to send him to the drug store for some meds. 

4) Our population is unvaccinated. At this point only 8% have even 1 jab, and many of those are the elderly in old folks homes so wouldn't have been at the pub! 

He travelled ALL over the city on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. And went to many indoor crowded venues including pubs, restaurants, and one very busy art exhibit. 

This IRL experiment might tell us quite a lot. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by lewelma

[KSera]

27 minutes ago, lewelma said:

The Australian visitor to Wellington will be an interesting IRL case study of this exact thing. Because we have no covid here at all, any cases that we find in the next week will be directly linked to him.

So far, no cases, right? And the window should be closing for when they should have started showing up, assuming a high level of testing. Hopefully this turns out to be a lucky near miss.

[Laura Corin]

52 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

And with me, if I get a common cold, with just some sneezing and coughing, I wouldn't go for any kind of testing- because I sneeze and cough with allergies too.   And I do not get fevers so there is that too. And that is if I was one of the unlucky who actually got Delta and got symptoms.  I think most get either no symptoms or such minor symptoms that no one gets tested in many areas. In the US, if you get no symptoms, you aren't even supposed to get tested.

We can get as many lateral flow tests as we like to test at home,  symptoms or no. They aren't perfect but they increase the likelihood of catching asymptomatic cases. I  get tested every week anyway before I visit my mother.

[lewelma]

23 minutes ago, KSera said:

So far, no cases, right? And the window should be closing for when they should have started showing up, assuming a high level of testing. Hopefully this turns out to be a lucky near miss.

Yesterday there were 0 cases and that would be day 5 for his Saturday wanderings. Today we find out about Sunday, and tomorrow we find out about Monday. Waste water testing is running a few days behind that (so 4 more days to be pretty sure).  We have high rates of testing (10K yesterday for a city of 250K), but I'm sure there are people who are not getting tested and have not been isolating even if they went to a place of interest and even though it is a legal requirement to get tested and isolate. So the waste water will pick up the rest of them. Apparently, wastewater can find virus if there are 5 people with Covid in the city, but not if there is just 1-4. So much will be know by day 5 after Monday's wanderings, but the health order requires 14 days of isolation and another covid test on day 12 for all the close contacts including the bars and art exhibit. So we won't be out to fhte woods until 14 days after his Monday wanderings. When there is NO covid and you want to keep it that way, they are way way more careful with the long tail cases. 

[TravelingChris]

4 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

We can get as many lateral flow tests as we like to test at home,  symptoms or no. They aren't perfect but they increase the likelihood of catching asymptomatic cases. I  get tested every week anyway before I visit my mother.

What are lateral flow tests?  How are they different from swabs and do you mail them in or drop them off or do they work kind of like home pregnancy tests?

[Melissa Louise]

5 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

And with me, if I get a common cold, with just some sneezing and coughing, I wouldn't go for any kind of testing- because I sneeze and cough with allergies too.   And I do not get fevers so there is that too. And that is if I was one of the unlucky who actually got Delta and got symptoms.  I think most get either no symptoms or such minor symptoms that no one gets tested in many areas. In the US, if you get no symptoms, you aren't even supposed to get tested.

Common cold symptoms are considered symptoms in need of testing here. 

Esp with Delta - sore throat, runny nose - symptoms of both. 

I have easy access to testing. Rock up at my local testing centre, swab down the throat and up the nose, wait 24hr to get the all clear. I think yesterday's test was my 5th? 

It's annoying that I have to take sick leave, though, and for people without it, there are additional problems. 

I wasn't worried I had Covid - just doing my bit in keeping our testing rates high. High testing rates give a better picture of spread, and can reduce length of, or prevent, lockdown. 

 

[lewelma]

Woot woot! No community cases again today!  This corresponds to transmission in his second day of travelling around the city.

[Melissa in Australia]

5 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

And with me, if I get a common cold, with just some sneezing and coughing, I wouldn't go for any kind of testing- because I sneeze and cough with allergies too.   And I do not get fevers so there is that too. And that is if I was one of the unlucky who actually got Delta and got symptoms.  I think most get either no symptoms or such minor symptoms that no one gets tested in many areas. In the US, if you get no symptoms, you aren't even supposed to get tested.

Unbelivable

I guess of no testing is done then nothing can be found. 

I heard that the current outbreak of delta strain in Sydney is from an American flight crew in transit. The transit driver here in Australia caught it then it spread. The genome testing seems to indicate this 

If countries like USA are still making testing hard/not bothering/ no wonder it can not be brought under controland continues to spread everywhere. 

[Melissa Louise]

Syd this am - prepare for longer/wider lockdown 🙁 

 

[maize]

28 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Unbelivable

I guess of no testing is done then nothing can be found. 

I heard that the current outbreak of delta strain in Sydney is from an American flight crew in transit. The transit driver here in Australia caught it then it spread. The genome testing seems to indicate this 

If countries like USA are still making testing hard/not bothering/ no wonder it can not be brought under controland continues to spread everywhere. 

Testing is easily accessible in my state but very few people with cold or honestly even more flu-like symptoms are testing.

Vaccines are readily available and going unused.

Almost no-one is masking.

Not surprisingly, cases are rising and Delta is spreading.

Everyone over age 12 in my family is fully vaccinated. 

One of my younger children had a mild case of covid in March and presumably has some antibodies.

I wish I could get the rest of my kids vaccinated.

 

 

[Penelope]

33 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Unbelivable

I guess of no testing is done then nothing can be found. 

I heard that the current outbreak of delta strain in Sydney is from an American flight crew in transit. The transit driver here in Australia caught it then it spread. The genome testing seems to indicate this 

If countries like USA are still making testing hard/not bothering/ no wonder it can not be brought under controland continues to spread everywhere. 

It isn’t hard to test for most of us; it’s readily available since last summer, though not all have quick results to a rapid test. Even with lower testing numbers recently, our test positivity rates have gone way down. 

However, testing has never been recommended for typical allergy symptoms like itching and sneezing. Even last fall when cases were high, testing for mild cold symptoms was not universally recommended. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/10/should-i-get-a-covid-test-if-im-experiencing-cold-symptoms-heres-what-experts-say.html
 

According to this BBC article from this month, looks like in the U.K. testing is recommended for symptoms like fever, cough, loss of smell and taste, but not runny or stuffy nose, headache, sneezing. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54145299

I’ve tested a bunch at this point, but I think we are all getting test weary and quarantine-weary, and countries with high vaccination rates are in a different place now than Australia is. As in most of the rest of the world, we aren’t trying for elimination, and we don’t lockdown for a few cases. We’re also having other viruses come back after being gone for a long while, so the chance that mild cold symptoms are from Covid has also greatly decreased. 

 

[DoraBora]

39 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Unbelivable

I guess of no testing is done then nothing can be found. 

I heard that the current outbreak of delta strain in Sydney is from an American flight crew in transit. The transit driver here in Australia caught it then it spread. The genome testing seems to indicate this 

If countries like USA are still making testing hard/not bothering/ no wonder it can not be brought under controland continues to spread everywhere. 

Traveling Chris' experience is not the case where I live.

I'm in Dallas, Texas, and here it's pretty easy to get a test, and there are plenty of places to do it.  If you've been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, or you work in a high-risk place/health care, or golly, even if you've just "taken part in an activity that may put you at high risk of contracting Covid-19" (like traveling, being in a crowded, poorly-ventilated area, etc.) you can get tested at no cost to you.  

If you just want to test for no reason, you have to pay for it, but you can still get one.

[Penelope]

8 minutes ago, DoraBora said:

Traveling Chris' experience is not the case where I live.

I'm in Dallas, Texas, and here it's pretty easy to get a test, and there are plenty of places to do it.  If you've been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, or you work in a high-risk place/health care, or golly, even if you've just "taken part in an activity that may put you at high risk of contracting Covid-19" (like traveling, being in a crowded, poorly-ventilated area, etc.) you can get tested at no cost to you.  

If you just want to test for no reason, you have to pay for it, but you can still get one.

Bolded: Really? I thought PCR was still free everywhere. For the rapid that has results within the hour, that’s different; might or might not be a fee. Those are also available over the counter, for purchase, without an appointment.

Edited June 26, 2021 by Penelope

[DoraBora]

23 minutes ago, Penelope said:

Bolded: Really? I thought PCR was still free everywhere. For the rapid that has results within the hour, that’s different; might or might not be a fee. Those are also available over the counter, for purchase, without an appointment.

You're probably right.  Even better!  I saw a flow chart at a local pharmacy that detailed when one qualifies for a no-cost test, and I received a mailer from another place that said much the same.  I wasn't paying attention to the type of test they offered, and I should have qualified my earlier statement to say "from what I've seen" and included the type of tests they were advertising. 

My son's university is still testing students/staff/faculty at no cost.  I think my county still runs several testing centers, but I'm not really keeping up with it.

My point was that it's simply not true that the US is making testing hard.

Edited June 26, 2021 by DoraBora

[TCB]

I don’t think that testing is hard here. Speaking for where I am, a lot of people simply won’t get tested. For a number of them it is because they don’t want to have to take time off work as they have no sick leave. It has been that way here since at least the beginning of the school year, once people figured out that if you got your kid tested they had to quarantine. Some people at the local Christian school even told my friend that they were holding off getting tested around Election Day so that they would still be able to vote. I know someone who went and voted, posted a picture of herself doing so, fortunately wearing a mask, then drove over to be tested and was positive. I’m still amazed by this behavior.

[TravelingChris]

27 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Unbelivable

I guess of no testing is done then nothing can be found. 

I heard that the current outbreak of delta strain in Sydney is from an American flight crew in transit. The transit driver here in Australia caught it then it spread. The genome testing seems to indicate this 

If countries like USA are still making testing hard/not bothering/ no wonder it can not be brought under controland continues to spread everywhere. 

No. It isn't hard to get tested. But we are told that it we have had the vaccine and someone near us got Covid, we have no need to get tested. 

We hardly have any Covid here too and no Delta here yet. 

And I have a runny nose most of the time at least part of the day- I am not testing myself all the time.  Just like I didn't test myself for fatigue, muscle spasms, joint pains, etc that were on earlier lists.  Just like 8 don't go to the hospital everything my chest hurts.  If 8 had ever gotten sick w anything other than my normal autoimmune stuff, I would have followed up snd if I do get sick w somethibg, I will follow up.  But I haven't been sick since Feb 2020.

[TravelingChris]

59 minutes ago, DoraBora said:

Traveling Chris' experience is not the case where I live.

I'm in Dallas, Texas, and here it's pretty easy to get a test, and there are plenty of places to do it.  If you've been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, or you work in a high-risk place/health care, or golly, even if you've just "taken part in an activity that may put you at high risk of contracting Covid-19" (like traveling, being in a crowded, poorly-ventilated area, etc.) you can get tested at no cost to you.  

If you just want to test for no reason, you have to pay for it, but you can still get one.

No it is easy to test here but i have reason to and neither do most people who have been vaccinated.

[KSera]

17 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

We hardly have any Covid here too and no Delta here yet. 

 

I can’t remember where you are anymore and if you’re someone that shares location (Virginia??), but I didn’t know there was anywhere in the US without Delta. 
 

Speaking of Delta: Citing Delta Variant, WHO Urges Mask Use Among Vaccinated

Edited June 26, 2021 by KSera

[Shoeless]

San Antonio area here. Testing is widely available and free, unless you are buying one of those OTC rapid tests.  I think those are $20 for a 2 pack. 

I can get tested at any local pharmacy, the hospital, urgent care, and various doctor offices. 

[Melissa Louise]

43 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

No. It isn't hard to get tested. But we are told that it we have had the vaccine and someone near us got Covid, we have no need to get tested. 

We hardly have any Covid here too and no Delta here yet. 

And I have a runny nose most of the time at least part of the day- I am not testing myself all the time.  Just like I didn't test myself for fatigue, muscle spasms, joint pains, etc that were on earlier lists.  Just like 8 don't go to the hospital everything my chest hurts.  If 8 had ever gotten sick w anything other than my normal autoimmune stuff, I would have followed up snd if I do get sick w somethibg, I will follow up.  But I haven't been sick since Feb 2020.

I didn't test for the last lot of allergies I had, b/c there was zero transmission at that stage. Everyone just responds to local conditions. 

[Melissa Louise]

Back in lockdown 🙁

[Ausmumof3]

38 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

Back in lockdown 🙁

I feel kind of bad liking your post but although I’m not glad you need to lock down obviously, the sooner it happens hopefully the sooner we’re clear again.  Doesn’t seem like they are going to win with just contact tracing and vax rates aren’t high enough.

NT has a case as well mostly likely from hotel quarantine and been on a mining camp 🙁

I always figured winter would be a challenge but it’s seeming worse than expected.

 

[Ausmumof3]

For testing here I literally drive into a car park outside my doctors surgery, wind down the window, give the Medicare number and we get swabbed.  We get a test within 24 hours.  The advice is to get tested for a sniffly nose or sore throat but if you’re prone to allergies and been tested once you don’t have to repeat as long as symptoms are consistent.

[Ausmumof3]

So ACT, TAS, SA and WA (lower population/ less travel) are the only states that haven’t had local transmission of some kind in the last three weeks.  Kind of makes you realise how inadequate the hotel quarantine system really is as a strategy right now.  Vaccination came up at the kids tennis today - 2 out of four parents have had the first dose and I’m booked.  The general sentiment seems to be pretty positive.  

Edited June 26, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

ABC

A two-week lockdown for Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong...

• That starts from 6:00pm tonight and goes until midnight on Friday, July 9
• People in those areas are only allowed to leave their homes for the four essential reasons - work, essential shopping, compassionate grounds/medical care and exercise
• Community sport is off for the lockdown, weddings will be allowed this weekend only, funerals will be limited to the one person per 4sqm rule with a cap of 100 people
• Masks must be worn indoors

Outside those four areas...

• People who have been in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong since June 21 should follow stay-at-home orders for the 14 days after they left
• Household visits limited to five guests
• Masks compulsory indoors, except at home, and at organised outdoor events
• No singing at indoor venues, including places of worship
• Dancing isn't allowed at indoor venues, but it is allowed at weddings (only for the wedding party though)
• Dance and gym classes limited to 20 people, with masks worn
• One person per 4sqm for all indoor and outdoor settings, including weddings and funerals
• Outdoor seated, ticketed events limited to 50 per cent seated capacity

I have to say this seems much softer than the lockdowns other states have implemented.  I really really hope it works.

 

[popmom]

I’m in the same state as travelingchris. Testing is very easy to get as are vaccinations. And yes, it’s free. Our biggest challenge is getting more people to take the vaccine. I’ve been feeling pretty good about not wearing a mask, but if the Delta variant takes over, I will go back to isolating and masking. At least until I know that my Pfizer vaccine is protective. And J and J as a few of my fam got that one. 

Edited June 26, 2021 by popmom

[lewelma]

54 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

 

I have to say this seems much softer than the lockdowns other states have implemented.  I really really hope it works.

 

Agreed. Hope is not too miserable for everyone involved. Clearly, the travel bubble with NZ will be paused.

[Ausmumof3]

34 minutes ago, lewelma said:

Agreed. Hope is not too miserable for everyone involved. Clearly, the travel bubble with NZ will be paused.

Do you know if this will be across all states?  

[Laura Corin]

6 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

What are lateral flow tests?  How are they different from swabs and do you mail them in or drop them off or do they work kind of like home pregnancy tests?

They are like pregnancy tests and are ready within 30 minutes

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/25/covid-19-how-accurate-are-lateral-flow-tests

There's a local test centre that does symptomatic testing for most of the day, but the rest of the day you can pick up packs of 24 lateral flow tests there.

Edited June 26, 2021 by Laura Corin

[lewelma]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Do you know if this will be across all states?  

I doubt it, but after this scare and the political fall out, I think they are going to be more conservative and pause the bubble more quickly.  There have been a LOT of questions as to why they didn't pause it earlier when there started to be community cases over there.

There will be an announcement tomorrow maybe around 4pm ish based on the results of the third day of covid tests (that correlate with his 3 day weekend). 

Edited June 26, 2021 by lewelma

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, lewelma said:

I doubt it, but after this scare and the political fall out, I think they are going to be more conservative and pause the bubble more quickly.  There have been a LOT of questions as to why they didn't pause it earlier when there started to be community cases over there.

There will be an announcement tomorrow maybe around 4pm ish based on the results of the third day of covid tests (that correlate with his 3 day weekend). 

Thanks

I know someone here that will want to get back probably