Australia recorded only one new locally acquired COVID-19 infection overnight – a casual cleaner working in a Queensland quarantine hotel:
There are now 225 active locally acquired cases recorded across Australia:
NSW still leads the way with 196 active local cases:
However, its rate of infection has fallen below the second wave, where NSW suppressed the virus without draconian shutdowns:
Victoria has 28 active cases with its infection curve flattening:
Whereas QLD has one active local case, with the risk of additional community transmission given the cleaner visited several sites throughout Brisbane before testing positive.
Hopefully we don’t have another major quarantine breach on our hands.
This is another warning that Australia’s quarantine system is too lax and follows significant outbreaks in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.
As I noted yesterday:
Australia’s governments simply must get quarantine arrangements right if we are to avoid further damaging virus outbreaks. They cannot continue to cut corners and make the same mistakes.
The federal government must also take the lead and stop passing responsibility to the states.
Effective quarantine requires:
- Housing international arrivals away from population centres (e.g. regional army bases);
- Utilising only highly trained and well paid staff;
- Ensuring these staff work in dedicated teams (to avoid cross-contamination) and remain on base throughout their deployment (similar to mining FIFO workers); and
- Regular testing of quarantine staff and guests.
The federal government is best placed to coordinate and fund Australia’s quarantine effort. It also has constitutional responsibility for quarantine arrangements.
The federal government must take control of the situation, not continue to pass the buck.
Quarantine needs to be taken more seriously by Australia’s governments. Otherwise, more outbreaks are inevitable.
- Australia Day Links 26 January 2021 - January 26, 2021
- Farm visas are not the answer to labour shortages - January 25, 2021
- Melbourne and Sydney property supply balloons - January 25, 2021
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN
Google pull-out will crush Australian business
Via Crikey: This weekend brought a lot of heated
Australian trade goes boom as China shoots its own foot
Via the ABS: Key statistics •
Farm visas are not the answer to labour shortages
Joanna Howe, Associate Professor at the
CBA: Household spending intentions rising
CBA has released its household spending
Anyone know if airport hotels are being used or if it is just CBD hotels???
Surely if we should have a single point of entry in the middle of nowhere with FIFO (campaign style like some exploration teams do) with quarantine prior to departure.
you could literally charge the worlds super rich old people whatever you wanted to fund the whole thing. And ANY of the Visas we are currently granting to off shore applicants should be charged a very large covid fee. I mean if we are doing this nonsense anyway at least make something from it.
We don’t have to charge anything : we are already paying for empty beds on the facility at Christmas Island.
Super rich old people aren’t going to pay to stay in the middle of nowhere, they pay to avoid having to deal with stuff like that and get “special exemptions”.
Given we only have a handful of cases is it worth the cost to prevent those. And how long do we continue with it?
What is the long term exit plan for this? That’s right, there isn’t one other than hope it goes away, or is miraculously cured.
You know, when Australia was a much poorer place, it had a quarantine station at each port of entry! Isn’t that amazing 😉!
Anyone coming into Australia, along with their animals was waylaid in these well run places for the good of the rest of the nation.
In fact, all of these facilities were in place until the 1980s. In Victoria, the Quarantine Station was used as a staging place for Yugoslavian refugees in the 1990s.
There’s not much to it. Make it compulsory on entry for everyone, including the super rich.
It ends when the pandemic ends.
Harden up bjw.
+1. Well said.
Spot on. Pollies haven’t done what needs to be done because they’ve never stopped straining on the leash to get things back to how they were pre-covid.
Agreed. No exemptions, no special deals.
Enjoy this summer because the virus will be out of control come winter if they can’t control it now.
Once everyone starts getting their jab they’ll view it as a green light to go back to normal.
The Federal Government has now had 12 months to come up with a secure quarantine strategy, and it’s done nothing.
NO-ONE IN !!!
NO-ONE OUT !!!
Or secure quarantine, federally administered. Just like we had 100 years ago.
That’s what she said ! Amirite!
Scummo has called an emergency meeting today – finally.
He’s run out of his singular idea, and needs others to demonstrate what to do.
Surely we should be charging a mint for this kind of coming and going – or just not doing it.
https://7news.com.au/entertainment/movies/canberra-to-host-filming-of-liam-neeson-film-blacklight-with-applications-for-extras-open-c-1909706
3 people at work went to get tested today as they’re all living in same suburb, shop at the same shops, etc. I’ve been wearing a mask at work for 2 weeks copping grief off everyone, they weren’t laughing so much this arvo when reality slapped em in the face.
Serves them right?
“Draconian” such an inappropriate use of the word to describe the extraordinary effort of a state that went from 750 cases a day to eradication – possibly a world-1st.. Exemplary.