Northern Land Council Closes Community Visits

That won't be a problem unless a carrier enters (or returns to) the communities Bigfish. The situation is very fluid as we know.

But isnt that the issue Bazooka? Shutting down the community is fine. People coming and going just defeats the whole exercise. Many communities (and islands) are supposed to be grog free...yet grog is available in many. Telling local not to travel to another community or town will often be ignored. Stopping people entering is only half the problem. If the local people paid heed to the closures then all would be good. Based on my experience with them, I just cant see it being adhered to. I hope it works for them because most of the communities health is not good.

No it's not really the issue Bigfish. Like the 500 people rule it's one way of limiting the risk of spread even as people get about their lives. Remote communities are already comparatively safe (although they may also have a higher susceptibility/risk), as are most country towns for the moment.

Daughter works in HK and she reported that they're starting to relax some rules, including getting people back to work after making them work from home for a fortnight+. Our biggest concern for her is public transport to and from her workplace.

THIS might be of interest in regards to lockdown effects in other countries. It will be interesting to see how COVID-19 compares to recent flu epidemics as far as mortality and infection rates are concerned but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Now that is total, over-the-top stupidity. A transit permit doesn't give you any access to communities.

Cheers, Ron.

My 2019 permit pack from the Ngaanyatjarra Council includes a listing of community stores and roadhouses. And states "visitors with transit permits welcome during opening hours."

Ron, people on transit permits call in to get fuel and other supplies, so the risk is certainly there for the aboriginal communities. In public health terms, these are some of the most vulnerable people in Australia, and I think we should support any sensible efforts to protect them.
Travel safe everyone.
Adrian

The Central Land Council are no longer issuing transit permits and already issued permits are invalid in certain circumstances.

CLC Transit Permit Application

This includes the “Uluru to WA Border” section of the Great Central Road as well as the NT sections of the Gary Junction and Sandy Blight Junction Roads.

Ron,
I see WA is talking about closing it's borders. Guess it might not have been so over the top at all.

Going to be interesting to see what happens as we are just watching what happens re travelling this year.

Might have to use a prime mover and pan to get around, that combo won't get stopped but oooooh the fuel bill will be a killer.

Cheers the ever slowing Eagle

Eagle - Yeah, there's got to be a line drawn somewhere between realistic prevention and totally destroying the economy.

Premier Mark McGowan is dead against total isolation for W.A., and I can understand why.
It's only the head docs who are proposing the closing of the borders.

But they don't have to face the economic mess when everyone in business goes bankrupt, due to total isolation.

As it stands, I fear for the solvency of every Australian commercial airline at present, and the jobs of all those dependent on the air transport industry.
We are going to see some disasters unfold in coming months, and they won't be health disasters, they will be business disasters.

People are going to lose everything they've worked for, all their lives.
I'd hate to be a major business owner now, as I was, for nearly all my working life.

Cheers, Ron.

Not sure about isolating the State. I have long-term plans for a road trip to Tasmania and return leaving in three weeks. Not calling it off just yet.

Travelling through regional and outback WA, SA and Victoria. Nearest I'll get to a city will be driving to the ferry in Port Melbourne.

Not sure about other states but as I understand it there are no cases of the virus in rural and regional WA. Tasmania only has a few cases. And cases of community transmission are still rare with none in WA.

Probably safer out in the country than at my local supermarket.

That' s not to say I am trivialising this. But I suspect the long term economic effects will far outweigh the health impact .

I reckon the tourism and hospitality businesses I encounter in my travels might welcome my custom.

If they seal the borders while I am away I'll just keep travelling.

Take care people.

Hospitals and aged care homes are the hotspots in WA

News report

Three healthcare workers returned to work in Perth after contracting coronavirus overseas, with one of them completing several shifts at an aged care facility before prompting a lockdown.

An Aegis Aged Care Group spokesman told AAP the man worked at a transition facility in Bayswater before returning positive test results.

He was among 10 cases confirmed on Monday, when the facility was close to its capacity of 30.

“We are working closely with the Department of Health to ensure that all relevant tracking is taking place for all who may have had any contact with the staff member,” a company statement read.

“No other Aegis facility is affected by this single COVID-19 case and we are maintaining our already strict infection control protocols.”

The spokesman said no residents were currently showing any symptoms.

The two other infected healthcare staff work at Joondalup Private Hospital, and state health minister Roger Cook said operator Ramsay Health Care would comment further.

Special testing arrangements have been introduced for healthcare workers with fever or flu-like symptoms.

I see they have tested an early hiv drug and Chloroquine with some promising results on patients already infected and a vaccine is being tested, hopefully something may come out of this.

As Ron said, we are headed for a disaster regarding the whole community, whether it be businesses, workers, or the elderly.

Now all we have to do is work out how to exterminate the selfish grubs that are stripping the supermarket shelves. My wife ducked into our local supermarket yesterday and there were trolleys lined up, loaded with goods, the checkout attendants had stopped people panic buying and refused to checkout their carts.

I found out why people are still buying massive amounts of toilet paper and here is the reason.

If someone coughs in a crowded place 100 people shit themselves.

"I see they have tested an early hiv drug and Chloroquine with some promising results"
Can you advise where this drug is available so people can rush out and buy it.
Dave.

Ha. Ha, David it will be in the dunny roll, flour, pasta and paper towel aisles.

Ron, you're spot on regarding the airlines' gloomy outlook, and it'll be worse for those with high levels of lease hardware compared to fully owned.

Right now the concerns for survival of Quaintarse are increasing. Those with bookings are facing a choice between a partial refund (in some circumstances) vs a credit voucher for a date in the next 12 months. The popular choice is take the fee hit on the refund, as the voucher may well be worth nothing.

Zippo - The competent corporate leaders with good economic management ability, will be the ones who will now come to the fore.

I'm not so sure that the Irish leprechaun running Q, whose main ability has been to unjustly reward himself with a mind-boggling salary, will be one of them.

The track record of most CEO's is to grab their termination package, and head to the Bahamas, when the ordure hits the fan, leaving others to clean up the mess they abandoned.

I see where the leprechaun has stated he won't take any salary for the remainder of the financial year.

I'm sure he'll be able to stock up enough on toilet paper and beans, with the remnants of his $16M salary portion, that he's received for the first 8 mths of this FY.

Hopefully, this virus will rapidly sort out the corporate CEO greed of the last couple of decades, where these people have been raiding the corporate tills, like 5 yr olds raiding the biscuit tin.

Cheers, Ron.