rev wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:20 am
Personally I think our government is even worse then pretending nothing bad is going to happen. They're only doing what they are doing because of public pressure.
That's your personal opinion. The government itself is only repeating what they have been advised by the Chief Medical Officer, the Deputy and the state medical officers.
Some of the measures they've introduced are just stupid. No gatherings over 500 people, but schools with over 1,000 students can stay open? Universities...you name it. It doesn't make sense, and that's because they have no plan, they are making it up as they go along.
There are (good) reasons why they haven't closed the schools. You can read about them and make up your mind whether it's the best solution or better closing them.
Meanwhile what we will see is more and more businesses closing down voluntarily. Ernst & Young from tomorrow. Nike stores across Australia are closing as well.
This is a good thing if they can continue business online. Those that work in stores will be the losers and the online store the winner although I would think only partially.
The NBA, an entity worth tens of billions, has called it's season off. But our AFL here is looking at keeping the season going. The advise is to limit contact with people, social distancing of 1.5m minimum. But the idiots running the AFL (who are giving the government a real good run for their money on the biggest idiots in Australia), think it'd be a good idea to increase the frequency of games over a shorter time period.
All sporting codes should stop immediately. I think the government should tell them all it is enough.
In Italy if you are a confirmed case that should be in isolation, and are caught out, you are going to be sent to jail on charges of homicide. That's how seriously they are now taking it in Italy.
Why is our government waiting to take the drastic measures needed?
Italians are used to this. We call it manslaughter. They call it culpable homicide. I also think the Greeks, Spaniards, French etc., have the same. Also they take it seriously because it is in their nature. One example: our police force don't carry sub-machine guns in public (unless there is a terrorist attck) like they do in many states in Europe. Italy is a prime example. There is a high respect for the enforcement agencies and this has conditioned people. Here in Oz we care less for authority and take a different view of the police etc. That's what our problem is.
Schools, universities, public transport, all sporting codes, everything needs to be shut down.
It will happen, but it is too late. Australia should've shut its borders immediately months ago, but we need to blame China for this as they sat on it too long. You know this virus was out already in November 2019? It was at that stage they should've isolated the virus and locked up everything. There was knowledge but the Communist regime kept it quiet. We now can only control how many will be infected. Deaths will come more and more until they'll reach a peak as it has happened in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Shopping centres and super markets as well, it should only be online deliveries. But what has Coles gone and done, of course after they've reaped in hundreds of millions in extra profits now, they've cancelled all regular online deliveries except to the "vulnerable and remote"....so that forces everyone else to go into the stores. What happened to social distancing?
Are they going to take it seriously when thousands are infected or hundreds dead? Too late then.
What will happen here is that we'll have to line up at 1.5-2 metre distances and then only a small number of shoppers in the supermarket. Social distancing is very hard to police. We as individuals need to be the ones to enforce this as best as possible and to be as clean as possible and not spread the virus (remember than not all have symptoms) by touching surfaces that others may touch as well sneeze, cough and spit uncovered. The automatic checkouts are an issue as are mobile phones and tablets that could be shared or have the virus on them and taken home and handled regularly. This is how serious it can be. You can educate people but will they listen or shake off bad habits?
The drastic measures & restrictions work. They're already seeing a positive change in the first "red zones" in Italy.
That's promising. Italy is way different to Australia though. It is heavily populated making contact unavoidable especially living in apartment blocks. Lombardy where the virus took hold has a high population density of 420 per square km., even more in the in cities (Milan, Bergamo etc.) and their hinterland where there are millions.
France has also said that all bills and even rental payments will be suspended for the time being. I think in Italy as well even mortgage repayments have been suspended.
Will the same be done for Australians?
What needs to be done here is the government MUST FORCE all those that hold economic power (banks, landlords, etc.) to yield mortgages, fees, charges, rent, etc., and force (encourage) multinationals and employers to keep their staff and pay them a minimum wage with help from the government for a period of 30 days. At the same time lockdown everything that moves and contain the virus so it doesn’t spread. Keeping the infected numbers down is imperative.
Cheers
P.S. Sorry if I posted this now. I had to leave the computer for several hours. I'm caring for my 90 year old mum so haven't kept up with all your posts.
Now with Beer Garden for our smoking patrons.
