As I wrote last week, it’s a case of “Here we go again. Again” in Victoria.
Not that I lay claim to any special powers of prognostication: pretty much everyone in Australia who heard the words “cluster” and “Victoria” knew where it was headed. In fact, when it comes to Victoria, the word “cluster” is best suffixed with another notorious word.
It’s also absolutely no surprise to anyone that Victoria’s week-long lockdown is already likely to go much longer.
Victorian officials have not ruled out extending the state’s lockdown beyond seven days.
Acting Premier James Merlino on Monday warned Melbourne’s Covid-19 outbreak “may well get worse before it gets better”.
Cue gasps of mock-surprise across the nation.
There were 11 new cases reported in Victoria on Monday – five disclosed in the morning and another six recorded after the midnight disclosure period – with more than 4200 primary contacts and 320 public exposure sites.
While “11 new cases” might seem like small beans, this is, remember, Victoria.
It’s the “4,200 primary contacts and 320 public exposure sites” bit that’s the kicker. Because Victoria’s contact tracing regime is a sick joke. Despite taking more than a year to get its act in order, and the clear evidence that rigorous contact tracing was key to Taiwan’s pandemic success, Victoria still does not have an adequate contact tracing program.
Victoria has taken at least eight months longer than other states to introduce a uniform QR check-in system. Last year, Victoria opted to buy an off-the-shelf tracing program that turned out to be simply incompatible with its QR code app.
Poor contact tracing has meant that, for instance, a worker in Melbourne’s northern suburbs worked 11 shifts over ten days while likely contagious.
Jeroen Weimar, the state’s Covid-19 testing commander, said contact tracers were “no closer to identifying the crossover” between any of the cluster cases and a man in his 30s from Wollert, also in Melbourne’s north, who contracted the virus in an Adelaide quarantine hotel on May 3 before flying home the following day.
When news of the Wollert man’s case broke on May 11, Victoria’s health department deemed him to have developed symptoms on May 8, and therefore have been infectious from May 6.
They consequently did not publish exposure sites relating to his movements on May 4 and 5, and issued conflicting information over whether those who had been on his flight from Adelaide needed to be tested[…]
Mr Weimar named Indiagate Spices & Groceries in Epping, visited by the Wollert man on May 8 and a subsequent case on May 19, as being among a number of small stores of interest to contact tracers.
Still, let’s see how much longer Victorians “#StandWithDan”.
Professor Sutton, asked about an extended lockdown for Melbourne, did not rule out the imposition of a new “ring of steel” restricting travel to the regions[…]
The lockdown has confined Victorians to their homes unless they are shopping, in authorised work or education, giving care, exercising, or at a medical appointment. Shopping and exercise must happen within 5km of home[…]
Among the recent unlinked cases is a partially vaccinated aged care worker who has so far infected a resident and a fellow worker at the Arcare aged care facility in the western Melbourne suburb of Maidstone, as well as her son.
The Australian
Which touches on the new narrative that the Victorian government is using to shift blame. So far, they’ve blamed workers, wogs, asthmatics – anyone, rather than admit blame themselves. Now, they’re fixing on aged care, claiming that it’s all the federal government’s fault.
Victorians will almost certainly eat it up. I’d almost say, “serve them right”, if their bumbling idiocy wasn’t costing the whole country.
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