Australia Have Completely Lost It

[royfromaus]

when it comes to COVID.

Plenty more evidence is available that the Aussies have lost their minds over covid but this particular incident is shocking.

[seekeerz]

I’m afraid mushroom has a completely distorted view of how the situation is and how it’s being managed .....luckily, to date, the delta strain is only active in the Eastern states ....SA, WA, NT & Tas have no new cases ...we are very lucky here due to the space between major cities - this has helped immensely controlling the spread but the careless/selfish attitude of some is staggering ...today a woman who tested positive took her three children and caught a train out of Sydney ....it doesn’t matter where she going - just consider the number of people she may have infected - and incidents like this happen every day - how do you hope to get on top of anything when people behave like this !!

[New Judge]

Strangely I mentioned in passing the situation in Australia on another thread. I suggested it has descended almost into a police state.

//it doesn't indicate that the whole of Australia and every Aussie has 'lost it'.//

No it doesn’t. But lots of other things do. Added to those which Togo has outlined you can include this (cribbed by me from an Australian Press article):

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The government of South Australia, one of the country’s six states, developed and is now testing an app as Orwellian as any in the free world to enforce its quarantine rules. Returning travellers quarantining at home will be forced to download an app that combines facial recognition and geolocation. The state will text them at random times, and thereafter they will have 15 minutes to take a picture of their face in the location where they are supposed to be. Should they fail, the local police department will be sent to follow up in person. “We don’t tell them how often or when, on a random basis they have to reply within 15 minutes,” Premier Steven Marshall explained. “I think every South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app.”
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Far from being proud, if I were an Australian citizen I would be absolutely appalled that my government was even considering such a measure. More than that, although this is only proposed for quarantine for returning international travellers (if and when they are ever allowed to travel) I would be concerned about “mission creep.” Politicians have a habit of assuming “temporary” powers, never to relinquish them.

Then there’s this:

https://news.yahoo.com/australian-state-limits-residents-covid-222049492.html

“Residents in apartment buildings that have been locked down by Australia‘s New South Wales state health department over COVID-19 concerns say they have had their deliveries searched and have had packages containing alcohol confiscated if the amount exceeds the department’s prescribed alcohol limit.”

Perhaps seekeerz could comment on these two stories because I only know what I have read. But one thing demonstrates perhaps why the Australian government has been allowed to get away with imposing such restrictions:

//…how do you hope to get on top of anything when people behave like this !!//

The fundamental problem is believing you can “get on top of” a virus. It spreads. It will always spread, even in a place like Australia (as you have discovered). Australia seems to have descended into a hermit police state when what it really needs to do is to crack on with vaccinating people. That’s the only route out of the disastrous situation it now finds itself in.

//if Australia has lost anything, it's sight of the fact that a "zero covid" policy is doomed to failure.//

Indeed. PM Morrison I think now realises this, but there are many cranks and lunatics who continue to call for ever harsher measures. I am surprised at our Australian friends putting up with such behaviour but perhaps, like here in the UK, their biggest mistake was allowing their government to secure unchecked powers. Our Parliament (nor any other worthy of the title) should never, ever, do so again.

[Huderon]

I have no idea why NewJudge is so appalled by a single state government in Austrailia developing an app to enforce it's quarantine rules for returning travellers. Not that they have to do much development - Poland did it in a couple of weeks last year and it became compulsory at the beginning of April 2020.

Friends in Poland have used it without any problems, and those that didn't have a smartphone had random visits from the local police just to check that they were where they were supposed to be.

It might even have been a sensible thing to do here given, comments which were being made on here about people coming into the country and not being followed up to confirm that they were quarantining last year.

[New Judge]

//I have no idea why NewJudge is so appalled by a single state government in Austrailia developing an app to enforce it's quarantine rules for returning travellers.//

It depends how you view the requirement for quarantine at all and how much you embrace the idea of the State undertaking electronic surveillance on your movements, I suppose.

[Spicerack]

We must bear in mind that a great many Australians are descended from the convict guards. Brute ignorance and the opportunity to bully comes quite naturally to such creatures.
They must be licking their lips in anticipation at the coming of the New
World Order.

[naomi24]

Where’s Mick Dundee when you need him?

[royfromaus]

The vids from Australia just keep coming.

They have definitely lost it.

[douglas9401]

What's needed is a full and frank apology from politicians for the gross over-reaction to the problem and a rethink of the cycle that's been created.

Of course no politician apologises until they're on their deathbed or are being sentenced for something so we may have a long wait.

In the meantime here's an amusing story about a prince, his grandad and a tube of mustard to take your mind off your troubles.