political covid overview for NSW/Australia
We haven't actually been out of lockdown - it started at the end of June and has been running for six weeks by now. That said, it's all been a bit casual.
One of the reasons it's spread from Sydney out to the regional areas is because the NSW government (conservatives) didn't want to shut everything down when it was in the wealthier (and therefore conservative-voting) areas, and now that it's in the poorer, working-class areas, they can't shut everything down because those households rely on weekly regular income. Which could be managed if the state governments were willing to put a moratorium on evictions and rent requirements, and the federal government was willing to put in a support package for those households. Except...the federal government is also conservative and doesn't believe in "handouts" (you know the line). And they're holding to ideology, which leaves the poorer households stuck - both in terms of working out in the community in face-to-face jobs, and in terms of not getting tested, because it requires a period of staying-home which the household can't afford, and in terms of not admitting to hospital when they do end up sick because that also triggers a household lockdown which they can't afford...
Also, the parts of Sydney with the highest transmission right now? Are the parts of Sydney that keep the rest of Sydney running. Service workers, transport drivers, hospitality and food and loading and packing... All jobs that require someone to be physically present, and oftentimes actually out in the community.
That's probably the big frustration: if the rich/wealthy/conservative areas had been locked down, cancelled their winter school holidays, stayed home, didn't go anywhere, stocked up and held tight...we'd probably be out of this. They could afford it financially in ways that the current hotspots can't. They just didn't want to miss out on their winter holidays (the outbreak began just as mid-year holidays were starting), and the government wasn't willing to put the hard line down and see it reinforced.
So. Here we are. Seven weeks, and likely to be seven more - at least. Some number crunchers are indicating that we won't get out of lockdown until Christmas.
Current goal is 80% vaccination in NSW. Whether the NSW govt stick to it? Another matter entirely. There are rumours that the NSW Chief Health Office (CHO) has gotten tired of being undercut by the Health Minister (right winger) and the Premier (general conservative), and is on the verge of resigning. Which will likely leave the NSW Minister of Commerce (RWNJ) with the power to say "OPEN EVERYTHING UP! MONEY SHALL FLOW! WHAT CARE WE FOR LIVES? LIBERTY! FINANCE! FINANCIAL LIBERTY! MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!" because he's an absolute and utter gobshite. Unfortunately we're stuck with this lot for another couple of years, and even then we need every high-up in Murdoch media to catch a mysterious variant of COVID that means they inevitably die choking on their own sputum, and maybe - maybe - we'll get this government gone.
...and having typed all that up, we had 466 new cases in the last 24 hours, and the restrictions have become more strict.
Admittedly, at the height of Melbourne's lockdown last year, they were 700 a day on the Alpha variant, but they brought it back with absolutely exquisite control and calm and that was in the face of being slapped with every possible piece of bad press by Murdoch & co.
I have no faith that NSW can do the same.
Christmas it is, then.
One of the reasons it's spread from Sydney out to the regional areas is because the NSW government (conservatives) didn't want to shut everything down when it was in the wealthier (and therefore conservative-voting) areas, and now that it's in the poorer, working-class areas, they can't shut everything down because those households rely on weekly regular income. Which could be managed if the state governments were willing to put a moratorium on evictions and rent requirements, and the federal government was willing to put in a support package for those households. Except...the federal government is also conservative and doesn't believe in "handouts" (you know the line). And they're holding to ideology, which leaves the poorer households stuck - both in terms of working out in the community in face-to-face jobs, and in terms of not getting tested, because it requires a period of staying-home which the household can't afford, and in terms of not admitting to hospital when they do end up sick because that also triggers a household lockdown which they can't afford...
Also, the parts of Sydney with the highest transmission right now? Are the parts of Sydney that keep the rest of Sydney running. Service workers, transport drivers, hospitality and food and loading and packing... All jobs that require someone to be physically present, and oftentimes actually out in the community.
That's probably the big frustration: if the rich/wealthy/conservative areas had been locked down, cancelled their winter school holidays, stayed home, didn't go anywhere, stocked up and held tight...we'd probably be out of this. They could afford it financially in ways that the current hotspots can't. They just didn't want to miss out on their winter holidays (the outbreak began just as mid-year holidays were starting), and the government wasn't willing to put the hard line down and see it reinforced.
So. Here we are. Seven weeks, and likely to be seven more - at least. Some number crunchers are indicating that we won't get out of lockdown until Christmas.
Current goal is 80% vaccination in NSW. Whether the NSW govt stick to it? Another matter entirely. There are rumours that the NSW Chief Health Office (CHO) has gotten tired of being undercut by the Health Minister (right winger) and the Premier (general conservative), and is on the verge of resigning. Which will likely leave the NSW Minister of Commerce (RWNJ) with the power to say "OPEN EVERYTHING UP! MONEY SHALL FLOW! WHAT CARE WE FOR LIVES? LIBERTY! FINANCE! FINANCIAL LIBERTY! MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!" because he's an absolute and utter gobshite. Unfortunately we're stuck with this lot for another couple of years, and even then we need every high-up in Murdoch media to catch a mysterious variant of COVID that means they inevitably die choking on their own sputum, and maybe - maybe - we'll get this government gone.
...and having typed all that up, we had 466 new cases in the last 24 hours, and the restrictions have become more strict.
Admittedly, at the height of Melbourne's lockdown last year, they were 700 a day on the Alpha variant, but they brought it back with absolutely exquisite control and calm and that was in the face of being slapped with every possible piece of bad press by Murdoch & co.
I have no faith that NSW can do the same.
Christmas it is, then.