Blog Day 297 - Monday 18 January 2021

Best wishes to my FNQ readers and contributors who are currently waiting on cyclone Kimi to make landfall.  Start filling sandbags, check your emergency supplies of the essentials and stay safe.

On a lighter note, this is from Leanne; 'What happens if you teach a wolf to meditate?  It becomes aware wolf'.  Don't worry, I don't get it either.

First walk along Centre Rd in Bentleigh for a couple of weeks today.  Even though the rules for wearing masks were further relaxed at 11.59pm last night lots of people are still wearing masks as they go about their daily routine.  

Given the local planning rules largish blocks of apartments can be built around transport hubs, eg Bentleigh station and on major roads, eg Centre Road and there is a massive hole being dug for an apartment block on Centre Road.

Photos of massive hole.

To give you an idea of scale there are three very large excavators working in this hole.

As you can see it doesn't take much to attract my attention and amuse me these days.  Although I must admit most people walking past stopped to have a look although I was the only one taking photos.  

Now the news that you have really been waiting for, the cricket score.  It is day four of the crucial 4th test between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane.  Australia is batting in its 2nd innings and is currently 4 for 152 and leads India by 185 runs with a day and two sessions to play.  This is so exciting it is a wonder that I can sleep nights.

Victoria has reported 4 new virus infection cases in the last 24 hours, all either tennis players or members of their entourages.  The infected parties and their close associates have been placed into 14 day hard quarantine.  There are 72 players in hard lockdown, some are taking it better than others.  There were 13 new cases reported Australia wide in the last 24 hours, all ROT's including the tennis players.

In the last 24 hours Victoria received the results of 14,000 tests, NSW 8,800 tests, Qld 5,200 and WA 10,100.  

Currently Victoria has 33 active cases, 25 of whom are ROTs, NSW has 113 active cases with 77 of those who are ROTs who are not included in NSW active figures and Qld has 25 active cases all of whom are ROT's.  Australia wide there are 204 active cases of which 80 are ROT's not counting the NSW ROTs.

Worldwide there were 529,000 new infections reported in the last 24 hours and 8,700 deaths.  The numbers are down from the previous few days but that doesn't necessarily mean anything as the post weekend numbers are usually lower.  The USA has still reported 198,000 new infections and 3,300 deaths and the UK 41,000 new infections and 1,300 new deaths in the last 24 hours.

I now have access to some worldwide vaccination numbers and I will have a look at those and report on them tomorrow.

Corona Virus Daily Stats – Day 18 – New Year 2021 – Covid Normal (as much as possible)

Date	Aus Infected	Aus Increase	Vic Infected	Vic Increase	Aus Death	Vic Death	Aus Hospl	Vic Hospital	Aus ICU	Vic ICU
01/01	28,421	13	20,376	8	909	820	21	0	0	0
02/01	28,441	13	20,388	12	909	820	19	0	0	0
03/01	28,483	14	20,391	3	909	820	26	0	0	0
04/01	28,499	16	20,395	4	909	820	30	0	0	0
05/01	28,518	14	20,399	4	909	820	26	0	0	0
06/01	28,533	10	20,402	3	909	820	36	0	0	0
07/01	28,544	8	20,402	0	909	820	35	0	0	0
08/01	28,658	21	20,403	1	909	820	40	0	0	0
09/01	28,582	12	20,404	1	909	820	40	0	0	0
10/01	28,595	13	20,410	6	909	820	41	0	0	0
11/01	28,611	16	20,411	1	909	820	47	0	1	0
12/01	28,633	19	20,411	0	909	820	43	0	1	0
13/01	28,647	13	20,414	3	909	820	45	0	1	0
14/01	28,658	8	20,414	0	909	820	47	0	1	0
15/01	28,665	7	20,414	2	909	820	47	0	1	0
16/01	28,689	20	20,417	3	909	820	48	0	1	0
17/01	28,707	18	20,424	7	909	820	47	0	2	0
18/01	28,721	13	20,428	4	909	820	36	0	2	0

Date	World Infection	Daily Increase	World Deaths	Daily Increase
01/01	83,771,040	1,448,870	1,824,387	28,095
02/01	84,342,947	571,907	1,834,255	9,868
03/01	84,984,546	641,599	1,843,112	8,857
04/01	85,489,462	504,916	1,850,209	7,097
05/01	86,041,606	552,144	1,859,179	8,970
06/01	86,834,551	792,945	1,875,519	16,340
07/01	87,619,457	784,906	1,889,556	14,037
08/01	88,495,963	876,506	1,906,630	17,074
09/01	89,331,906	835,943	1,921,160	14,530
10/01	90,077,029	745,123	1,934,801	13,641
11/01	90,662,902	585,873	1,942,390	7,589
12/01	91,298,922	636,020	1,952,020	9,729
13/01	91,983,757	684,835	1,968,523	16,503
14/01	92,747,904	764,147	1,985,405	16,882
15/01	93,507,781	759,877	2,001,209	15,804
16/01	94,282,394	774,613	2,016,604	15,395
17/01	94,949,414	667,020	2,030,914	14,310
18/01	95,479,062	529,648	2,039,601	8,687

Covid Safe Summer Reminders;

Remember; stay safe and sober for the new year, I know I will be; no hugging and kissing strangers on new years eve!; don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things; as the captain of the Graf Spee said "you have to be bigger than anything faster and faster than anything bigger"; to wear your mask indoors (again); if you have a tickle in your throat, get tested (again); to add Brissie to your list of places to avoid; at a 1st birthday party be first in line for the fairy bread; try not to spend too much at Bunnings; bowls is the only game where the players are allowed to have a bias; if you see a big hole, take a photo.