Blog Day 327 - Wednesday 17 February 2021

Here is an interesting bit of news, if my mother was still alive she would have turned 100 today.

As the volunteer return to the Shrine program was severely curtailed by the latest lockdown we had a volunteer zoom meeting this morning.  Good to catch up with some people I haven't seen for 12 months or so.  Hopefully with the lockdown being lifted this evening the we will be returning to the Shrine sooner rather than later.

 As we have been such good little citizens of Victoria the premier has determined in his absolute wisdom to lift the current lockdown, as scheduled, from 11.59pm this evening.  This means that things get back to a semi covid normal.  The 5km distance restriction is removed; the 4 reasons to be away from home is removed; face masks are still to be worn outdoors where we can't social distance and to be worn indoors, away from home at all times.  The limit on home visits has been lifted from zero to five.  Schools, retail, hospitality etc can reopen from tomorrow subject to the previous density limits.

The concept of creating a purpose built quarantine facility out of the city at a place like Avalon is gaining momentum and looks like it will probably happen (remember, you read it here first).  As usual with this government and Labor party tradition there is a whiff of cronyism hanging around the whole deal.  Lindsay Fox owns a very large chunk of the existing Avalon airport facility and is strongly behind the quarantine facility being built there.  Now, who is Fox good chums with, Daniel Andrews of course.  There are strong rumours around town that Andrews has a job lined up with Fox for when he leaves politics.  I just hope that job isn't running the proposed quarantine facility.  All of the above is alleged of course.

The lifting of the lockdown is due, in part, to Victoria recording no new infections in the last 24 hours.  NSW reported 4 new infections, all ROTs.  And that was it for Australia wide.

In the last 24 hours Victoria received the results of 39,300 tests, which is the highest daily figure yet, I think.  NSW also received the results of 23,500 which is one of their highest as well.  Good to see these low infection rates coming out of very high testing rates.

Currently Victoria has 25 active cases, 9 of which are ROTs, NSW 0 locally acquired cases and 29 ROTs and Qld has 6 cases, all ROTs.  Australia wide there are 42 active cases, 25 of which are ROTs plus 29 ROTs in NSW.

The worldwide figures are starting to look good on a consistent basis.  Worldwide there were 354,000 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, although higher than the previous two days, the overall trend is strongly downward.  There were 10,100 deaths reported in the last 24 hours and again although higher than the last two days the overall trend is downward.

The US figures are also good news with 53,000 new infections and 985 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, this continues a strong downward trend in both figures.  

Likewise the UK is continuing a downward trend with both new infections and deaths with 9,776 and 235 in the last 24 hours respectively.

Corona Virus Daily Stats – February 2021 – Covid Normal (as much as possible

*Please note that the “Aus Active & Aus ROTs columns do not include the NSW ROTs.  (ROTs = Returned Overseas Travellers)

Date	Aus Infected	Aus Increase	Aus ROTs Increase	Vic Infected	Vic Increase	Vic ROTS Increase	*Aus Active Infection	*Aus ROTs	Vic Active Infection	Vic ROTs
01/02	28,817	7	7	20,449	1	1	61	44	21	21
02/02	28,820	2	2	20,450	1	1	61	43	22	22
03/02	28,830	6	6	20,450	0	0	57	42	21	21
04/02	28,835	6	5	20,452	3	2	51	39	21	21
05/02	28,839	4	4	20,455	3	3	53	40	24	23
06/02	28,848	6	6	20,456	0	0	52	41	22	23
07/02	20,850	2	2	20,456	0	0	52	41	21	20
08/02	28,856	6	4	20,456	1	0	53	41	20	18
09/02	28,860	2	2	20,456	0	0	46	34	15	13
10/02	28,867	7	5	20,458	2	0	46	31	16	11
11/02	28,878	7	5	20,460	2	0	48	31	17	10
12/02	28,887	7	2	20,465	5	0	45	34	19	12
13/02	28,892	5	4	20,466	1	0	40	32	20	13
14/02	28,898	6	4	20,469	3	1	42	34	21	14
15/02	28,900	2	1	20,471	2	1	44	33	21	14
16/02	28,905	5	3	20,475	4	2	45	37	25	18
17/02	28,909	4	4	20,475	0	0	42	25	25	9

Date	World Infection	Daily Increase	World Deaths	Daily Increase
01/02/21	103,514,297	412,018	2,237,252	9,577
02/02/21	103,892,731	378,434	2,246,435	9,183
03/02/21	104,378,657	485,926	2,262,084	15,649
04/02/21	104,861,308	482,651	2,275,840	13,756
05/02/21	105,394,460	533,152	2,292,538	16,698
06/02/21	105,879,863	485,403	2,307,031	14,493
07/02/21	106,329,652	449,789	2,318,949	11,918
08/02/21	106,677,372	347,720	2,326,819	7,870
09/02/21	106,983,743	306,371	2,335,265	8,446
10/02/21	107,377,125	438,382	2,348,700	13,435
11/02/21	107,849,724	472,599	2,364,864	16,164
12/02/21	108,280,120	430,396	2,377,223	12,359
13/02/21	108,726,332	446,212	2,394,005	16,782
14/02/21	109,085,416	359,084	2,403,982	9,917
15/02/21	109,382,123	296,707	2,411,000	7,018
16/02/21	109,664,689	283,566	2,418,025	7,025
17/02/21	110,018,939	354,250	2,428,135	10,110

	US & UK Daily New Infections & Death Numbers
Date	US New Infections	US Daily Deaths	UK New Infections	UK Daily Deaths
31/01/21	136,252	2,640	23,400	1,205
01/02/21	110,470	1,789	21,190	590
02/02/21	130,759	1,881	18,668	407
03/02/21	110,679	3,389	16,906	1,451
04/02/21	119,235	3,796	19,215	1,322
05/02/21	119,931	4,941	20,374	915
06/02/21	128,114	3,522	19,204	1,015
07/02/21	102,420	2,618	18,363	828
08/02/21	86,928	1,268	15,904	376
09/02/21	86,646	1,465	14,138	333
10/02/21	92,666	3,031	12,441	1,052
11/02/21	93,166	3,219	13,077	1,002
12/02/21	103,306	3,724	13,543	680
13/02/21	99,511	5,443	15,198	759
14/02/21	82,178	3,313	13,355	621
15/02/21	64,194	1,084	10,991	289
16/02/21	52,685	985	9,776	235

Covid Normal Reminders;

Remember: to think carefully before mucking around with spreadsheets and tables in Blogger; to keep up your Covid era exercise regime; if you put your mask on when you enter a shop you can take it of again when you leave ( I seem to get home and realise I still have my mask on); to laugh at my jokes; it is a beautiful day out there, get out and enjoy it; keep your corporate governance up to date; bring yourself up to date with the stage 4 lockdown rules; to buy your valentine day flowers before lockdown; those that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones; even in lockdown look both ways before you cross the road; to enjoy our refound freedoms, while they last.