Blog Day 412 - Friday 14 May 2021

Three volunteer shifts at the Shrine this week and four school tours, I am gunning for volunteer of the week.  One of the other volunteers reckon if I keep this up I might even make staff member of the month, now wouldn't that be something.

Some of you may recall that I received my first virus vaccination on Tuesday morning.  So far no side effects although my arm was a little sore on Tuesday evening through to Wednesday.  I did sleep for 10 hours on Wednesday night, not sure if that was anything to do with the vaccination or I was just tired.

It looks like Victoria has escaped another bullet with no local infections arising out of the return of the man infected in hotel quarantine in Adelaide.  Most of the passengers on the same flight as him have been tested as have the people at the restaurant where he had dinner, his family and close associates have also been traced and tested and so far so good with no community transmissions.  The transmission of the virus within the hotel in Adelaide has increased the calls for especially built stand alone quarantine facilities to be provided.  

Another issue that came out of this last virus scare is that the QR code registration is not being enforced in Victorian venues.  Only half the patrons at the restaurant where the infected bloke dined had checked in using the QR code.  Of course we don't have a standard state run QR system here yet, I think the team that developed the Myki system are still working on it.

Recently when I was in the Hunter Valley in NSW every winery and restaurant we went to insisted on every patron entering registering using the state QR system and they even checked that you had done it, without exception.  You would think that given what this state has been through that restaurants in particular would be particularly vigilant about people following the rules.

In the last 24 hours there were 2 new infections reported Australia wide both of whom are ROTs.  There are currently 160 active cases Australia wide of which 154 are ROTs.

In the last 24 hours Victoria received the results of 22,000 virus tests and NSW 16,000.  It is good to see that when there is a bit of a scare on that people step up to the plate and get tested.

To date there has been 2,919,720 doses of the vaccine administered Australia wide.  At last the numbers seem to be building up.  Most of the people of my age that I have spoken to have either had their first dose or are booked in to have it.

Now that is the good news out of the way,  The virus rolls along in all the usual suspect countries with only a glimmer of light and hope here and there.  The figures below are for the 24 hours of 13/05.

In the reported 24 hours India recorded 363,000 new infections which is down on the over 400,000 plus per day previously reported.  In the same period India reported 4,120 deaths, which is not showing any signs of decrease.

The USA reported 36,000 new infections and 847 deaths which is a decrease in infections but an increase in deaths.

The situation in Brazil with 77,000 new infections and 2,494 deaths in the 24 hour period continues to deteriorate with no sign of any reduction in infections or deaths.

France is continuing to hold its own with 21,000 new infections and 184 deaths on the 24 hour period although given the steps they have taken one would have expected to see further improvement in their figures.

Turkey's figures appear to be declining with 13,000 new infections reported and 232 deaths.

And the success story of them all, the UK reported 2,000 new infections and 11 deaths for the 24 hour period.