Blog Day 537 - Monday 20 Sept 2021 - Day 46 of Covid Lockdown V6.0 extended

The good news is that we have a roadmap out of this Covid mire.  The bad news is that nobody can understand it.  The roadmap was delivered by the premier on Saturday and it hasn't made many people happy.

The road map steps and indicative dates are listed below;

    26 September: Phase A  - 80% of Victorian population aged 16+ vaccinated with a single dose

    26 October:     Phase B - 70% of Victorian population aged 16+ fully vaccinated

    05 November:  Phase C - 80% of Victorian population aged 16+ fully vaccinated

    ?                        Phase D - 80% of Victorian population aged 12+ fully vaccinated

The dates for each stage are indicative and are "subject to Public Health consideration of epidemiology at the time", whatever that means.

Upon consultation of the 12 pages of tables outlining the details of the roadmap, the only significant change on 26 September is that we can travel up to 15km from home to attend to the any one of the five reasons to leave home.  The 9.0opm to 5.00am curfew remains and all other restrictions and closures for retail, hospitality and entertaining remain in place.

On 26 October, and this is still five weeks away, the restrictions on the reasons to leave home will be lifted, the curfew will be lifted and we will be able to travel 25km from home.  This also the step where different rules for fully vaccinated folk and non vaccinated folk will be applied.  Still no private gatherings in the home allowed and limits still apply to gatherings outdoors.

Now for the really good news, as from 26 October barber shops can open to service 5 fully vaccinated patrons.  In another 5 weeks I am going to look like one of the "ill-at-ease" that we sometimes see in our fair streets, small children will probably back away from me in terror, or alternatively point and laugh and large dogs will chase me down the street barking.

Anybody looking for sex on premises premises and or Karaoke will have to wait until 5 November.  Five November is when things really start to open up, so to speak, although with some restrictions still applying.  General retail can open but with limitations on numbers in stores etc, there will still be limits on hospitality venues.

Schools are starting to return to classroom studies from 5 October in staggered student levels, number of days attending and numbers of students attending.  This is far too complicated to try and explain here plus I don't understand it.  If you know a school teacher ask them.

There is nothing definitive laid down for Phase D although the premier has stated that the aim is to be able to have 30 people at a private residence for Christmas day.

If this is a roadmap no wonder we have spent a lot of time wandering in the wilderness.

As at today Victoria has 72% of the eligible population vaccinated with one dose and 43.9% vaccinated with two doses, compared to the national figures of 71.7% and 46.7% respectively.

I am somewhat exhausted by trying to read the roadmap so just a very quick update on the figures and then I think I will go and have a lie down with a damp flannel on my brow.

Victoria reported 567 new cases in the last 24 hours and one more death.  NSW reported 936 new cases 4 more deaths.  These figures are from 51,000 test results received in Victoria in the last 24 hours and 125,000 in NSW in the same period.

Although we are over seven weeks into this lockdown and curfew it doesn't seem to be having any impact on the numbers of daily new infections.  On 02/09 Victoria reported 176 new infections and in 20 or so days that has increased to 567 in the last 24 hours.  As PSM said "why is it so"?

    Corona Virus Daily Stats – 20 September 2021 – Day 46 of Covid Lockdown V6.0 Extended

Date	Aus Infected	Aus Increase	Aus 1st Dose Vacc	Vic Infected	Vic Increase	NSW Increase	*Aus Active Infection	NSW Active Infection	Vic Active Infection	Aus 2nd Dose Vacc
01/09
02/09	56,564	1,482		22,361	176	1,288	21,481	20,148	1,029
03/09	58,288	1,660		22,570	209	1,433	22,767	21,296	1,180
04/09
05/09	61,619	1,686		22,942	183	1,487	25,590	23,903	1,417
06/09
07/09	64,641	1,487		23,433	246	1,222	28,131	26,082	1,786
08/09
09/09
10/09
11/09
12/09	73,625	1,669	66.9%	25,136	392	1,262	19,206	15,798	3,112	41.9%
13/09
14/09	76,901	1,605	68.5%	26,036	445	1,136	18,553	14,460	3,799	43.2%
15/09
16/09	80,400	1,883	69.2%	26,942	514	1,351	18,956	14,299	4,370	43.9%
17/09
18/09	84,055	1,884	70.5%	27,968	535	1,333	19,526	14,272	4,974	45.4%
19/09
20/09	87,128	1,514	71.7%	29,008	567	936	20,926	14,984	5,675	46.7%