Blog Day 598 - Thursday 25 November 2021 - Day 27 of Covid Nearly Normal

I was in the chemist shop the other day and I bought myself a pack of two rapid antigen covid testing kits.  These kits are available in boxes of two or five and cost around $25 and $50 respectively.  As you could imagine there has been very high demand for these kits and many pharmacies have sold out. 

Big week earlier this week with a trip to Southland, the first time that I have been there for probably six months.  The shopping centre was reasonably busy but probably what could be expected for a Tuesday morning this time of year.

There are quite a few vacant shops in Southland but nothing like the stories of doom and gloom we are hearing of shopping precincts like Chapel Street.  Generally the shops don't remain empty for long in Southland so the interesting thing will be how quickly they are occupied again.

Under the current pandemic rules customers shopping in "non essential" shops are required to be double vaccinated and this is to be monitored by shop staff.  If you are double vaccinated and you have linked your status to the Services Victoria app, on your smart phone, your vaccination status will pop up when you scan into the shop with the QR code.

Well, the retailers are whinging about having to check their customer vaccination status.  I have a solution, stop checking the status of your customers and close your doors for another six months, simples!

 The government is still sucking up to the independent members of Victoria's upper house to try and get one of them to vote for the new pandemic legislation.  So far the independents are staying strong and solid and saying that the premier and his cronies have to deal with them as a group and not try and pick one out of the crowd.

I reckon the premier would not have been great company in the last few days, a bit grumpy maybe 😠.

There is a bit of self congratulatory patting on the back in certain circles with claims that Victoria has finally made it to 90% of the eligible population (12+) being fully vaccinated as in double vaxxed.  I say claims because the best figure I can find is 89.8% fully vaxxed, not quite 90% Mr Premier.

The figures as they stand today are 91.8%  of the eligible population nationally have received their first dose and 85.8% nationally are double vaxxed.  In Victoria the figures are 93.1% and 89.8% respectively.  As we get closer to a "fully" vaxxed the daily vaccination rates are going to slow down and the % increases on a day to day basis will be lower and slower than previously.

The daily new infection rates in Victoria are ranging between lows in the 800s to 1,254 in the last 24 hours.  The Victorian hospital rates whilst remaining low have gone up a little in the last 48 hours, currently there are 310 patients in hospital in Victoria with the virus, up from 303 two days ago.  There are 48 patients in ICU an increase from 44 and 31 on ventilators which is also an increase from 23 two days ago.

In the last 24 hours 5 people died in Victoria due to the virus and 3 the day before that.  There has been no explanation for the daily death figure of 18 three days ago.

And finally, in the last 24 hours Victoria received the results of 75,000 covid virus checks.

        Corona Virus Daily Stats – 25 November 2021 – Day 27 of Covid Nearly Normal

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
30/10	169,379	1,601	87.9%	87,918	1,355	237	25,314	3,972	21,095	76.2%
31/10					930	166
01/11					1,437	129
02/11					956	171
03/11					909	187
04/11	175,830	1,556	88.7%	93,373	1,247	309	20,971	3,144	17,674	78.5%
05/11					1,343
06/11	178,927	1,559	89%	95,917	1,268	271	19,984	3,168	16,662	79.6%
07/11		1,433			1,126
08/11		1,326			1,087
09/11	182,870	1,313	89.4%	99,183	1,069	224	18,607	2,831	15,607	80.6%
10/11					1,003
11/11	185,627	1,589	89.7%	101,451	1,313	264	18,498	2,799	15,675	81.5%
12/11					1,115
13/11					1,221
14/11	189,407	1,116	90.3%	104,665	905	196	20,423	2,928	17,302	82.8%
15/11					838
16/11	191,623	1,021	90.5%	106,281	797	212	17,204	2,864	14,131	83.2%
17/11					996
18/11					1,007
19/11					1,273
20/11					1,166
21/11					1,275
22/11					1,029
23/11	200,650	1,020	91.5%	113,755	827	173	12,294	2,632	9,420	85.1%
24/11					1,196
25/11	203,637	1,533	91.8%	116,197	1,254	276	13,191	2,667	10,276	85.8%

Corona Virus Daily Stats Hospitalisation Etc – 23 November 2021 – Day 25 of Covid Nearly Normal
Date	Aus New Infection	Aus Hospital	Aus ICU	Aus Ventilate	Vic New Infection	Vic Hospital	Vic ICU	Vic Ventilate	AUS Daily Deaths	Vic Daily Deaths
30/10	1,601	1,113	222	121	1,355	747	135	83	14	11
31/10										11
01/11										3
02/11										9
03/11					909					8
04/11	1,556	979	180	110	1,247	660	114	78	13	9
05/11					1,343				14	10
06/11	1,559	932	162	98	1,268	651	106	70	10	7
07/11									10	9
08/11									12	5
09/11	1,313	849	133	76	1,069	579	90	55	14	10
10/11									17	14
11/11	1,589	703	119	64	1,313	457	79	48	4	3
12/11						426	82	50	11	9
13/11						405	77	51	4	4
14/11	1,116	639	107	62	905	394	75	46	5	4
15/11						378	78	48	6	5
16/11	1,021	625	105	61	797	394	72	44	10	8
17/11										9
18/11										12
19/11										8
20/11										5
21/11										4
22/11										3
23/11	1,020	548	80	38	827	303	44	23	20	18
24/11									5	3
25/11	1,533	553	82	43	1,254	310	48	31	5	5