Blog Day 683 - Monday 21 February 2022 - Day 03 of Covid Nearly Normaller

 As a sign of this covid life getting back even normaller the borders have opened today with the arrival of travellers from overseas.  Fifty six international flights are expected to land on Australian sovereign soil today with twelve of those due to arrive in Melbourne.  Pre covid 300 international flights used to arrive in Australia per day, so we still have a ways to go.

As usual there is a bit of contradictory information as to what is required for international travellers to enter Australia.  As best that I can work out arrivals in this fair country of ours have to be double vaccinated and there is no requirement for them to quarantine on arrival.  Apparently international arrivals have to provide a negative covid test taken shortly before departure and get another test shortly after arrival.  

Luckily, given nobody has to quarantine anymore, Victoria has recently opened our new $700 million quarantine station and I daresay most other states have done likewise.  At least we won't be caught napping in any future pandemic.  Given there won't be a need for hotel quarantine in the future, I wonder what a future socialist left labour state government will be able stuff up with the same level of incompetence. 

I have read both the Commonwealth and Vic state websites for arriving international travellers and I am more confused than ever about the post arrival requirements for both vaccinated and non vaccinated travellers.  So don't come to me for advise on this.

Now during this time of doom and gloom and uncertainty I have some good news.  The Winter Olympics (WO) have finished, but no, that is not the good news, although it is good news.  The good news is that our plucky team of gravity defying contestants came 18th in the medal count with four, that's right four medals, including 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze.  And lets not forget all of our competitors who rightfully earned and received a medal for participating, just like they used to get at little aths.

I liked the comment made by the competitor from outback Queensland where they have neither mountains or snow.  This competitor stated they have had to train in Europe for the last five years "mainly at their own expense" and that is quoted verbatim.  Who is was expected to pay for?  The long suffering tax payer I suppose!

Now on more important things than people standing on planks of wood and sliding down mountains, yes of course I talk about the ever-present spectre of the covid virus.

Vaccination numbers still continue to increase with 94.23% of the eligible national population double dosed and 52.3% triple dosed.

VACCINATIONS AGE

Doses by Age Band 16+

STATE	FIRST	SECOND	THIRD
NSW	95.7%	94.3%	51.6%
Victoria	94.6%	93.3%	54.3%
Queensland	92.5%	90.6%	46.1%
SA	94.3%	91.7%	53.0%
ACT	>99%	>99%	65.9%
Tasmania	>99%	97.5%	53.4%
NT	91.0%	88.1%	44.9%
WA	97.2%	94.4%	55.7%
Australia	96.1%	94.2%	52.3%

Daily new infection numbers continue to decline both nationally and for most states apart from WA.  Victoria reported 5,611 new cases in the last 24 hours and NSW 4,916.  WA reported only 224 new cases in the last 24 hours but their numbers are showing slight daily increase.

Hospitalisation numbers both nationally and in Victoria continue to decline.  Victoria currently has 361 covid patients in hospital of which 49 are in ICU and 11 on ventilators.  These numbers are down from 441, 67 and 14 respectively a week ago.

I am hesitant to report the Victorian death figures because I think that as usual on a Monday they are underreported.  For example last Saturday we recorded 20 deaths in Victoria, 9 on Sunday and only 3 for the last 24 hours.  Maybe the nursing homes don't check who is still with us over the weekend.

        Corona Virus Daily Stats – 21 February 2021 – Day 03 of Covid Nearly Normaller

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
01/02					11,311	12,818
02/02	2,614,706	38,379	94.9%	877,553	14,553	11,807	293,675	129,942	73,886	92.4%
03/02					12,157	12,632
04/02	2,668,333	22,508	95.0%	900,950	11,240	10,698	253,603	102,847	65,968	92.6%
05/02					7,810	8,389
06/02	2,727,303	21,602	95.1%	915,929	7,169	7,893	227,841	89,861	60,917	92.7%
07/02					8,275	7,437
08/02	2,777,432	25,254	95.1%	933,989	9,785	9,690	205,543	76,465	58,449	92.8%
09/02					9,908	10,312
10/02					9,391	10,130
11/02	2,850,969	25,445	95.8%	961,889	8,521	8,950	185,163	64,813	55,617	93.8%
12/02					7,224	8,183
13/02	2,897,089	22,049	95.9%	976,256	7,223	6,686	176,646	58,741	54,494	93.9%
14/02					7,104	6,184
15/02	2,938,602	16,876	85.9%	991,522	8,162	8,201	163,283	50,802	50,967	94.0%
16/02					8,149	10,463
17/02					8,501	9,995
18/02					6,935	9,243
19/02	3,013,018	20,589	96.0%	987,725	6,280	7,615	218,167	108,729	48,420	94.1%
20/02					4,867	5,539
21/02	3,049,564	17,736	69.1%	997,891	5,611	4,916	209,767	103,850	45,278	94.2%
22/02

Corona Virus Daily Stats Hospitalisation Etc – 21 February 2022 – Day 03 of Covid Nearly Normaller
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
01/02										34
02/02	38,379	4,670	348	130	14,553	768	99	31	69	25
03/02									85	34
04/02	22,508	4,465	314	133	11,240	707	79	29	67	36
05/02					7,810				83	41
06/02	21,602	4,139	291	122	7,169	652	73	28	44	6
07/02									46	7
08/02	25,254	3,803	271	97	9,785	575	72	30	51	20
09/02									63	21
10/02									65	16
11/02	25,445	3,348	261	77	8,521	553	82	23	48	13
12/02									67	19
13/02	22,049	3,018	224	87	7,223	465	62	17	45	18
14/02										2
15/02	16,876	2,977	228	84	8,162	441	67	14	36	20
16/02									63	18
17/02									66	9
18/02									37	14
19/02	20,589	2,432	191	70	6,280	365	55	13	43	20
20/02									33	9
21/02	17,736	2,412	179	64	5,611	361	49	11	16	3
22/02