Week 6 - Wednesday 27 April 2022 - Reasonably Covid Normal

Week 6 of the new weekly blog and more and more covid rules are being relaxed.  Schools have returned from holidays this week and students of any grade are not required to wear masks.  Most people are now only required to wear masks on public transport and taxis and ride sharing such as Uber.

Although masks are no longer required in most situations many people are still wearing them, especially in places like shopping centres, supermarkets and on the street.

I am off to get my 4th covid vaccination needle today and I am getting my flu shot as well.  My doctor recommended I get the 4th shot as soon as the four month period had expired since my 3rd vaxx.  He also told me that there was no issue with getting my flu shot at the same time.

Anzac day at the Shrine was a big and successful day.  Between 45,000 and 50,000 people attended the dawn service and approximately 15,000 attended the march and morning service.  Many of these people then took the opportunity to visit the various parts of the Shrine including the sanctuary, balconies, crypt, museum galleries, visitor centre and ye olde gifte shoppe.

I was there from around 9.30am in the morning and 4.30pm in the afternoon and was busy all the time, which was great.

Of course with that number of people around there was more than a fair smattering of what could be referred to as "the ill at ease", and I think that all of them spoke to me through the day.  Some more than once.  

It was a beautiful Melbourne autumn day and Melbourne was at it's best, I think people are getting out and about cause they can.  

The current inflation rate has just been announced as 5.1% against current market expectations of 4.5%.  Surely this means that interest rates will be increased at the next RBA meeting next Tuesday.  Of course higher interest rates may not be a good thing for the home buyer but every cloud has a silver lining and higher interest rates are good news for us poor old self funded retirees.

Daily new infections are still between the 10,000 and 11,000 mark in Victoria and have been around these numbers for the at least the last month or so.  NSW is recording around 12,000 new daily infections and their daily infection rate appears to be slowly declining.

Victoria is still recording 14 or so covid related deaths per day, however 32 deaths were reported in Victoria for 26/4 however no deaths were reported for the three days prior.

We currently have 456 patients in Victorian hospitals with covid, this is up from 437 the week before, there are 32 patients in ICU compared to 34 last week and 8 on ventilators down from 12 last week.

With 1st and 2nd vaccine doses static on 97.0% and 95.4% Australia wide the 3rd (booster) doses are lagging on 64.7%.  On current vaccination rates it will take 76 days for the 3rd vaccination to reach 70% and 222 days to reach 80%.

I can't understand why if you had gone to the trouble like 95% of the population to get double vaxxed why you would then baulk at getting the 3rd shot.  Doesn't make much sense to me.

    Corona Virus Weekly Stats – From 22 March 2022 – Week 6 Reasonably Covid Normal

D	Aus Infected	Aus Increase Daily	Aus 1st Dose Vacc	Vic Infected	Vic Increase Daily	NSW Increase Daily	*Aus Active Infection	NSW Active Infection	Vic Active Infection	Aus 2nd Dose Vacc
22/03	3,975,559	32,379	96.7%	1,195,239	9,594	9,594	387,622	211,527	52,983	94.9%
30/03	4,436,572	50,082	96.8%	1,271,494	11,749	25,235	479,116	258,112	58,488	95.1%
04/04	4,715,763	35,015	96.8%	1,320,678	10,011	15,572	500,914	266,110	63,545	95.2%
13/04	5,207,650	54,185	96.9%	1,410,828	10,907	18,265	443,901	234,081	60,756	95.3%
20/04	5,494,804	36,856	97.0%	1,471,567	10,628	15,414	311,570	188,676	53,518	95.4%
27/04	5,780,569	24,135	97.0%	1,532,685	10,734	12,188	340,481	157,589	51,835	95.4%
04/05

Corona Virus Daily Stats Hospitalisation Etc – From 22 March 2022 – Week 6 Reasonably Covid Normal
Date	Aus New Infection Daily	Aus Hospital	Aus ICU	Aus Ventilate	Vic New Infection Daily	Vic Hospital	Vic ICU	Vic Ventilate	AUS Daily Deaths	Vic Daily Deaths
22/03	32,379	2,090	93	21	9,594	256	24	5	26	7
30/03	50,082	2,446	100	21	11,749	280	18	5	28	7
04/04	35,015	2,645	108	21	10,011	305	17	3	7	1
13/04	54,185	3,147	126	29	10,907	391	19	2	39	14
20/04	36,856	3,325	155	39	10,628	437	34	12	35	14
27/04	24,135	3,385	144	N/A	10,734	456	32	8	33	13
04/05