![]() Hotel quarantine leaks have led to a number of different COVID-19 outbreaks. ‘In our culture, we’re inherently cautious and I think that that type of attribute will serve us well, hopefully, with this particular variant.’ ‘For instance in the first wave lockdown, my wife and I, we pulled our kids out of school early and a lot of other people did … and then they gave orders. ‘Anecdotally, from what I’ve seen, a lot of people, even before lockdown orders are put in place, they kind of get into a mode where they’re more cautious,’ he told newsGP. ![]() ‘So in terms of are we ripe to have a major outbreak? Yes.’īut immunologist Associate Professor Stuart Turville from the Kirby Institute at UNSW Medicine and Health, says while vaccination rates are not in Australia’s favour, it is reassuring is that Australia has so far proved able to supress outbreaks. For example, the recent outbreak in New South Wales was caused by a driver who wasn’t wearing a mask and wasn’t vaccinated. ‘The fact is that the current system of hotel quarantine and the … transport arrangements are just not good enough. ‘We’ve been talking about this now for months and months,’ Professor Esterman said. Meanwhile, the former World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist says the continual breaches in the hotel quarantine system are a significant cause for concern given the Delta variant is at least 40% more contagious than the Alpha variant. At the same stage of the UK’s rollout, 63 doses per 100 had been administered. We know that two doses of any one of the vaccines is very protective against the Delta variant and yet only up to 4% of the population have been fully vaccinated.’Īs of 27 June, 7.3 million doses had been administered in Australia, equating to 28.7 per 100 people. ‘Our population is incredibly vulnerable because of the lack of vaccination. But for some reason, both our federal and state governments simply aren’t learning – learning from what’s happening in other states and learning from what’s happening in other countries,’ he told newsGP. ‘Australia did a brilliant response, and in fact, is still in a good position compared to most other countries. Professor Adrian Esterman, Chair of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of South Australia, says Australia hasn’t been strategic enough in using the months of almost no community transmission to its advantage, and is concerned the country is not prepared to deal with the variant. It will pick off the more vulnerable more efficiently than previous variants, and therefore if there are people left without vaccination, they remain even at further risk,’ Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, said.Īnd now, despite closed borders, a mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement, and a previously demonstrated ability to contain the spread of COVID, the highly infectious Delta variant has gained a foothold in New South Wales and is threatening much of the rest of the country. ‘This particular Delta variant is faster. The variant is fast moving, with the prevalence doubling in just two weeks in the US, accounting for about one in every five cases, and is predicted to account for 90% of cases in the EU by the end of August. ![]() ![]() Similarly in Israel, where about 80% of those aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated, preliminary findings suggest about 90% of new infections are the Delta variant, with daily case numbers up to 200 from just 10 earlier in the month. In the UK, where close to 60% of the adult population is fully vaccinated, Delta accounts for 95% of newly confirmed cases, with almost 15,000 new infections and 11 deaths reported on 27 June. Just over a month later, it has spread to 92 countries and is quickly becoming the dominant strain worldwide. In May, the WHO first declared Delta a ‘variant of concern’. NSW has instituted a raft of public health measures to try and restrict the spread of the COVID Delta variant. With cases emerging in most states and territories, experts are concerned Australia is ill-prepared.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |