(New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard has) urged the NSW community to "be prepared to get tested as often as possible", warning the Delta variant of the virus posed a much greater risk to the community than previous strains.
"It's not fair, it's a particularly infectious variant," Mr Hazzard said.
"Just this morning, talking with our Chief Health Officer (Dr Kerry Chant) and her advisors, I was informed that at least one scientific paper says that this particular variant is almost a thousand times more infectious than the previous variants."
Meanwhile , in Singapore , the little Red Dot which can fit into a corner of Sydney, but which has a population of close to 6 Million, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Delta is present but is not proving to be as infectious or as deadly as Mr Hazzard want's his constituents to believe. One would think that Singapore would have to be shut down just to bury its dead, or to give hospital ICUs breathing space (pun intended) but that is not happening.
While it is true that Singapore has strict rules about social distancing and wearing of masks, the social distancing rules are almost impossible to observe given the high population desnity.
And , while vaccination rates are higher in Singapore compared to Australia, there have been a number of cases where even the fully vaccinated have been infected. Additionally there are concerns about the efficacy of even Pfizer against Delta. Adding to the problem is the decision taken by the Singapore Government to disregard anyone who has taken Sinovac.
As this writer says, Australian leaders and their advisers have chosen to disregard the science, Australia's open spaces and sparse population, and chosen instead to play politics.
END
TO BE READ WITH
Monday, July 12, 2021
Australia's Chief Medical & Health Officers failed to take advantage of Australia's low population density, and instead continue to impose hugely expensive lockdowns- Kerry Chant and her ilk must learn from Singapore , not Malaysia ; manage COVID contagion, not COVID optics
by Ganesh Sahathevan
NSW CHO seems more concerned with the optics
Australia has the advantage of low population density, one of the lowest in the world. Despite this NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant and other Australian CHOs have been unable to control COVID contagion without resorting to job destroying lockdowns.
Singapore on the other hand is one of the most densely populated countries in the world but has used lockdowns sparingly, ensuring that small businesses are given every opportunity to continue trading, so that jobs and livelihoods are protected as well.
It is clear that Chant and her ilk are unable to manage COVID contagion without resorting to stay at home orders,and their consequent shutting of national and international borders, that can give the impression that something is being done, but for which little evidence has been provided.
Australians have yet to see the evidence of how during a lockdown, all persons capable of infecting the community are identified, isolated, and treated so that when released, they are no longer a threat to the community. Subsequently there has been no real evidence that can demonstrate how Zero COVID could ever be achieved.
Chant and other health and medical officers need to take lessons from Singapore, At present their conduct has more in common with that of Malaysian politicians who, like Chant are not managing the COVID contagion but rather the optics.
TO BE READ WITH
Friday, May 28, 2021
Singapore is 14 times smaller than Melbourne, it has a WuhanCovid contagion problem, it is not in lockdown, infection rates are falling, and damage to livelihoods limited - meanwhile in Victoria the "envy of the world" , the"gold standard" in contagion control, methods used to protect livestock continue to be applied to humans, at great cost.
by Ganesh Sahathevan
Consequently Singapore's current population density is 8,201.23 people per square km, while Melbourne's is 453 people per square km.
Like Melbourne Singapore also has had a recent WuhanCovid contagion problem, but it is not in lockdown, or at least not locked down like Victoria.
Singapore saw a sudden spike in WuhanCovid infection three weeks ago, and the numbers are in excess of what is being experienced in Victoria.
However, infection rates are falling, and damage to livelihoods limited.
Readers are also reminded that population density is one of the main factors affecting WuhanCovid contagion.
Meanwhile in Victoria the "envy of the world" , the"gold standard" in contagion control, a 4th lockdown in just over a year has been legislated, due to a spike in cases, well below that seen in Singapore:
Victoria has recorded five new locally acquired Covid-19 cases overnight, bringing the Melbourne cluster to 35.
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