Tag: COVID-19
While Australia has reported 9,225,519 cases since early 2020, 96% have been this year. This has led to Australia’s global ranking of cases, hospitalisations and deaths being among the highest in the world. – Michael Toole Associate Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute, Brendan Crabb Director and CEO, Burnet Institute.
We’re not special, of course. Omicron and its friendly little sub-variants are everywhere. But it feels like we’ve just given up here, even on the basics. Nobody is calling for lockdowns.
The Victorian Health Department has warned of rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations, mirroring similar patterns occurring globally due to the spread of the new Omicron sub-variants.
“Just like other healthcare systems around the world, our system has been under unprecedented pressure and we’re investing billions to get it back on track as quickly as possible,” a spokesman said.
COVID Victoria: Elected surgery delays projected to rise
Reckless and criminally irresponsible Fox news sends a message of death.
Fox News has mentioned the anti-parasite drug ivermectin at least 292 times since December 2020, according to a Media Matters review. The network’s relentless hyping of the drug as a COVID-19 treatment was irresponsible at the time and has aged terribly — a major study released last month found ivermectin is not effective. But Fox has hidden those results from its viewers, not mentioning that study on the air a single time to date.
Djokovic was silent but kicked out of the country. Christensen is vocal but untouched and allowed to play. That shows the quality of Morrison’s leadership
Rogue Coalition backbencher George Christensen has again intentionally undermined his government’s vaccination campaign, ignoring medical experts and stoking further outrage by saying parents should not get their children immunised against COVID. Health Minister Greg Hunt said anti-vaxxers had “lost the debate” in Australia, saying he disagreed with such sentiment even when it existed “in our own movement” in the Coalition. But Mr Christensen’s latest baseless claims may see him yet again escape any punishment from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. “Scott Morrison needs to put an end to this and take responsibility for the actions of his backbenchers,” tweeted Labor’s shadow health minister Mark Butler.
Source: George Christensen sparks further outrage over anti-vaccine comments
“Extinguishing the threat of variants and ending this pandemic requires vaccinating the world.”
Source: In Six Weeks Ahead of Christmas, Rich Nations Snagged More Vaccines Than Africa Got All Year
Donald Trump’s former CDC director verified the House Oversight Committee’s report that said Trump, his administration and officials made “deliberate efforts to undermine the nation’s coronavirus response for political purposes.”
Source: Former Guy’s CDC Director: Trump Muzzled CDC On COVID Response In 2020 | Crooks and Liars
The very ability to keep America culturally divided is the alchemy that provides America’s Fascist Extreme Right and the those within and out of the Republican Party the power to have the tail control wag the dog. Organize chaos, extreme armed elements you have a key, control the message and you have a coup. Jan 6th was close.
The Kaiser Family Foundation has a new poll out this week, also reported on by The Washington Post, showing the alarming extent to which COVID-19 misinformation has penetrated among American adults, but particularly Republicans and people who consume right-wing media. The really scary thing: A lot of people actually believe the things they see on Fox News and further right networks like Newsmax.
The forgotten nation after 220 years and years of generational cultural and systemic racism
The COVID-19 crisis in Wilcannia demonstrates how entrenched neglect, combined with a global pandemic, have created a perfect storm impacting the most marginalised people in society. The treatment of the Barkindji people of Wilcannia is appalling by anyone’s standards and should be unacceptable to every Australian. The stories flooding out of Wilcannia of mistreatment of Aboriginal people should make every person stand up and demand immediate action. The government needs to take immediate action to address the conditions in which the people in Wilcannia are forced to live, and by providing vaccinations immediately to all those who want to be vaccinated.
Source: COVID in Wilcannia: a national disgrace we all saw coming
Can Berejiklian be likened to the Capitain of the Costa Concordia. He was jailed for abandoning his ship
Berejiklian has been foreshadowing the pandemic in NSW was going to get to its worst, its toughest; that the hospital system would be stretched to its elastic limit in October, based on modelling the NSW Health Department had prepared. Modelling, by the way, she’s not been very forthcoming with. So, knowing that the state is headed for a cliff, she’s essentially jumped out of the driver’s seat to get a better view of the spectacle. “I’ll turn up when I need to,” are words that emerged from her sneering maw today.
Scott Morrison has changed tack from ridiculing COVID-zero states to saying he “acknowledges” their worry about opening borders, with the Prime Minister telling the Coalition to start preparing for an election. As the saying goes, a week is a long time in politics. Just days ago, Mr Morrison was telling Queensland and Western Australia to get out of “the cave” of lockdowns, claiming they were ‘undermining’ the reopening plan and comparing them to children’s movie The Croods. By Tuesday, he was on a morning blitz across what he called the “low-COVID” states, singing from a new songsheet where he could see their “sensible concerns”.
Source: Scott Morrison changes tune on reopening as he focuses on election
Well, this certainly sounds stupid. So how did the wife of a COVID patient convince a judge that a drug used mainly for animals and in studies found to be ineffective at treating COVID be used on her husband against all medical advice?
Source: Ohio Judge Orders COVID Patient Treated With Ivermectin | Crooks and Liars
Morrison is telling us it will be “safe” to open up when fully vaccinated. Israel proves he’s bullshitting and pandering for the next election.
Israel has begun offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister says a campaign that began a month ago among seniors has slowed a rise in severe illness caused by the Delta variant.
Source: Israel offers COVID booster vaccine for ages 12 and above | Coronavirus pandemic News | Al Jazeera
Everything Morrison’s Plan isn’t: Israel is sliding and failing Taiwan isn’t it’s back to ZERO
“Countries that consistently aim for elimination — ie, maximum action to stop community transmission as quickly as possible — have generally fared better than countries that opt for mitigation targeted way to reduce cases so as not to overwhelm health-care systems.” Countries opting for elimination fare better for health, economy & civil liberties. Source: The Lancet.
Joint modeling for the “opening up” strategy has been conducted by the Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing at University of Western Australia, the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis at the University of Melbourne and an independent modeling expert. “If 70% of adult Australians (excluding children <16 years) were fully vaccinated, but with a 95% vaccination level for those aged ≥60 years, the AZ-mRNA strategy would eventually result in some 6.9 million symptomatic COVID-19 cases, 154,000 hospitalisations, and 29,000 fatalities.” It concludes: “The consequences of opening up prematurely could prove to be both irreversible and unacceptable. Aus
Morrison leadership for what it is is reactionary never proactive leaving the kids at risk
We’re expecting advice from ATAGI as to whether the rollout should be extended to all 12 to 15-year-olds, as countries like the United States and Canada have done. But where does that leave children under 12? We know they’re making up a large proportion of new infections in Australia’s current outbreaks, which was not the case last year.
Politics before Covid
It may be too cynical to say that the failure of COVID-zero was contrived to force the “learn to live with it” option – the Boris Johnson con over the Dan Andrews’ strategy. But, as Mick Young said, whenever the choice is between a conspiracy and a stuff-up, go with the stuff-up every time. Expect numbers of cases to soar in NSW because even its tough new measures are too little too late. Expect Berejiklian to run up the white flag and declare an easing of restrictions as soon as she can. The results will be horrendous. Expect her PM to continue his undermining until Gladys resigns. Enter her deputy, Dominic Perrottet, who’s always quietly advocated letting her rip, to be Morrison’s new gold standard, golden-haired boy.
Trump continues to stage rallies for his avid followers as he did last weekend in Phoenix, where he declared, “Our nation is up against the most sinister forces … This nation does not belong to them, this nation belongs to you.” Wrong. America belongs to all of us. And we all have a responsibility to protect its public health and its democratic institutions. The real sinister force is the Trump Republicans’ cynical exploitation of lies and anti-scientific rubbish to divide and divert us. Months ago, it seemed as if this darkness was behind us. It is not.
Source: Covid is facing a resurgence in the US, and so is Trumpian politics | Robert Reich | The Guardian
How does Australia’s coronavirus vaccine rollout and schedule compare with other countries, when will Australia be fully vaccinated and when will you be eligible to get your dose? We bring together the latest numbers on daily new Covid-19 cases, as well as stats and live data on total vaccination figures in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and other states Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates Restrictions: NSW; Vic; Qld; SA; border restrictions Hotspots: NSW map; Vic list; Qld; SA Get our free news app; try our weekend edition app; get our morning email briefing
Adriana Midori Takara was just 38 when she died from COVID-19 this week. She was only a year older than I am and had no underlying health conditions. Her first COVID test was negative and then a few days later, when she was tested again, it was positive. Ten days later, she was dead.
Source: Protesters’ cries for freedom ring hollow for dying woman
Boris Johnson has abdicated his principal responsibility as UK Prime Minister – protecting and safeguarding lives – to let COVID-19 kill as many as 100 people every day as early as next month, say scientists.
As with the bushfires, the pandemic has exposed Morrison for who he truly is. No Facebooked curries, no borrowing of chickens or mounting of heavy machinery, no be-medalled general nor tame premier can hide his vacuity and uselessness. A coward who baulks at scrutiny and bullies any defiance, a clueless charlatan, a pig, a QAnon adjacent prosperity cultist who celebrated an affinity with Mr Tangerine Man, an overtly religious moral void, an inveterate liar, a poseur whose first instinct in a crisis is flight, whose vision is shaped by the rapture and whose ambitions are informed by an eagle painting will be desperately rifling through dumpsters for dead cats. This was Morrison’s chance to shine, to show up the doubters and haters, to prove he was worthy of the office, that he could confidently go to an early election. Instead, he shat himself. Again. Did you spot the musical reference?
Source: Sophist’s choice – » The Australian Independent Media Network
public health experts, politicians and journalists are having to wrestle with the implications, and a changed relationship with the public and with truth. The World Health Organization has described what we are currently living through as an “infodemic” running alongside the Covid pandemic.
The stroll-out by Hunt and Morrison
Like the vaccine rollout, someone else will need to take over if it’s going to be finished any time in the near future.
In the race between infection and injection, injection has lost. Public health experts estimate that approximately 70% of the world’s 7.9 billion people must be fully vaccinated to end the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 21, 2021, 10.04% of the global population had been fully vaccinated, nearly all of them in rich countries. Only 0.9% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
More than any Marxist text ever could, the COVID-19 emergency cash relief programs — and the furious reaction to them from employers — lay bare the raw truth about capitalism: bosses’ profits depend directly on workers’ remaining terrified of destitution.
Source: The Debate Over Service Work and Unemployment Benefits Shows Why Marxism Is Right
From a lack of investment in public health care to mishandling vaccine production, Narendra Modi’s right-wing government has failed the Indian people during the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands are dead as a result.
Source: Blame Modi and the BJP for India’s COVID-19 Catastrophe
The horrific COVID crisis in India isn’t just the result of rich countries’ criminal hoarding of vaccines and intellectual property — it’s the fault of Narendra Modi’s far-right government, which has prioritized private profits over public health.
Source: India Is In a Horrendous COVID Crisis. It’s Modi’s Fault.
Twitter has complied with government requests to censor 52 tweets that mostly criticised India’s handling of the second surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. These tweets, which are now inaccessible to Indian users of the social media website, include posts by Revanth Reddy, a sitting Member of Parliament; Moloy Ghatak, a West Bengal state minister; actor Vineet Kumar Singh; and two filmmakers, Vinod Kapri and Avinash Das.
Source: 
At the same time, Republican governors in states from Texas and Mississippi to Alabama and West Virginia have been loosening or eliminating COVID-19 restrictions in response to declining COVID-19 numbers. Earlier this month Walensky urged policymakers to be mindful that Americans would not be truly safe until as many people are vaccinated as possible, adding that the rise of variants could “complete lose” the gains made so far in defeating the pandemic.
COVID-19 cases rise as states ease restrictions; CDC director warns of “impending doom” | Salon.com
More than 250,000 virus jabs have been administered in Australia so far, a long way off the four million Prime Minister Scott Morrison said would be complete by the end of March.
Australian GPs concerned about delays in vaccine rollout
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Partially Shut Due To COVID-19 Outbreak | HuffPost
Former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club has been partially closed because of a COVID outbreak.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Partially Shut Due To COVID-19 Outbreak | HuffPost
behind the approved coronavirus vaccines — Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer — have quietly touted plans to raise prices on coronavirus vaccines in the near future and to capitalize on the virus’s lasting presence.
Covid Vaccine Makers Promise Investors They’ll Hike Prices
“It is unforgivable that while people are literally fighting for breath, rich country governments continue to block what could be a vital breakthrough in ending this pandemic for everyone in rich and poor countries alike.”
‘Disturbing’: Rich Nations Vaccinating Person Per Second While Blocking Effort to Share Recipe With Poor Countries | Common Dreams News
Dr. Pernell: ‘Vaccines Don’t Save Lives, VaccinATIONS Save Lives’ | Crooks and Liars
Dr. Chris Pernell called on public health officials to partner with churches, barbershops, hairdressers and other trusted members of Black and Brown communities in order to provide more equitable distribution of COVID vaccines.
Dr. Pernell: ‘Vaccines Don’t Save Lives, VaccinATIONS Save Lives’ | Crooks and Liars
Australia. the US, the UK and the European Union are refusing to waive intellectual property rights to Covid-19 vaccines so developing countries can produce the vaccine locally. This refusal, in the face of vaccine hoarding by rich countries, is likely to cause millions more deaths because of slower access to a vaccine. It is also extremely short-sighted because long delays in global vaccination will enable more powerful variants to emerge. David Legge and Sun Kim report.
Vaccine Hoarders: poor countries at risk as Australia & co block Covid vaccine – Michael West
A medical journal reports Russia’s Sputnik vaccine has an efficacy rate of over 91 per cent Felix Light says he found it easy to get vaccinated in Moscow The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is close to 100 per cent effective against the most severe illness from COVID-19, says epidemiologist
The rollout of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine was roundly criticised, now more than a billion doses have been ordered around the world – ABC News
With new, more infectious variants of COVID-19 detected around the world, and at New Zealand’s border, the risk of further level 3 or 4 lockdowns is increased if those viruses get into the community.
Why the COVID-19 variants are so dangerous and how to stop them spreading
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