MacGyver

Thanks Alan - in what way do you anticipate this will impact processing? Do you anticipate a significant increase in waiting times or is this in line with typical annual number of grants up to this point?

It may be a way out for a handful of people, but getting back in will be extremely difficult. The example in the story is a person ordinarily resident in Russia who has left Australia permanently. Being separated from family is hard, but at the risk of sounding callous, I'm surprised how many people have suddenly realised that migrating to the other side of the world means separation from family in the UK.

I do hope you reported it

I think the Pfizer deliveries are expected to increase slowly through until the last quarter of the year, at which point there will be a significant increase of delivery (if it goes to plan) and a ramping up of vaccination hubs. All Australians will supposedly have been offered a first shot by end of year (give or take). Given the bulk of Pfizer won’t arrive until October ish, if I was in your shoes I might be tempted to move flights to March/April 2022 rather than late 2021, to give time for borders to possibly start opening with vaccinated countries (UK/US etc). It’s still all a bit uncertain but I’d be very surprised if much had changed by December.

I would imagine its going to become increasingly difficult (not easier) to return to Australia, as some state premiers are unhappy At the current numbers of arrivals and the pressure it is putting on the quarantine programmes. SA has suspended international arrivals and WA has cut arrivals by 50%. With the slow vaccine rollout, a more cautious approach will likely follow, meaning less flights and more difficulty returning. Not that you have said you plan to go anywhere, just in case that is the reason for the query. Anyone going overseas should expect a very lengthy and expensive process to return.

@calNgary Could one of the mods please help this poster to remove/redact their personal info above, as suggest by Paul? Bit dodgy putting those details online

I'm conscious of Cal's post, so it's probably a debate for CTF. But also, I'm not sure if that debate is currently allowed on CTF.

I hope you make it back to your family in Australia soon, it must be incredibly difficult being so far apart especially with all the uncertainty at the moment.

I understand that, I agree it is a very important issue and I appreciate you're having a very difficult time at the moment, but a measured approach might be more conducive to changing people's views. Many of your posts read as quite aggressive and confrontational. Given your professional background (and my assumption of your skills in debate and persuasion) I wonder if maybe current events are impacting the tone and language in your recent posts. Telling people they are selfish, heartless or nasty (my words not yours) won't lead to constructive debate over these important issues.

Australia has many questions to answer regarding human rights abuses, that is true. But it is also true that the UK has many questions to answer regarding human rights abuses (not least the treatment of disabled people in the UK, as identified by the UN). I also note the current UK governments desire to opt out of aspects of the ECHR in order to remove asylum seekers, refugees etc more forcefully. Would you agree that the UK should address the above issues, like any other democracy worth its salt? I don't disagree with some of the points you make and my political views make me a natural ally to your position, but the abrasive and combative way in which you make them is difficult to support.

I think Jetblast was referring to tourism, temporary visa holders etc, who are not currently permitted to enter Australia

The lockdown started around 6th January and case numbers peaked around a week later, before sharply declining through January and February. When case numbers plummeted, it was still January/February and still winter. At the time case numbers plummeted, only 12%- 25% of the population had received their first shot (late January to late February figures). Even now, there are still only approx 50% of the UK population that have received their first vaccination, and around 12% that have received their second dose. To my mind, the evidence strongly points towards lockdown as the primary factor in reducing case numbers given the above. As vaccinations hit 60%-70% we would expect their impact to really be felt in the figures going forwards. The UK vaccine rollout has been almost world leading (bar Israel), but it’s the lockdown that put the genie back in the bottle.

My worry was/is the possibility it may spread through the population of unvaccinated, younger people. The data is far from conclusive regarding this and Pfizer may indeed be sufficiently effective against it, but it is still enough to worry me: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-israel-study-idUSKBN2BX0JX

I’m worried about unvaccinated people mingling in large numbers when the South African variant is in ascendancy, which recent studies suggest may be somewhat resistant to current vaccines including Pfizer. After such a long lockdown and hard fought reduction in numbers, a slower paced, cautious reopening may have been wise. Time will tell I suppose.

Some of the scenes in Soho were worrying as it looked very busy and congested with people drinking

Chat to Westly above and get moving on the application with some urgency. Have you applied for your AASW assessment of your qualifications?

The OP came looking for support, please stay on topic to avoid this being closed, or head to CTF for a more robust debate on 'comedic' style

What an unnecessarily unpleasant post. If you hold more knowledge on a subject than someone, it does not make you better than them, nor does it give you the right to talk down to them. You could have made your point without the personal insults.

They are quite scruffy, although a bit nicer now than they used to be. It’s a bit like a farmers market where you have to spend time picking out the decent fruit and veg as it’s bundled in with a lot of poor quality items - that’s why it’s so cheap - that and it’s mostly WA and/or Australian produce on sale

Has the UK adopted the approach of Pfizer for higher age ranges and AstraZeneca as the ‘workhorse’ vaccine for the rest of the population? I haven’t read anywhere which vaccines are being used where, for whom, and why.

Agreed, I am finding the pace of vaccine rollout frustratingly slow. Technically it is more or less on schedule, I just naively assumed that the rollout would accelerate beyond the original timetable once the onshore AstraZeneca production started churning out millions of doses each week. The UK has done very well with the vaccine rollout, with appropriate urgency (Albeit necessary urgency given the number of cases). I think Australia is in a very good position but this has led to an overly casual approach to the vaccination schedule, with teething problems causing additional delays. I expected mass vaccination sites to be setup (eg in community halls or stadia) to complement GP practices, pharmacies and hospitals to really gain momentum and get the population vaccinated quickly. That would’ve allowed the government to sit back, say “look how well we handled Covid and the vaccinations” and then look to shift towards a looser border scenario. The longer vaccinations take, the longer the population is at risk from outbreaks.

The research references 5% of cases developing symptoms between days 10 and 14 (rounding up/down). I wonder if this is why Australia has gone with the 14 day approach, to match their pursuit of containment rather than control that you mentioned?

I also thought UK supermarkets were superior (and cheaper) than those in Australia, until I returned to Scotland for a spell. Once I was earning the £ again I felt the prices were very similar relative to wages and I disliked the amount of plastic wrap used on fruit and veg in the UK, so wasteful. With the introduction of Aldi and Spudshed (WA) I think coles and woolies have had to up their game. I can’t buy a tv in the supermarkets here, but I now tend to think the produce is of a higher quality (and often more local produce) than the produce on sale in tesco. Marks and Spencer’s is the exception, I would never buy a weekly shop in marks when I lived in Scotland but some of their products are fantastic and I do miss shopping there.

Particularly interesting when you consider Australia’s experiences whereby large numbers did not test positive for Covid until day 11 (and beyond) of quarantine. All those cases would have gone home to infect family members under the 10 day quarantine system.

I think you are right. It is easy to forget how dark it can be during crises and I have myself behaved quite irrationally during periods of grief. I think I need to extend more patience and sympathy, regardless of comments I may disagree with on this thread by the OP. Closing the thread is probably a good idea.