UPDATED: ACT has 22 new cases, positive case in Goulburn linked to Canberra

Phydeaux,
If you think that, then border control is also significantly within the government’s control and our government has succeeded whilst your example of Canada has failed.

You can’t pick and choose to suit your argument.

And no, our government was not in control of the messaging around AZ because it was subject to the independent advice of ATAGI. And whilst ATAGI’s position was sound on the risks of AZ, they didn’t balance it against the true risk of a Covid outbreak, using outdated data for last year and the assumption that the government could (and should) effectively shut down society until enough Pfizer was available. It was not and still is not a balanced position of risk management

Sounds like my ex-missus.

You sound like Morrison.

The medical experts warned against the use of Astra Zenica for younger people. It was the Morrison government that went against all advice to purchase Pfizer.

Medical experts advised the same in Canada, so their government abandoned using AZ for anyone. The difference was that they bought early and often, ensuring sufficient supplies of safer and more effective mRNA vaccines for all their people.
Here, our Federal government tries to cover for its abject failure in risk management by discriminating against the old and the young.

And yet Canada has had 1.5 million Covid cases and over 26000 deaths.

Great management by their government clearly.

It’s almost like the vaccine supplies have preferentially gone to those richer countries near manufacturing hubs who had the biggest case numbers and deaths.

Strange that, isn’t it.

Canada is adjacent to America, affecting virus prevalence. Are we a poor country? Are we more proximate to Britain that we have AZ? Fact is that Canada is way ahead of us, like almost all OECD countries.,

Canada has around 50% more people than Australia yet have, give or take, 26,000 more deaths. I think our leaders have done a bloody good job.

Yes, in hindsight, things could’ve been done better but we’re doing pretty darn well. I suggest everyone get their jabs and then, when the borders open up to those who have had the jab, go and see this fantastic country of ours – it’s worth it.

Phydeaux,
So what you’re saying is that there are differences in performance based on things outside of government’s control.

As for AZ, it is a tragedy that it hasn’t been used more widely here, but you’d have to take that up with the independent ATAGI whose extremely conservative and unbalanced approach has caused the issue.

And there’s nothing wrong with that, JC.

I agree. Katy is spot on as well as being personally affected. I am vaccinated but am worried about my grandchildren who are not and could be seriously affected by the Delta strain. The Fed’s failures in both quarantine and obtaining vaccines have led to this. The NSW Govt ‘too little too late’ strategy also has not been helpful.

Yes, indeed, whatwik. It needed saying.

No, rocca. Ms Gallagher was fully justified and 100% factually correct.

What political comment would that be? She was just stating facts.

She laid the blame on the Commonwealth. Reality is that the Commonwealth like all State Governments relies on medical advice. Delta obviously has thrown a significant curve ball at us all.
The real issue is people’s reluctance and apathy about getting vaccinated and those who simply think they don’t need to follow health orders.

What the federal governments medical advice that vaccination was not a race?

I think not. That comment and view was purely political not medical. Far too often in this pandemic political leaders (of all persuasions) have hidden behind the line of medical advice. About time they took responsibility.

What annoys me the most is Morrison actually has a good excuse for the slow rollout, which is he backed the wrong horse initially (going for the Uni of Queensland vaccine that turned out to be a fizzed). If he had of just stood up and said that people may have been more sympathetic. Yet he peddled another view that we were at the front of the line for alternatives when reality is we were not even close. Now we are begging and buying vaccines from countries like Poland and drawing down on supplies that are meant for poor countries.

So medical advice my left leg.

ken, it was a political and economic decision by Mr Morrison et al to rely almost completely on the AstraZeneca vaccine. They can’t hide behind “medical advice”. AstraZeneca is cheaper than Pfizer. Penny wise, pound very, very foolish. All associated with that decision should resign. I would say the same if they were Labor politicians.

Exactly right. Total FU #1: They should have backed all the major players in vac development. Total FU #2 They should also have had a zero tollerance for Mr Jones et al spreading their anti-vax rubbish. [F “free speech”. What if covid had an 80% mortality rate? Would this “free speech” BS be acceptable then? Why is it acceptable under Delta. Why is Jones still on the Air? How many has that idiot KILLED?] Unfortunately Delta is currently being spread in Sydney by low IQ morons who believe the moon landings were fake, and Covid is no worse than a cold. You can’t make this s*** up. Sad.

You do have to laugh at the amount of medical and procurement experts with 20-20 hindsight, when there have been significant challenges that would have occurred in this space no matter who was in power.

And when you actually look at the vaccine ramp up and the targets that were made early on this year, we are only going to be around 2-3months behind schedule.

Despite all the attempted political spin by all sides, the result isn’t actually that bad.

Which schedule would that be Chewy? The first iterations, second, third? Easy to meet targets when you move the goal posts.

JC,
The schedules from the start of this year before the program actually started, which was 40million doses by the end of October. We are currently tracking for 25million+ by then, and the 40 million well before the end of the year. If you want to talk about later iterations of the goals, we are actually ahead of them.

The government backed multiple horses in this race and its been unfortunate firstly that the UQ Vaccine had the issues with HIV testing false positives(but it probably still works) and the AZ clotting issue which should never have been blown up by ATAGI like it was.

Considering Vaccines were in extremely short global supply and there are countries who were far more in need than us, is it really surprising?

Our government secured more than double the vaccines to cover the entire population of multiple different vaccine types and has pivoted relatively fast when challenges have occurred. Seems some people wouldn’t have been happy unless we hoarded the entire vaccine supply despite being at a very low risk.

As above, none of those reasons excuse the political spin from all sides of politics on the issue which has been a large part of the problem for messaging.

Again chewy don’t disagree with the basic just of what you are saying (look at my post towards the top).

But as I said biggest issue is Morrison’s spin rather than coming out with the truth.

Oh and being 15m short of of a target of 40m is not close by a long shot. But it is great to see the vaccination program now taking off. Pity it took a major outbreak in Liberal NSW for that to happen. Likewise support for business too, with the tone changing when it was NSW’s turn after telling Victoria initially lockdowns are your fault and problem.

JC,
Agree with most of that, although as I said, that 15million doses (it will probably be less) is only a couple of months behind. In the grand scheme of things, I’d almost call it successful for a government led program.

Far too much politics involved though, with mistakes made all around but most of them honest ones.

Morrison spins and then the ALP and the Greens spin back. Very little thought of what is best for all Australians, lots of thought about positioning for the next election.

Although to get on one of my other bugbears, a lot of these problems would be fixed if state government’s didn’t exist.

Yeah mistakes have been made all round and I put them down to the pace of this virus and leaders having to wing it.

I for the most part have not criticised state leaders for this reason.

Morrison on the other hand takes no responsibility, but takes credit when there is credit to be have. And every word that comes out of his mouth is political. And yes think we would be better off without states (said this very early on) though thankfully we do have states with Morrison in charge.