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School is in, but Perrottet didn’t do his homework

By TBS Newsbot

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has decided to open the schools and stop mandatory mask-wearing. This approach has spelt trouble elsewhere.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has vastly changed the state’s lockdown plans, increasing the number of visitors residents can have, opening public pools, and bringing forward the date that would see children return to school.

In a press conference, Perrottet said: “We are bringing forward all schools to return by the 25th of October. So stage one will be the 18th of October and we’ll be moving the period from November into the 25th of October. So all school children will return to school by 25 October. That’s great for kids. It’s a major relief for parents and their sanity and I think this is an important decision today and I want to thank all the teachers who are there getting vaccinated to ensure that we can open our schools as safely as possible.”

 

 

What’s more, when the state reaches the 80% vaccinated mark, masks will no longer be mandatory. As Perrottet put it, “(at the 80% mark), we will be removing the requirement to wear masks in the office. In addition to that…we have a cap of major outdoor events of 5,000. That will remain in place but we want to make the point that exemptions for venues will be granted. With Covid-safe plans, venues can apply through NSW Health, the health minister will look through those issues and exemptions will always be made in that space. NSW will be open again and that ensures we get back to work and get businesses open and get the economy and society back to where it was before this pandemic began.”

However, academics already had an issue with the original plan, when restrictions were due to end December 1 under Gladys Berejiklian. Originally, unvaccinated people will remain restricted but will have the same freedoms by December 1, when 90% of adults are expected to be vaccinated. As they noted in The Big Smoke, “the problem is, other countries such as Israel already tried relying mostly on vaccines to relax restrictions – and failed, albeit at lower vaccination levels than NSW is aiming for. Vaccines alone may not enough to protect against the highly contagious Delta variant.”

Per Quartz, “On Aug. 31, Israel registered 11,000 new Covid-19 cases, the highest daily number since the pandemic began. The worrying thing was: That day’s case count beat a record set in mid-January when only a small proportion of Israel’s population had been vaccinated.

“By the end of August, at least 68% of Israelis had received at least one vaccine dose, but even the vaccinated were falling sick enough to need hospitalization. Alarmed, the Israeli government set about administering booster shots, trying to contain a surge in cases driven largely by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

“In its speed and thoroughness, Israel’s vaccination drive was a shining model. But to other governments, Israel’s late-summer spike now presents the frightening prospect that vaccine immunity may wane quicker than expected.

“In Israel, as in the US or western Europe, children form a large part of the as-yet-unvaccinated population. In August, the Israeli government predicted that children would make up half of all new Covid cases by the time the school year began on Sep. 1, and it instituted strict testing regimens for schools.

“The delta variant is much more highly transmissible than was alpha. So, given that, you will see more children likely to get infected,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in mid-August. “A certain percentage of them will require hospitalisation.”

Yesterday, the daily tally of local cases in NSW dropped below 600 for the first time in weeks. Today, we registered 587. One can only expect those numbers to rise once more.

 

This article was originally published on The Big Smoke.

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36 comments

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  1. New England Cocky

    Another unthinking, uncaring, disastrous policy brought to you by the new Liarbral Nazional$ Primmer Demonic Parasite, the toadie for the Roman church and the resurrection of the Democratic Liarbral Party moving Australian government funds to the Vatican.

  2. RosemaryJ36

    Perrottet appears to be seeking instant popularity.
    He appears unaware that it might result in instant opprobrium.

  3. HENRY RODRIGUES

    He is little johnny’s choice, catholic with 6 children and conservative to the core. Scummo must be delighted George Pell must be over the moon.

  4. GL

    When it blows up in his face what’s the net that it will all be Dan Andrews fault?

  5. pierre wilkinson

    full steam ahead and damn the life boats, there are no icebergs around here

  6. Michael Taylor

    Rosemary, it could be the Murdoch media from who he’s seeking instant popularity.

  7. Phil Pryor

    In a capitalist, corporate, financial fixated, organised donor driven, pay for more pay, rigged, enlisted, insider only world of utter unscrupulous bullshit, Truth, fact, logic and reason are outside the bounds, and the winners are grinners while the thinkers become stinkers…

  8. BB

    Dominic Perrottet = Dope
    Dominic Perrottet = Doper

    Dominic, Mini Dick, another fervent religious fruit & nut case, as if having one for a PM isn’t enough..
    The Golden Standard for NSW will now be a 10% tithe. Pay up or go straight to jail, do not pass go!

  9. Barry Thompson

    Another god bothering zealot, whose brain is clouded by his faith.

    Prepared to gamble with other people’s lives for political gain.

  10. GL

    Barry,

    He said his religion would play no part in his job as premier so how can you doubt his ersatz sincerity and Claytons honesty?

  11. leefe

    Whoever thought we’d be mourning Gladys’ departure so soon?

  12. BB

    A week is a long time in politics….

  13. Harry Lime

    He has religious zealot written all over his dial..just what Australia needs,another all conquering extremist.Jesus H. Christ.

  14. Thomas Brookes

    I have no interest in any of these corrupt pollies….. but do you all want to wear masks for the rest of your life??? Really. The masks dont work anyway and are certainly not needed when driving alone in your car,, or walking outside in the fresh air. Its simply ridiculous. Take a good look at yourselves what you have been scared into doing. You all look stupid, like a bunch of frightened silly sheep devoid, of all common sense.

  15. Michael Taylor

    Last time I looked I didn’t see myself driving with a mask on or walking outside in the fresh air with one on either.

    But I might put one on when reading your comments. There’s a stench about them.

  16. GL

    Scummo is at it again with his bullshit –

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-07/prime-minister-defends-dutton-twitter-defamation-action/100522002

    What’s he going to if the major social media platforms threaten to up stakes (not going to happen of course, they’d lose big money), give Australia the forks and bugger off? Or better yet, ban the feds from their platforms.

    Thomas,

    If we all “…look stupid…” then you win first prize for being a complete bloody idiot with everything you said after “I have no interest in any of these corrupt pollies…..” It’s the only sensible thing you said and should have left it at that.

  17. Michael Taylor

    GL, I hope you’re wearing a mask. 😁

  18. Michael Taylor

    GL, I know that face! I think I saw him in a photo of an anti-lockdown/anti-vax/anti-life demonstration.

  19. Jack sprat

    Catholic and six kids, he is a Monty python stereotype.
    “Every sperm is sacred”
    “Every sperm is great”
    “If a sperm is wasted ”
    “God becomes irate “

  20. Michael Taylor

    Jack, true this, but back in the early 19th Century there was a religious zealot who demanded that the world be full of virgins, and the only reason people should procreate is to produce more virgins.

    Thankfully, his beliefs didn’t gain any traction.

  21. BB

    GL,
    I’m fairly certain that is the face of Morrison’s mentor after a hard night on the glossolalia….

  22. Max Gross

    I’ll wear my mask wherever and wherever I want to, no matter what Dom says. And no, I will NOT be rushing out to spend my hard-earned in shops, cafes, clubs, pubs and restuarants just because HE says all is hunky dory. Use your brains, folks! Keep yourselves safe because the NSW and Federal governments do NOT consider your health and safety a priority and have demonstrated that over and over again.

  23. Michael Taylor

    You’ve got to be effing kidding.

    Morrison just said that NSW provides hope for the nation. 🤦🏻‍♂️

  24. wam

    Not much use using one god jewish data when domino(like the rabbott) has the trinity, jesus and mary to pray to?? NSW is on the cusp of a disaster which will take a ‘miracle’ to avert.
    Still, as one rabbottian noted, there is a man in charged sorry
    ps
    thomas ‘The masks dont(sic) work anyway’ shows you are one of the marching sheep who are most likely to not know the purpose of the mask and, my guess is, it wouldn’t help if you knew. But, in the off chance, you are not from a ‘service’ background and can understand words other than orders: An experiment using high-speed video found that hundreds of droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers were generated when saying a simple phrase, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered by a damp washcloth. Another study of people who had influenza or the common cold found that wearing a surgical mask significantly reduced the amount of these respiratory viruses emitted in droplets and aerosols.
    https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent
    Now do you understand that masks are to protect other people NOT you – think of third party insurance that may help.

  25. Andrew J. Smith

    School age elsewhere have been deemed to help spread of Covid amongst schools, families and communities….. especially when older more at risk cohorts were the objective for vaccinations.

    Haaretz has a good article on vaccinations, waning effectiveness of Pfizer after 6 months, booster shots and the importance of maintaining sensible restrictions e.g. masking, while the same issue of unvaccinated compromising any strategy:

    ‘Key metrics have suggested that Israel’s current wave of coronavirus infections is on the decline, with the unvaccinated accounting for nearly all of the country’s serious infections and deaths, despite being only 15 percent of the country’s vaccine-eligible population.’

    ‘https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/with-new-covid-policy-israel-redefines-what-it-means-to-be-vaccinated-1.10262828

  26. Mark

    Re:

    wearing a surgical mask significantly reduced the amount of these respiratory viruses emitted in droplets and aerosols

    Indeed! Acts as a barrier. And therefore why would this barrier act just as a one-way filter?

    Seems to me that masks must therefore have the outcome of protecting both the individual user as well as the generalised other.

    Or at least it’s my belief that my mask does.

  27. BB

    Hello Thomas Brookes.

    “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink!”
    Donkey would be more appropriate for some people…
    PS, there are a few superfluous commas in your comment.
    jus’ saying ok. 😎

  28. HENRY RODRIGUES

    I wear a mask when in the super market or near other people, because I want to protect myself from people like T Brookes.
    ​Didn’t this guy figure out why personell in an operating theater always wear masks and protective gear and scrub before every procedure ?

    To prevent infection of course.

  29. New England Cocky

    @Thomas Brookes: The evidence about the efficacy of facemasks in controlling COVID droplet distribution is common knowledge; it reduces the chance of COVID infection to about 1% compared to no mask.

    Now be a good little person and trot along to your nearest vaccination centre today and get yourself vaccinated against COVID.

    Congenital stupidity is cured by COVID ….. painfully ….. and permanently.

  30. Mark

    Gl from your Link which cites a once maskless Dan Andrews and what he probably didn’t say.

    whilst this was an overnight, overnights matter – everyone needs to follow the rules and I am sorry it occurred.

    No doubt some proof reader will get a proverbial tongue lashing for this oversight. Or – another failure for auto correct?

  31. King1394

    Just because the majority of “fully vaccinated” people think they are fully protected forever, does not make it so. Nothing magical about the jab.

    By the way that “every sperm is sacred” song is from Tom Lehrer, who wrote and recorded a number of satirical and science based songs

  32. Mark

    King1394 – you’re right, the jab is not a proverbial silver bullet (and doesn’t claim to be). But it’s by far the closest we have to one. After all – Beggars can’t be choosers.

    And if you’ve looked at the stats (across the world) and have any understanding of same, that’s the direction you’d go if you have any ambition to live on. But I do recognise that not all so desire.

    Or have you a better survival route you’d like to share? Prayer perhaps?

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