Do you find Australian Covid rules overly drastic?

[mellowyellowgirl]

I'm really curious what overseas people think of us!

Do you think our Covid policies are madness? Do you think we're too locked up? Would you like to be as locked up and as safe as us? Especially those of you who are super cautious, would you embrace our restrictions where they can lock you in your apartment building if there's Covid in it?

Personally I've always felt very safe, happy and well taken care of in Australia. I like rules. I like being told when you mask and not mask, how many km from home I can travel etc so there are no arguments. However I'm super curious what the rest of the world thinks of us.

I should also add that this is not political because anyone you vote for in Australia would have locked you up these past two years!

 

[missy]

From the outside perspective I will share many people I have talked to feel the measures drastic. I am not following specific measures as my dh said it would upset me. Something about pets. Please don’t tell me. So i have formed no opinion as I don’t want to know details.


Glad you are safe and happy @mellowyellowgirl

 

[missy]

I will add I am a super cautious individual but I am proactive and disciplined and not sure I would welcome drastic measures but that is because I am motivated to stay safe and smart about it. Too bad many people (USA) are not. Maybe they do need, no scratch that they definitely do need, more drastic measures. Too bad most people don’t demonstrate common sense. It’s not so common.

 

[icy_jade]

Yes it sounds super strict! I was actually quite surprised when I heard as I thought Australia will have more “freedom” vs Singapore.

Then again, it’s all for the greater good (less deaths) so if Australians are supportive of the measures then good for you.

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

I wish the entire world, especially the US, would have gone into lockdown like Australia. We would be in a much better position overall for short term sacrifices. I've lived my life under the strictist lockdown for the last year and half. A few weeks is nothing.

 

[elizat]

From the outside perspective I will share many people I have talked to feel the measures drastic. I am not following specific measures as my dh said it would upset me. Something about pets. Please don’t tell me. So i have formed no opinion as I don’t want to know details.


Glad you are safe and happy @mellowyellowgirl

You don't want to know.

For me, yes, the measures in Austrialia would be more than I would find acceptable or reasonable. Especially because this disease is not going to be wiped from the face of the planet or beaten- we will have to learn to live with it and function. I do have to say I'm glad I don't live in Australia with the restrictions.

 

[dk168]

I don't mind drastic measures and restrictions, C19 related or otherwise, providing they are clear, concise and easy to understand/appreciate/follow/whatever.

What I cannot stand is measures and restrictions that are unclear and/or subjected to different interpretations, as people will bend the rules if they believe they can get away with it by interpreting "should" does not equate to "must", etc. etc...

DK

 

[missy]

You don't want to know.

For me, yes, the measures in Austrialia would be more than I would find acceptable or reasonable. Especially because this disease is not going to be wiped from the face of the planet or beaten- we will have to learn to live with it and function. I do have to say I'm glad I don't live in Australia with the restrictions.

That is exactly what Greg said. He said you do not want to know and he also said he would never want to live in Australia given recent events. Before this I was quite the Australia-phile. Not knowing what is going on regarding the animals and not wanting to know because once I know I cannot unknow I will remain blissfully ignorant. I know my limitations and what I can bear and anything to do with animal cruelty in any shape or form destroys me if I cannot do anything to help.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

That is exactly what Greg said. He said you do not want to know and he also said he would never want to live in Australia given recent events. Before this I was quite the Australia-phile. Not knowing what is going on regarding the animals and not wanting to know because once I know I cannot unknow I will remain blissfully ignorant. I know my limitations and what I can bear and anything to do with animal cruelty in any shape or form destroys me if I cannot do anything to help.

Rest assured Missy! It should have never happened and it was terrible it happened but something similar likely will never happen again. Someone was a crazy idiot!!!

It was indeed terrible sure but I think it's been dramatized overseas much how like we think we'll get shot if we walk along the street in the US or that no one will pay for our insulin etc if we had no money!

The rest of us are fine. People are raising, buying, adopting animals happily. The government has not seized our animals I promise!

 

[Venti25]

Rest assured Missy! It should have never happened and it was terrible it happened but something similar likely will never happen again. Someone was a crazy idiot!!!

It was indeed terrible sure but I think it's been dramatized overseas much how like we think we'll get shot if we walk along the street in the US or that no one will pay for our insulin etc if we had no money!

The rest of us are fine. People are raising, buying, adopting animals happily. The government has not seized our animals I promise!

I must be living in a bubble since I have no idea what this is about? I guess I am since I'm in WA and we've been pretty COVID free (and now complacent), but now I'm curious..

 

[missy]

I must be living in a bubble since I have no idea what this is about? I guess I am since I'm in WA and we've been pretty COVID free (and now complacent), but now I'm curious..

Please if anyone writes specifics put it in a spoiler box. Or better yet just google it so those of us who don’t want to know don’t accidentally read it here.

The rest of us are fine. People are raising, buying, adopting animals happily. The government has not seized our animals I promise!

Good to know. Thanks

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I must be living in a bubble since I have no idea what this is about? I guess I am since I'm in WA and we've been pretty COVID free (and now complacent), but now I'm curious..

Spoiler: Disturbing Spoiler

COVID-19: Rescue dogs shot dead in Australia over coronavirus restrictions

A council in Australia killed the impounded animals to prevent volunteers at an animal shelter from travelling to pick them up and potentially spreading the virus.

news.sky.com

I think American news just ran away with it and people probably think our entire government is in on it! Like how I think people are being shot in the US all the time!

 

[Venti25]

Please if anyone writes specifics put it in a spoiler box. Or better yet just google it so those of us who don’t want to know don’t accidentally read it here.



Good to know. Thanks

Yep.. am doing so don't worry. I'm just surprised as I know nothing about this blowing up.. so it must have slipped my notice.

Back on topic..as background my state has been pretty much COVID free since the first initial lock down with complete short periodic lockdowns when cases are detected. The upside is, we're pretty much COVID free and life is normal in our bubble. The downside is, the population is pretty much complacent now and lagging in terms of vaccinations (although politics and logistics also factor into this) and an opening up plan. That being said I probably wouldn't trade our bubble as we've been incredibly fortunate by virtue of low density and distance. Although I really wish people would just hurry up and get vaccinated so I can see my relatives on the east coast...

 

[Venti25]

<snip>

That is crazy and insane.
Definitely not a widespread thing in Australia.. I'm not surprised it was run with and blown up if Sky picked it up. Sky is our Fox news equivalent. I thought I was watching satire the first time I saw some of it..

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

I haven't read the latest (and don't want to). If it's animal cruelty and the likes, I don't think it's acceptable. But if it's just asking folks to stay home with strict restrictions, totally reasonable.

 

[Karl_K]

I think they are overboard and would not tolerate them.
In many parts of the US it would lead to a shooting war trying to implement them.
Some areas of Canada also went way to far also but their medical system is so short of everything that I can see why they did it.
For example NS Canada has 141 icu beds available. My mid sized midwest city has more. They also have a huge doctor shortage.

 

[Gussie]

Perhaps the lock down mindset in Australia can be attributed to the small size of the country. I doubt seriously that these kind of restrictions could occur in the US. It would be impossible, thank goodness since we are a vast and diverse country founded on principles of freedom. It is an inherent right to be able to provide for our families, to not have draconian restrictions. Mask mandates - great! Vaccine mandates by employers - great! Complete lockdown - no freakin way!!!!!! If I had to live my last days in lock down for a virus like COVID, it wouldn't be worth it. My mental health as well as my family's is too important. I have seen what isolation can do to teens and it isn't pretty; it's terrifying. COVID isn't going away. We have to learn to live with it. JMO - I know a lot of psers don't agree with this and that's ok. Part of freedom is allowing everyone their opinion.

And you come for my pets, consider it all out war.

Note - I know that Australia is coming for anyone's pets. Just thought I would emphasize my furbabie's importance!

 

[oceanblue]

Yes I think they are drasic. It has been over a year and we know how to treat COVID.

And I don't want to know what happened to animals. Glad my Australian shepard is safe.

 

[Cerulean]

Okay so I think what happened with the animals was a serious outlier case spurned by deep fear and paranoia, I imagine the person(s) responsible are greatly suffering from a mental health perspective, and it was a tragedy sensationalized by the news.

I would absolutely not wrap that up in sentiments about general restrictions imposed in Aus.

I am not sure if I feel that they are being too restrictive in Aus. I think people are afraid and acting out their fear. I imagine if we globally embraced such restrictions early on, we would not be where we are today. It seems futile if no one else bothers to join the cause.

Whereas in the US, I find the resistance to mask mandates and vaccines comical in a tragic sense. The American sense of individualism and "natural rights" that are at the core of our nation's philosophy has metamorphosed into pure narcissism.

"Natural rights" is about the common good, free from legislation and government. The common good for humans - our inherent equality - dictated by the laws of nature and our conscience, universal and never-changing. Ahh but we have bastardized that concept in the USA. Now it means "I am free to do what I want, regardless of what anyone says."

Perhaps I would have been "more at home" in another nation or at a time in our nation's history when people cared about more than just themselves. Perhaps I would be more at home Aus.

 

[Arcadian]

I certainly understand why Australia had to lockdown like it did. And lots of island nations had really no choice but to do it.

The US.... its my country. its a country full of some knuckleheads yes. It would have always been impossible to go into a full lockdown, even if there was agreement at all ends of government, people would have still done many of the things they're doing today.

I do think that DV numbers here would be way higher than they are now for sure. So blessing and curse in some ways.

 

[qubitasaurus]

It's possible that Australia needed to lock down the way it did. Australia's population was largely unvaccinated as they had bought astrazenica and then decided it was unsuitable for a large contingent of the population. Delta has something like a 2.5 times higher hospitalization rate than the original strain and unlike India, Australia has an aging population which had no immunity as there had been no initial waves (due to early lockdowns and successful elimination). I don't know what would have happened if they hadn't locked down.

I googled the animal case, but I'm a little surprised people are talking about it. As it was a small isolated case which sounds a little moronic (it's hard to put another word to it which describes it better. I feel bad for the animals caught up in it as it really did not need to happen.). But the UK's current systematic culling of farm animals due to covid and brexit, is about ~500 times worse by a straight numbers based comparison. So I'm a little surprised it made headlines.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

nope
not strong enough
in some cases also not soon enough
and we now seem to be following you down the same path unfortunatly

just read about that fu*king idiot who escaped quareteen and went to Tassie then tested positive for covid
want to run him over with a front end loader

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I think they are overboard and would not tolerate them.
In many parts of the US it would lead to a shooting war trying to implement them.
Some areas of Canada also went way to far also but their medical system is so short of everything that I can see why they did it.
For example NS Canada has 141 icu beds available. My mid sized midwest city has more. They also have a huge doctor shortage.

i think Karl, regarding your last point, you certainly hit the nail on the head for my country (NZ)
and governments have had all this time to get their sh*t in order, increase ICUs, get us vacinated (well done ACT by the way Aussies) but we have both had painfully slow vacination rates

Gary's daughter's cancer is catching up with her, its in her lungs, she sounds dreadful
they sent her home from hospitals without oxygen ????????
they said they didn't have any spare for her
serously????
WTF ?
are they saving it for when the covid
dam bursts ???
She lives in greater Wellington, so its a big important hospital servicing a large population

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I must be living in a bubble since I have no idea what this is about? I guess I am since I'm in WA and we've been pretty COVID free (and now complacent), but now I'm curious..

i have no idea either
im accross the ditch
please stay safe way over there, you were all doing so well in WA

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

ok i found the animal thing
im the NY times of all places

talk about a mole hill being turned into a mountain

relax everyone

its one town council involving a small number of stray dogs

why on earth this has been picked up by international media is just sensationalized BS

yes its bad for like 15 dogs in one town, two were dangerous dogs and saddly a litter of pups
but its not the entire national of Australia suddenly killing stray dogs

its ok people, Australia still loves its dogs

and if push comes to shove i bet we could find a town council in plenty of other countries putting dogs down using the excuse they dont have the resources to rehome them

 

[jordyonbass]

I'm living inside the steel fish bowl of rules known as Metro Melbourne, Victoria.

Unfortunately I'm not objective enough to answer this after spending something like 270 days of the last 18 months in a strict lockdown.

 

[Dandi]

Wow, I'm in Australia and didn't even know about the animal thing. Talk about blown out of proportion!

I've hated lockdown as much as anyone, but our Covid death rate is miniscule compared to other countries, so risk vs benefit I suppose. Our vax rate is acceptable, so hopefully we'll see the end of lockdowns now!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Wow, I'm in Australia and didn't even know about the animal thing. Talk about blown out of proportion!

I've hated lockdown as much as anyone, but our Covid death rate is miniscule compared to other countries, so risk vs benefit I suppose. Our vax rate is acceptable, so hopefully we'll see the end of lockdowns now!

hang in there and be a good example to Auckland

 

[Bron357]

Don’t worry @missy here in Australia we love our pets and wildlife.
One stupid Council out the middle of the outback made a bad call. Don’t worry, it will be investigated.
Let me tell you a happy story.
im a member of a Whippet Facebook group. Someone was away overseas and their dog walker had their little whippet get away from them in Centennial Park. This is a very very large park with lots of busy roads surrounding it.
The owner, she was beside herself, on the other side of the world and powerless to do anything and so posted up on the Facebook page in desperation. She wasn’t actually a member of the Facebook group but looking for a “lost / found” Facebook page for the area came across the Whippet page.
No fewer than 30 people (myself included) with their whippets / greyhounds jumped in their cars and drove to the park, some travelling an hour to get there, to look for the lost dog. By this stage it was late afternoon and we had searched for hours. We had more than 100 people in the end, being coordinated by phones and we found him.
We had had the park rangers looking, even the Police were on the look out.
He was over 5kms away and found hiding under a car by another dog (and owner). It was such a relief. He was rushed to the vet (who checked him over for free) and apart from torn foot pads and dehydration he was ok.

 

[HGar]

Yep Australian here too and I’m happy with the way we’ve handled the crisis on the whole.

Our business had to shut immediately on 5 August 2021 and remain closed until 11 October 2021. With Government assistance (although much less then we were able to access last year along with the fact that last year we could still trade) we managed to pay our staff and weather the storm.

What a lot of countries don’t take into stock us we are a remote island so (a) it is easier to lock our borders but also (b) we are heavily reliant on importing medical stock / machinery and (c) we have finite hospital bed access.

It’s been tough - especially for poor Victorians who really have borne the heavy brunt of both outbreaks but as a whole we will come out stronger as our population is pretty keen on getting vaccinated. Here in NSW our double dose figures to midnight last night were approx 78.8% of people over 16yo. The only one in our immediate family unvaccinated is our 11yo who is currently too young but the minute they open it up to his age group or when he turns 12 in January he will be done as well.

The animal story I’m really not sure what to make of - I can tell you it never even made either print media or tv so I prefer to err on the side of there must have been a fairly substantial reason or that if it was an error in judgement that the person will be prosecuted. Animal cruelty is policed and enforced Australia wide.