In my blog of 14th December I predicted the removal of Covid transmission prevention regulations the next day was ‘not going to end well’ due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.
And so it came to pass all over the country to the exclusion of Western Australia where restrictions remained.
In our state of New South Wales, cases increased substantially. Today over 5000.
Roughly 80% of NSW Covid cases are now the Omicron variant with more than 70% in the 10 to 39 year old age group.
Testing facilities have been overwhelmed.
Hospitalisation and ICU numbers are trending upwards.
There is a increasing shortage of medical staff in hospitals.
However both the federal and the state governments held their ground on not reinstating even the most basic preventative measures eg. mask wearing and QR check in.
There was substantial disquiet within the population. The government’s mantra of ‘personal responsibility’ when it came to public health was met with some disdain.
But today some sanity (a rare commodity in this government) prevailed and some restrictions were reintroduced.
- From midnight tonight, masks indoors will be mandatory until January 27.
- Next year, rapid antigen tests will be provided for free, but how that will be rolled out is yet to be determined.
- QR codes will be brought back in a limited way in low-risk settings.
- People have been asked to work from home if they can.
- The one person per two square metres rule in indoor hospitality will be reintroduced from 27 December to 27 January.
- And people in the state are being asked that, unless they are feeling unwell or they have been specifically told to get a PCR test, don’t get one.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
But for us it will be self isolating, again, until the end of January.
The farm gate is shut!
Update: 29th December.
The floodgates are well and truly open.
Today 11,201 cases. Hospital admissions increasing.
Cases are now being reported in our local area for the first time since the pandemic began.
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