Lloyd Marken likes to believe everyone has a story and one of the great privileges of his life has been in recent years to tell stories as a freelance writer. He has personally interviewed over 50 individuals helping to tell their stories whether they be outstanding school teachers, CEOs, local theatre directors, authors, up and coming actors or superstar comedians.
He has been published with online magazines Scenestr, Heavy, Buzz, X-Press, FilmInk and Weekend Notes.
A graduate from QUT over the years he has worked a lot of odd jobs including being a production runner on Margot Robbie’s second feature film ‘Vigilante’, a hospital wardsman and serving in the Australian Army Reserves.
He was a writer and editor for the Brisbane Writers Festival Newspaper in 2004 as part a university work elective.
His freelance work has led to contracts working as a writer full time.
As of 25 May 2021, the World Health Organisation reported a total of 1,545,967,545 vaccine doses have been administered around the world. The global population was 7.674 billion people.
The second repatriation out of India following the lifting of the travel ban of May 15 touched down in Darwin.
All 165 scheduled passengers had passed their tests and were able to fly back.
The testing company previously used by Qantas had been replaced after more than a dozen of the passengers from the previous flight who had tested positive had subsequently tested negative They were now being prirotised for getting a return flgiht.
There were eight repatriation flights scheduled for the following fortnight.
Tuesday and there is an increasing outbreak of cases in Melbourne who had suffered the most in 2020 with lockdowns, case numbers and aged care deaths.
There were five new daily cases and genomic testing linked it to the man who had done time in hotel quarantine in Adelaide and then become positive in Melbourne.
New restrictions or old restrictions returned to the Victorian capital.
Masks were to be worn inside, there was a limit of five people at home gatherings and public gatherings were restricted to 30 people.
New Zealand hit pause on the travel button with Victoria.
China released a video for their vaccine roll-out and announced an intention to administer up to 20 million doses a day.
A report from the ABC showed people were not going back to the office full time.
The ABC took stats from Australia Talks data that showed those working from home full time had shifted from four per cent to 25 per cent during the height of the pandemic here and was now currently at 12 per cent.
It appeared going forward a lot of people were keen to have a mix of working from home and in the office. Cutting out their commute saved them money and time and they found they were connected and present with their families.
Of course this was dependent on what your home life was, what your set-up at home was and what you did for a living.
I personally loved going into the office.
However I was certain the genie was out of the bottle and the stats reflected this.
Those who did 0 hours working from home had shifted from 49 per cent pre-pandemic to now 37 per cent.
May 26
Wednesday and the COVID cluster in Melbourne grew to 15 people with six new cases in the community.
‘And as you can imagine, a shopping centre could have captured a broader group of people.’
The government to the north of Victoria was falling over itself to not close to their neighbour but yeah but nah but yeah but nah but.
Those who had been in Greater Melbourne or Bendigo since May 12 were advised to not visit residential aged care or health care facilities unless it was to seek treatment or for compassionate reasons.
People who had been in Melbourne’s far north well limit your attendance at locations at pubs, and clubs, and gyms and
Yeah large family gatherings
But you know you can still see your family and
Look avoid crowded indoor settings
But you know we won’t make you quarantine at home like those mongrel Queenslanders!
But you know… speaking of your house… do you like your house yeah… houses are great!
I mean if you like your house so much that you spend the new few days there then that’s probably for the best.
And if you got out and you can go out but like when you’re out………………….
Don’t go anywhere where there’s like ooooohh…lots of people
Or old people
Or sick people
Or people with disabilities
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand if you do….
Like could you wear a mask?
Nobdoy else will be wearing a mask and we’re certainly not going to mandate you wear a mask
Just like we’re not going to make you quarantine
Because there is no need to do any of that and we wouldn’t do that to you!
But if you could kind of do all of that then that’s probably for the best but we’re not going to do that because we’re not like the Queensland and WA governments.
On Tuesday there had been 16,698 tests carried out in the state.
The same day 13,200 vaccine doses were dispensed by New South Wales Health.
So far in NSW, 1,142,002 doses had been dispensed, 371,117 by NSW Health and 770,885 by GPs and the Commonwealth.
NSW Health was stepping ahead of the national rollout getting over 40s to regsiter interest getting Pfizer jabs at their Sydney Olympic Park clinic.
There was still work to be done in Phase 1A and 1B which included front line health care workers, those who worked in quarantine or border control and their household contacts, thsoe with underlying health conditions aor disability.
Then there were the over 50s to get AstraZeneca.
The 40-49s who had registered for Pfizer were starting to get contacted.
In the wake of my sister and her husband finally getting the jab it was timely to think of where vaccinations were in the UK.
More than 37 million Britons had received at least one vaccine dose.
The initial roll-out targeted 32 million people who were either aged over 50, or residents and workers in aged care, or frontline health care workers, or those with underlying health problems and unpaid carers.
People who fell under those categories had accounted for 99% of all COVID deaths in the UK and the government had aimed to have offered anyone in that group at least their first jab by the 15th of April.
Now the rollout had expanded to get 21 million Britons aged 20 to 49 years old to receive their first jab by mid-July.
The thirty seven million equated to 70% of the adult population.
More than 21 million had their second dose.
There was a move to crank up second doses to over 50s in the wake of the new Indian variant.
In mid-march 500,000 first doses were administered per day.
Now first doses averaged 190,000 per day and 340,000 second doses were being administered on average.
A jab manufactured by US firm Novavax will be made in Stockton-on-Tees in north-east England, while another by French company Valneva will be made in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.
On Friday here in Australia there was plenty of COVID news to cover.
Some continued coverage in the need to get more people with disabilities vaccinated.
There was talk of putting blood clot cases into perspective from COVID restrictions.
There was talk of the need to get overseas students able to study at Universities in Australia.
Gauri Gupta, sister of Govind Kant’s who passed away in India, spoke to 7:30 about her loss.
There was talk of getting MRNA production up in Australia in the next two years with the federal government putting a callout for companies to make applications.
Recently a 53 year old South Australian man received a jab on the 4th of May and ended up in hospital May 18 with severe abdominal pain.
There was also the 18 year old nurse in Queensland, a 57 year old woman in and a 79 year old man both from Victoria.
Over 230 volunteers were allowed back into the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne including ‘The Splint Ladies‘ who have each been volunteering at the hosptial for three decades.
It was also reported that earlier in the week the Chinese made COVID vaccine Sinopharm was dispensed in the Solomon Islands making it the first Pacific Islander nation to receive the vaccine. Australia had also pledged to deliver 60,000 doses of AstraZeneca to the islands.
India appeared to be coming off the peak of its largest and most devasting wave. The virus was spreading more rurally sadly in the country which would have consequences since there were less resources in those places.
In neighbouring Nepal it was reported 50 per cent of COVID tests returned positive on a daily basis, sometimes higher. The number of hospitalisations had increased and beds and oxygen were in short supply.
Following a petition that I coincidentally signed urging the Australian government to help, they announced seven million dollars of support would be sent.
The World Health Organisation reported on the 21st of May, 2021 in Nepal there had been 488,645 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 8,227. There had been 5,847 deaths with a daily increase of 190.
But for some none of that was the big news of the day.
Oh no.
The big news for them was that Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had not yet had her COVID vaccine.
And neither had the Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young.
With so much coverage about blood clots people argued leaders taking the jab could build confidence.
They argued this struck the wrong tone, gave the wrong message.
Dr Young as a health care professional was waiting to get Pfizer and the Premier merely said she was waiting to do it after her flu shot which she had not yet had – halfway through Autumn.
At work we had taken our flu shots in early April but another school of thought was workplaces should hold off giving flu shots so early in the season.
In the past 24 hours in Australia 92,000 doses had been administered in the country.
The next day there was continued back and forth reported between Premier Palaszczuk and Prime Minister Morrison about the potential Wellcamp Airport quarantine facility. No real movement there.
On the ABC their program The Vaccine covered the latest on the vaccine roll-out in Australia and the latest news coming out of India.
Health Minister Greg Hunt’s words at a press conference were covered as unhelpful as the main vaccine on offer in Australia remained the AstraZeneca vaccine which had links to very rare cases of blood clotting.
You could argue it was simply acknowledge the fact that some people were going to hold out for Pfizer regardless of their age but there was a need to encourage people to get vaccinated as soon as they could.
Also has history had shown, we couldn’t assume that vaccine doses would arrive as we hoped they would at the end of the year in the quantities expected. There was a winter to contend with in between too.
Casey Briggs reported there had been 3.47 million vaccine doses dispensed in the country with over 100,000 doses dispensed.
The seven day average was just under 70,000 a day.
it was also reported cases were back on the rise in Brazil and surging in many South East Asian nations like Thailand and Malaysia.
Physician and journalist Dr Norman Swan on the program spoke about vaccine hesitancy and the roll-out in Australia in general.
He advised waiting for Pfizer a choice someone could make but that given the leaks from hotel quarantine already and the rising number of infectious cases now was not the time to wait to get vaccinated.
The latest 617 Indian variant 617 was almost 40 more infectious than the British variant.
The R number is the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to on average.
The original Wuhan variant that swept the world had an R number of of 2.4
The UK strain that originated in Kent had an R number of 4.5.
It was estimated the Indian variant’s R number was at least 6 maybe even as high as 8 and could prove a little vaccine resistant.
He also reminded that risk of death from COVID goes up and the risk of blood clotting from AstraZeneca goes down.
He also spoke of how initial clinical trials presented the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine with an efficacy rate of 62 per cent.
SInce those trials, AstraZeneca was been dispensed twelve weeks apart with better results and both AstraZeneca and Pfizer seemed to give almost 100 per cent chance of avoiding hospitalisation from COVID. The current efficacy rate in the real world from infection was about 85 per cent with AstraZeneca and 95 per cent with Pfizer. A significantly smaller gap.
Infectious disesases expert Associate Professor Sanajaya Senanayake from Australian National University also joined the program.
Which I understood what I meant but at the same time the number of vaccines being dispensed was being reported and also the reality of the statistical likelihood was also being covered but of course fear doesn’t make you act sensibly.
There was so much talk about the need for more marketing, the fear of blood clots and while I understand all of that is relevant.
I have to say the most important thing was getting our most vulnerable and our most keen vaccinated. That came down to logistics and that came down to organising.
My older sister in disability care had still not been vaccinated.
Our aged care residents and staff had still not all been vaccinated.
Plenty of young people were keen do the smart thing and get vaccinated.
Worry about them.
They don’t need an ad to convince them and they know what’s at stake.
Sunday and on the 23rd of May, 2021 the World Health Organisation reported there had been 166054891 confirmed cases globally with a daily increase of 590064.
There had been 3564623 deaths worldwide with a daily increase of 11865.
In the Solomons Islands there had been 23 cases recorded and zero deaths. As of the 13th of May it was reported 11,536 vaccine doses had been administered.
In Papua New Guinea there had been 15,187 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 54.
There had been 156 deaths with a daily increase of two.
More had to be done.
There had been 13 new daily deaths recorded on the 20th of May, a record for the country.
More had to be done.
As of the 13th of May there had been 11,537 vaccine doses dispensed in the country.
In Australia there had been 30,004 confirmed cases with a daily increase four. There had been 910 deaths.
As of the 27th of April, there had been 3,089,183 vaccine doses dispensed in the country.
In Nepal there had been 505,643 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 8,591. There had been 6,153 deaths with a daily increase of 129.
By the 29th of May there would have been 2,802,596 vaccine doses administered in the country with a population of 28.61 million people.
In Malaysia there had been 505,115 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 6,320. There had been 2,199 deaths with a daily increase of 50.
As of the 16th of May, there had been 1,914,554 vaccine doses administered in the country with a 31.95 million people.
In Canada there had been 1,352,121 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 4,676. There had been 25162 deaths with a daily increase of 51.
The country had reached the milestone of 25,000 dead from COVID on the 20th of May with 25,018 and a daily increase of 35.
The country was coming off its most recent and largest wave of COVID with the percentage of its population much higher than it had been only a few weeks earlier.
By the 27th of May there would be 22,622,529 vaccine doses dispensed in Canada which had a population of 37.59 million people.
In the United Kingdom there had been 4,460,450 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 2,523. There had been 127,716 deaths with a daily increase of six.
By the 31st of May the UK had dispensed 64,923,228 vaccine doses amongst a population of 66.65 million people.
In France there had been 5,497,073 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 11,821. There had been 107,732 deaths with a daily increase of 75.
By the 29th of May there would have been 36,487,886 vaccine doses dispensed in a country with 67.06 million people.
In India there had been 26,530,132 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 240,842. There had been 209,266 deaths with a daily increase of 3,741.
The next day India would reach the milestone of over 300,000 COVID deaths with 303,720 and a daily increase of 4,454.
While the country was coming down from its most devastating wave with reported case numbers there had been 4,529 deaths reported four days earlier on the 19th of May. The highest number of daily deaths from COVID in the country ever.
By the end of the month on the 31st of May, there would have been 218,358,591 vaccine doses dispensed in India.
In Brazil there had been 15,970,949 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 76,855. There had been 446,309 deaths with a daily increase of 2,215.
In Brazil the highest number of daily deaths had been 4,249 reported on the 10th of April, 2021.
By the 27th of May there would have been 60,017,445 vaccine doses dispensed in a country with 211 million people.
In the United States of America there had been 32,762,914 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 27,921. There had been 583,696 deaths with a daily increase of 743.
By the 27th of May there would been 294,270,594 vaccine doses dispensed in a country with 328.2 million people.
There was news that Pfizer jabs could be more easily dispersed here in Australia. Currently Pfizer can be stored for up to five days in a regular fridge but now following research The Therapeutic Goods Administration were looking to approve normal fridge storage times be extende up to 31 days.
3,278,854 vaccines doses had been administered in Australia but 1.5 million doses were currently in storage so dispersal could be helped.
There was also talk in the media for the need for a bigger flashier advertising campaign for vaccination. Either the song and dance numbers from Asia or the charm of New Zealand’s relaxed demeanour or the starpower fo Sir Michael Caine and Sir Elton John in the UK or Dolly Parton in the U.S.
Advertising Guru Simon Reynolds who created the chilling Grim Reaper HIV advertisements from the 1980s wasn’t pulling any punches thirty years on. His advice, cut through apathy with fear because there is little doubt there virus is something to be afraid of.
With over 3 million dead and 164 million infected I am inclined to agree.
When asked if his advice was to use fear again he replied, “Well use reality.”
Pfizer drugs could be stored in a regular fridge from the now with fridge storage times going from 5 to 31 days which could prove a major development.
With the end of Jobkeeper in Australia, the unemployment rate had gone from 5.7 per cent in March to 5.5 per cent in April.
Thirty thousand and six hundred jobs had been lost in the month but the people looking for work also decreased from 66.3% to 66.0%.
Basically there were less people working and less people looking for work too.
Unemployment was effectively where it was pre-COVID in Australia which was kind of miraculous but that wasn’t too say there were people who had lost work or lost their business.
Eunice Wang had gone from a part time job in the tourism industry to casaul work in retail. Less hours, less security and less money but she was all smiles.
Heroes come in all forms.
Her resilience just one more example of what we need to support and what we need to find within ourselves.
Others like Jimmy and James Gantidis of the struggling to survive Melbourne River Cruises.
The Wall Street Journal had also covered the COVID crisis in India with an informative concise video.
On the 20th fo May, it advised people aged 34 and over could book to get their first vaccine dose. In Scotland it was anyone over 30 and in some parts of Glasgow it was anyone over 18. The Welsh were the same as Glaswegians and in Northern Ireland people 25 and up could get vaccinated. There was priority for some to get second doses too in England where the Indian variant was taking off.
With the priority on those age groups that meant those who wanted to get vaccinated in older age brackets should have mostly already done so. Also the bulk of frontline health and social care workers, clinically extremely vulnerable people and those with underlying health problems aged over 16 had also been prioritised.
Those who had their first done should have received their second dose within twelve weeks of the first. There was a shift too for those over 50 with health conditions to get their second dose now within eight weeks of the first jab.
The three vaccines of choice in the UK remained the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine, the Oxford-AstraZenea and Moderna.
At the end of March 20 million doses of AstraZeneca had been administered with 79 cases of blood clots resulting in 19 deaths. A one in million chance fo dying. Out of those nearly two of the cases had been women, the people who died were 18 to 79 years old with three of them under 30.
That decision was taken as the numbers racked up to 242 clotting cases and 49 deaths from 28.5 million doses administered.
The UK’s medicines safety regulator says there have been 242 clotting cases and 49 deaths, with 28.5 million doses of the vaccine administered.
With thoses stats the risk of death from a blood clot was two in a million chance for people over 40 and four in a million chance for those over 30.
The risk of a clot is roughly one in 100,000 for people in their 40s, but rises to one in 60,000 for people in their 30s. Two in a million people in their 40s died rising to four per million people in their 30s.
Official guidance currently was to have people get the same vaccine for both doses. It was believed teh three vaccines currently being used in the UK would prevent people becoming seriously ill or dying even against variants.
It appeared the Indian variant spread more easily.
Companies were working to have booster jabs ready to counter variants by autumn in the northern hemisphere.
The Cov-Boost study will recruit 3,000 people of all ages to test whether re-vaccinating some people in the autumn is necessary.
The UK had on order eight different vaccines and 517 million doses.
Following on from 40 million Pfizer doses initially there were now at least 60 million Pfizer booster jabs to come in the northern autumn.
In the UK the vaccine was being offered to pregnant women.
For the moment Pfizer was approved for use in over 16 year olds and AstraZeneca and Pfizer over 18s with of course that major caveat regarding AstraZeneca.
In Canada and the U.S. Pfizer was approved for use with teenagers.
No decision has been made on whether teenagers or younger children will be offered a vaccine in the UK.
Regardless further facilities like the one at Howard Springs would be useful for building capacity for taking on returned travellers and avoiding breakouts in capital cities.
Sydney Morning Herald and The Age ran a poll and reported that one in three Australians who had not been vaccinated were hesitant to get vaccinated.
The Prime Minister spun it into a postive about 70 per cent who wanted to get the jab.
There was an opening and her husband walked up the road and got vaccinated as well.
WIth cases already occuring at their school again this was welcome news even if it would take time for the full protection offered by their Pfizer shot to take full effect.
The good news didn’t stop there, family over in Canada had also got vaccinated with Moderna.
News of people I cared about abroad getting vaccinated was a welcome relief and couldn’t have come soon enough.
In England another step was made in the lowering of restrictions.
Britons could now go abroad to Portugal and a few other limited countries.
Hospitality and tourism were back in business.
Cinemas, restaurants, museusm and casinos as well as The London Eye were all open for business giving close to 1 million people a change to go back to work.
Theatre was back – The West End was open for the first time in 14 months.
Cases of the Indian variant in the country had double in the past 4 days reported Channel 9 News.
It was interesting to watch here in Australia. Britain had suffered more in case numbers and deaths than here in Australia and as a result had endured a more lengthy and stringent lockdown.
But international travel was still limited in Australia and while our theatres had opened up again without restrictions the number of cases were significantly less at the point those decisions were made then was the case currently in Great Britain.
It seemed and I would appreciate any commentary from my fellow British bloggers, that Britons had endured something and were enthuasiastic about their new freedom.
If there was a risk to enjoying it they felt they had endured enough to consider taking that risk. Maybe also an awareness that restictions could be lowered again.
Happy to hear your thoughts.
In the news was discussion about Queensland not having a mass vaccination hub with the Queensland Premier arguing the population was more decentralised. In the past 24 hours New South Wales and Victoria had each dispensed over 11,000 vaccine doses. Queensland and Western Australia had both been under three thousand each.
There was talk of a vaccine passport again, this time to allow more free travel between states during lockdowns for those who had been vaccinated.
An 18 year old nursing student had been hospitalised with blood clots three weeks after receiving an AstraZeneca jab. It took five hospital visits to get properly diagnosed and it properly left her shaken.
Also in the news 47 year old Sydney father Govind Kant had passed away. A son who went back to his bury his mother in India, he was then unable to get a flight back before getting COVID. He recovered from the virus but his lungs were too damaged and he passed away. In the space of six weeks his family had lost a mother, a father and their brother.
I have talked previously about the fact that many people with disabilities were being left behind in the vaccine roll-out.
Now finally there was some media coverage thanks to one angry Mum named Margaret Ruff who had had enough.
Her son 45 year old Raymond who lives in a residential group home was still waiting for the jab.
This example struck close to home with regards to my older sister.
And now we had the stats.
Out of 26,000 people with disabilities living in care residences across Australia.
Only 999 had received a jab.
The country had moved to 2A of the vaccine rollout to get everybody over 50 vaccinated but at least 25,000 vulnerable people who fell under catergory 1A which started roll-out in February were still waiting for their jabs.
With the India travel ban there had been renewed talk about how to improve our quarantine system in Australia.
In the news that week there was talk of using Bladin Point for overseas workers for Australian farms to be be quarantined. The facility currently did that for a U.S. Marine Rotational Force that trains in the Northern Territory during the dry season.
The Victorian government had also spent $15 million dollar to prepare for the construction of a 500 bed quarantine facility at Mickleham north of Melbourne. It would take $200 million to build but that was small change compared to the cost to the economy when a capital city or state goes into lockdown.
A proposal from Queensland to build at Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba to quarantine 1,000 travellers and be manned from 300 staff was rejected.
I wondered what were the factors that went into these decisions.
Previously remote locations had been ruled out because of lack of access to major health care facilities.
On the other hand the push was to mitigate all the pressure on hotel quarantines in major capital cities.
Some outbreaks had occurred following leaks from hotel quarantine staff being out in the community unknowingly infecitous.
But other outbreaks had occured when returned travellers had spent time in quarantine, tested negative and subsequently gone out in the community and been infectious.
Yet again other outbreaks had occured from hospital staff becoming infected.
In terms of distance Ipswich was 40 kilometres from Brisbane but also been part of a greater Brisbane lockdowns this year.
A recent lockdown in South East Queensland had seen cases spread as far as Byron Bay 165 kilometrest to the south and Gladstone 515 kilometres to the north.
So distance couldnt’ be the only factor here, available facilities, support and necessary staff and travel all had to be weighed up.
Furthermore it appeared these facilities were to augment not replace hotel quarantine.
Researchers at Griffith University in Queensland were working on an anti-viral drug which would seek out and destroy COVID-19 cells in an infected person’s lungs while leaving other cells unharmed.
The hope was the drug could be on the market in two years.
I really enjoyed going to the Anywhere Festival in 2021 and seeing a terrific show.
It had been a while since we had gone to see a show in the Valley. I once again realised how lucky i was to live in Australia while developments happened elsewhere.
Weekend Notes are a growing online magazine with a wealth of contributors based out of several cities across the United Kingdom, Australia and New York. Articles are leisure related and can include a wide variety of subjects from rainforest hikes to cultural festivals, from what hot new play is on at your underground theatre to a ultra trendy eatery. Writers are paid for their work based partly on how many views their articles get so please feel free to stop by and show some love.
-Lloyd Marken
The Valley. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The Valley. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Leaving Element Collective after the show. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The first repatriation flight for Australians from India since the short lived travel ban took off from New Delhi with only half of the 150 the passengers scheduled to be on board.
Forty-six people had COVID and twenty four were close contacts.
Forty six having tested positive for the more contagious Indian variant and people close to them left behind for what would have been their deliverance.
While the government tried to fill the flight with more passengers, it struggled to do so because of the window for pre-flight testing restrictions.
People like Jitin Wig whose wife and toddler tested positive.
He did want the government to help those left behind with medical support and consider taking particularly vulnerable people if they had COVID.
Would you want to board an international flight with someone with COVID on board?
What was the likelihood somebody on that flight would ultimately test positive?
Could other arrangements be made to get those vulnerable people home than just putting them on a flight with others?
Surely.
Sunny Joura interviewed on ABC News was due to travel on the same flight with his elderley mother but he tested positive.
In a moment that would have been unsettling he did well to stay calm during an interview with ABC News. He had previously tested negative to fly back on the 28th of April when the ban was put in place.
He did suggest that decision could now potentlally prove to have turned out to be a death sentence for him.
He also said that only five repatration flights had been sent over from June to December 2020 to India which had been a missed opportunity to get people home before this subsequent wave. Only 750 out of 10,000 Australians in the country had been able to get on repatriation flights during that six month period. He had been trying to get home for 11 months and had had two flights previously cancelled but this was the first time he had tested positve.
The goverment had tried to fill the suddenly spare seats but pre-flight testing didn’t give much of a window of time.
Prior to boarding people take a PCR test two days before the flight and then a rapid antigen test. Both have to return negative results.
May 15
The next day Qantas Flight 112 touched down in RAAF Darwin with the passengers headed for quarantine in Howard Springs.
I’m sure they didn’t feel that whatever they had gone through was over but hopefully the worst of it was.
How many would test positive while in quarantine?
How many had left for India to care for a loved one or bury them?
How many counted themselves lucky just to be home?
I wonder.
For what its worth in this small corner of the internet.
Welcome home, it’s good to have you back and hope to have everyone home soon.
On the 16th of May, 2021 the World Health Organisation reported there had been 161,854,452 confirmed cases globally with a daily increase of 675,747.
There had been 3,367,187 deaths worldwide with a daily increase of 12,305.
In Papua New Guinea there had been 13,928 confirmed cases. There had been 136 deaths.
There had been 504 new daily cases on May 11. Thirteen deaths would be reported on the 20th of May, the most in one day in the small nation. The spread of the virus was still going on in PNG.
As of the 13th of May there had been 11,537 vaccine doses dispensed in the country.
In Australia there had been 29,967 confirmed cases with a daily increase of ten. There had been 910 deaths.
As of the 27th of April there had been 3,089,183 vaccine doses dispensed in the country.
In Canada there had been 1,318,399 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 5,991. There had been 24,869 deaths with a daily increase 44.
As of the 20th of May there had been 20,124,578 vaccine doses dispensed in the country. The population of Canada was 37.59 million people.
In South Africa there had been 1,611,143 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 2,750. There had been 55,183 deaths with a daily increase of 59.
As of the 25th of May, 2021 there had been only 182,983! vaccine doses dispensed in the country. The population of South Africa was 58.56 million people.
In the United Kingdom there had been 4,447,984 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 1,156. There had been 127,675 deaths with a daily increase of seven.
Those daily numbers were similar to the early part of March 2020 when the first wave was building and late August before numbers continued to rise to devastating effect over winter. Not quite the lull of June and July 2020 but close.
As of the 24th of May there had been 60,965,594 vaccine doses dispensed in the country. The population of Great Britain was 66.65 million people. Given they were now vaccinating people 38 years old and over there must be a few who had gotten second doses or even more?
In India there had been 24,684,077 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 311,170. There had been 270,284 deaths with 4,077.
A record of new daily deaths had been set on the 12th of May with 4,205 deaths recorded that day.
As of the 24th of May there had been 200,494,991 vaccine doses dispensed in the country.
In the United States of America there had been 32,574,504 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 40,431. In March, April, May and June 2020 the daily averages had never been that high. Many had been less than 20,000 back then.
There had been 579,664 deaths with a daily increase of 680.
As of the 13th of May there had been 283,181,265 vaccine doses dispensed in the country. The population of the U.S. was 328.2 million people.
Thursday Australia announced a deal to procure 25 million doses of the American Moderna vaccine with 10 million jabs hopefully by the end of year and then 25 million booster jabs next year to deal with variants.
Adelaide plant BioCina who had bought a plant in Adelaide off Pfizer threw its hat into the ring as being able to produce MRNA vaccines like Moderna at its facility within 12 months.
The Univesity of South Australia was also developing a vaccine in partnership with Biotech Company Semetis had also received three million dollars from the Australian government. It was possible still a year from getting to the market.
In New South Wales 7,500 people got vaccinated in one day.
WIth 7 new cases of blood clots in Australia there were now 18 cases of blood clots from 1,800,000 vaccinations in Australia. That was 1 in a 100,000 chance of having it happening to you someone vaccinated. Remember 1 in 600 Americans had died from COVID last year.
An independent panel for the handling of the pandemic released its findings.
It didn’t get much news coverage despite holding many lessons for I learn from not just for future pandemics for the current ongoing one.
Some critical points were the sharing of information between nations, empowering the World Health Organisation and effectively in terms of the outbreak in the West a lack of action throughout the month of February, 2020.
ABC News reported some suggestions were a disease surveillance system that could publish information about developments in a country they were working in without the need to get permission to do so and rich countries doing more to vaccinate poorer nations.
Let’s hope some lessons are learned from the panel’s findings.
On the 12th of May, 2021 the World Health Organisation recorded in India there had been 4,205 deaths in one day.
A new record.
May 14
A new step in the vaccine roll-out a week on from the 2A cohort was due to start next Monday with 400,000 Pfizer doses to be dispensed to 14 different sites across Victoria for a small group of those under age 50.
You had to make a booking and priority would be given to critical and high risk workers, adults with underlying health conditions, disabiltiy and aged care carers and workers.
Uber Drivers and public transport workers could make a booking from May 24th the following Monday.
Victorian Acting Premier James Merlino advised the state was averaging 8,000 vaccinations a day. A testing clinic at the Melbourne Showgrounds would also open a mass vaccination hub on Monday as well.
Channel Nine News reported three hundred thousand vaccine doses had been given out so far in the state.
In Great Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the staged steps to lower restrictions could be disrupted by the Indian strain which was spreading through Great Britain.
In one week Public Health England reproted cases of the variant had tripled in the country with 1,255 in England, 35 in Scotland, 12 in Northern Ireland and eleven in Wales.
On May 14th, 2021 the World Health Organisation reported in the United Kingdom there were 2,656 new daily cases.
On Monday England was due to open up pubs and restaurants and six people from two households could gather at one of their places.
After that was the fourth and final step due June 21 where there will be no limits on social gatherings indoors or outdoors, no limits on weddings and nightclubs will re-open.
Having down throught the ages with one jab currently anyone over 38 could get vaccinated. Now there was a run on to cut the 12 week gap between the first and second jab to just eight weeks for those over 50 or with underlying health conditions.
The UK’s Chief Medical Adviser Professor Chris Whitty warned that if the Indian variant was more transmissible the island nation would see a significant surge.
Remember how the UK strain was up to 70 per cent than the orginal COVID that across the West, well the Indian strain could be 50 per cent more transmissible than the UK strain according to the Scientific Adivsory Gorup for Emergencies (Sage).
The British Army were deployed to the towns Blackburn and Bolton to help with handing out test kits.
Mobile testing units had been set up Bolton and opening hours and delivery of doses had been increased at that town’s vaccination centres.
A rapid response team of 100 nurses, public health advisers and environmental health officers had also been sent.
In the United States of America the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) eased indoor mask wearing guidance for vaccinated people allowing them to not wear masks in most indoor places.
The CDC guidelines showed quite clearly by vaccinating you were less at risk and could engage in more activities.
As vaccinations slowed down there was a push to encourage more of the populace to drive those vaccinated numbers just a little higher.
Governors were doing their part like in Ohio where vaccinated adults could go in the draw to win one million U.S. dollars. I’ll do it for free but God Bless America.
But New York Mayor Bill De Blasio was a man more after my own heart tucking into fast food that New Yorkers could get from Shake Shack if they got vaccinated. Free fries and a burger?! Hmmmmmm.
God Bless America!
And God bless Bill de Blasio, don’t listen to the haters Mr Mayor, you looked good tucking into that burger. I would’ve made a meal of it.
Saturday and I watched the ABC program Planet America which covered that vaccination numbers were going down in America where the most vaccines were available and a country that still had the highest recorded death toll from COVID.
The United States now set a target to have 70 per cent of the population aged 16 and over vaccinated by July 4th Independence Day. Currently about 56 per cent are at least partially vaccinated.
The state with the most fully vaccinated population was Maine with 41.5 per cent.
Texas was at 28 per cent and the state with the least was Alabama with 24.1 per cent.
The Food and Drugs Administration was looking to approve vaccinations for Americans 12 to 15 year olds starting next week.
The Brazil variant had now become the second most prevalent strain in the U.S.
America was also supporting the waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID vaccines.
May 09
In the United Kingdom I got a bit excited that over 40s in the UK were now getting the jab.
I hoped that meant it wouldn’t be much longer for my younger sister and her husband to get the vaccine.
On the 9th of May of May, 2021 the World Health Organisation reported there had been 157,375,575 confirmed cases globally with a daily increase of 814,195.
There had been 3,278,607 deaths worldwide with a daily increase of 13,408.
The WHO reported as of the 20th of May, 1,448,242,899 vaccine doses had been administered worldwide. The population of the world was at least 7.674 billion people.
In Papua New Guinea there had been 12,226 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 140. Two days later there would be 504 new daily cases.
There had been 121 deaths. The next day there would be nine deaths reported. The outbreak continued in PNG.
The WHO reported as of 13th of May there had been 11,537 vaccine doses adminstered in the country. The population of Papua New Guinea was 8.776 million people.
In Australia there had been 29,906 confirmed cases with a daily increase of nine. There had been 910 deaths.
The WHO reported as of the 27th of April 3,089,183 vaccine doses had been administered in the country. The population of Australia 25.36 million people.
In Canada there had been 1,273,169 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 7,849. There had been 24,529 deaths with a daily increase of 40.
The WHO reported as of the 13th of May there 17,563,063 vaccine doses administered in the country. The population of Canada 37.59 million people.
In the United Kingdom there had been 4,433,094 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 2,047. There had been 127,603 deaths with a daily increase of five.
The WHO reported as of the 18th of May there had been 56,992,075 vaccine doses adminitered in the country. The population of Great Britain was 66.65 million people.
In Brazil there had been 15,082,449 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 78,886. There had been 419,144 deaths with a daily increase of 2,165.
The WHO reported as of the 13th of May there had been 50,011,889 vaccine doses administered in the country. The population of Brazil was 211 million people.
Turn away if you do not want to be displayed by the plight of the Indian people and what they have endured.
Below is a photo of the bodies in the Ganges River.‘
In India there had been 22,296,414 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 403,738. There had been 242,362 deaths with a daily increase of 4,092.
The day before had been the highest daily death count at 4,187.
The country would reach more than quarter of a million dead on the 12th of May with 254,197 deaths.
Only America and India had reached that milestone and the number of cases and deaths was believed to be much higher.
The WHO reported as of the 17th of May there had been 185,766,518 vaccine doses administered in the country. The population of India was 1.366 billion people.
In United States of America there had been 32,338,866 confirmed cases with a daily increase of 45,192. There had been 575,521 deaths with a daily increase of 790.
The WHO reported as of 13th of May there had been 264,357,485 vaccine doses administered in the country. The population of the U.S. was 328.2 million people.
Back to the Drawing Board Productions 