Perth Border Opening 5 February

No need for me to re-quote the 1000s of criticisms he is getting.

"658 days and he is still not ready", "McGowans Abject Failure of Leadership".

The twitter feed is hilarious - the comments in there are gold.

https://twitter.com/AnthDeCeglie/status/1484149426784698372?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1484149426784698372|twgr^|twcon^s1_&ref_url=https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/wa-border-reopening-premier-mark-mcgowan-set-to-delay-february-5-date/news-story/90fae4f53024b78b197e7ced53e1d7ff

If he wants to reopen when 80% of ppl have 3rd doses means WA will be isolated until 2023. LOL

What a joker.

 

Yeah I asked for actually good reasons.

 

Agree. A Murdoch sensational headline and a few hundred morons on Twitter fortunately do make essential health decisions.

The noise and criticism seems to come from a very few who don't live there. WA's aren't living in a nanny state, they're enjoying freedoms and opportunities us over east can only dream about atm (envious of friends over there galivanting around). Wish our Dom had listened to the health advisors a little closer ... instead of his own ego and Scotty's

 

“freedom we in the east can only dream about”

What are you actually talking about ?
Everything is open, If I want to get on a plane to go and come back from to anywhere where I want I can.

What you say doesn’t make any sense it’s a nonsensical drama remark

 

Lizzie might be referring to the 'freedoms' Perth people experienced for most of 2021 compared to what Sydney and Melbourne had to live through with lockdowns and restrictiions. The freedom to feel minimal risk of catching Covid, to not have to shutter businesses, to not have elective surgeries cancelled, to have weddings, for major industries to be able to pivot and keep going, to not home school, to have in person university learning. Even to have the option to complain that people can't get staff because of the border closures because that means you have a business that is open and needs staffing.

The ability to hop on a plane and come and go anywhere is such a small part of life's freedoms.

 

that was then, this is now

to say the eastern states are now not “free” doesn’t make any sense. The only place in this country not “free” is WA

 

Yes you are free to do what you wish but people have to choose how much they want to risk their health.

If I was in NSW at the moment I personally would have very little freedom as I live with someone who has a chronic lung condition and can't afford to get covid so we would have to isolate from just about everything. My best option would be to leave NSW and go to another state. Sure it's going to get here this year and eventually we'll isolate from the rest of Perth but in the meantime we are enjoying being able to live a relatively normal life.

 

so you’ll go thru the exact same thing at some point but you prefer to do it later rather than get it over and done with, now being the optimum time , summer and a milder variant

How does that make any sense ?

 

But it won't be the exact same thing - well I hope not. If we delay then:
- we'll have more data from Melbourne and Sydney to see how high the Omicron peaks get, when it plateaus, how fast it declines, effective protocols for health care, what restrictions help (masks, capacity limits) etc
- more of the Perth population will have boosters which may decrease the number of infections or severity and reduce the load on the health care system
- more 5-11yos will be vaccinated.
- Novavax will be available - which might give better options against Omicron.

Who knows how long the delay might be, might only be a month as Omicron is already in Perth. But as I've mentioned even if it's here there is no guarantee that the border will be truly open.

Summer in Perth can actually be as dangerous as winter due to it being so hot people will remain indoors relying on the poor ventilation and airconditioning.

PS I'm not going to reply on this anymore. You have your opinion and I have mine. I choose to live here and you don't.

 

This is what people are not focusing on....Mark McGowan whether you like him or not has not only the support of his party...but also the people of WA. That is all that matters....in a democracy.

As for the people who don't get it....he know very well he needs to open. But he is also very smart as the data from the Eastern states will provide the infection rates among second and third dosed patients. With this he can work out how many beds he needs. He probably is also ensuring there are enough beds. Apparently they are trying to recruit another 1-2 thousand health professionals. Don't be surprised if he suddenly declares he will open in 1 April ........it is matter of when not if.

 

Ditto...he is a very smart pollie.. among the reasons you mentions but also:

1. Anti-viral COVID pill treatment will be available
2. Immunity / triple dose among a lot of Eastern States people coming to WA will make transmission of Omnicron harder
3. If WA gets to 80% triple dose and over 80% of children at least single dosed the numbers will not be as large.
4. Ability to staff and work out how people go do get COVID will be treated. Potentially they may hand out the anti-virals if approved by TGA which I understanding is in the process and supply of 500m doses have been bought by the Fed (who know if they have done this)

More inclined to believe Mark McGowan than Perrottet in NSW or Scomo.

 

Technically we can ... but sensibly would you? Don't think I'll be hopping on a full plane, or sitting in a crowded movie theatre any time soon ... I'm not even going near Bunnings and the thought of a crowded pub on a Friday arvo is rather yeah-nah

 

But ...but......but they are giving Eau de COIVD for free.

 

Needs vs wants.
When the need to go to Bunnings calls. I just go late in the day/evening when it's very quiet. Same with food shopping.

 

...further 24 local COVID-19 cases have been recorded overnight, forcing Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson to concede the Omicron strain cannot be eliminated in WA.

“I think it’s clear that we are not going to eliminate Omicron,” she said. “It’s now about how we suppress and manage Omicron.”

Why, by ruining MTR's holiday plans of course

 

Its not so much the lack of a defined date, rather the lack of action that is taken with that additional time.
If the mentality was one of 'we will stay closed until this just goes away' then as stupid as that is then fair enough. Right not it sounds more like 'we will stay closed because we dont have a clue what we want to do despite having two years alresdy to do it'.

 

Talking to somebody over Zoom is great for about a week...Most people actually want to see their family in person.

Speaking of drama queens, I could apply the same logic to those who want to restrict everyone's freedoms and ruin the economy just so they can feel safe and looked after. Perhaps WA should lock down and keep borders closed forever and save thousands of lives every year from infectious diseases!?

You don’t seem to comprehend that WA has to open its borders one day and every day it delays more people suffer - and it will still have to deal with Covid when it opens.

 

Why do you assume there will be a lack of action? Everything I've heard, including from people that work in the area, is that as far as government action is going, health and covid planning is getting a pretty massive kick in the engine room.

Omicron is less than 2 months old. Getting another month or two to prepare seems like an obvious benefit to me. Why is that so controversial?

This is seems like some sort of bizarro tunnel vision to me. Literally on any sort of assessment it will save lives, but apparently that doesn't factor in at all to you? Conveniently forgets about the likely damage that can be ameliorated to the economy too.