Sydney, Australia's largest city, is reporting a fairly steady rate of new case growth.
Its not accelerating, but its not really declining.
Folks not in Australia (and New Zealand) are incredulous when I post about harsh lockdowns here with new cases numbering maybe below 10, in the teens, or in Sydney's case today 24. But, there is very little patience amongst politicians here for new cases. Lockdown measures are swiftly implemented. This is not a great situation to be in after nearly 18 months of the pandemic but here we are.
The reports of the 24 new local cases in Sydney today is accompanied by news that around half of them were in isolation for around half of their infectious period. The other half or so were out and about. Thus, it looks reasonable to expect a similar number of new cases, or higher, in days ahead. It seems likely to me that Sydney will get an extension of its lockdown (see comments on impatience above).
So far lockdowns have not had too negative an impact on the economy. Spending bounces back quickly upon release. So far at least.
In some brighter news, the Premier of Australia's lockdown capital, Melbourne (4 and (hopefully not) counting) has outlined a path away from further lockdowns, saying that once everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated:
- "We wouldn't be having lockdowns to protect people who weren't prepared to protect themselves"
The bad news is that the opportunity for everyone is unlikely to be much before year-end.
