State of Play COVID-19: NSW Northern Rivers Region by 3 April 2020

A visual reckoning......

Physical area the first two graphs cover.....

Cartoons of the Week

David Rowe

John Shakespeare

Peter Broelman

Tweet of the Week

Many Australians have made brutally clear their disdain in their own Prime Minister. Now they've done something about it.https://t.co/ZHcHsDk2UR

— nzherald (@nzherald) March 30, 2020

Can't really understand why you should stay home now that COVID-19 is in the Northern Rivers region? Look at this graph

This graph shows all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Northern NSW Local Health District from 16 March to 2 April 2020.

As of 1 April 2020 these cases were distributed across 5 of the 7 local government areas in the Northern Rivers region:
Kyogle 0 cases
Richmond Valley 0 cases
Ballina 4 cases 
Lismore 5 cases
Clarence Valley 8 cases
Tweed 12 cases
Byron Bay 13 cases.

One Northern NSW perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic as it is unfolding in Australia

The Echo is one of only a very few independent online & print newspapers left in north-eastern New South Wales which has a genuine 'opinion' writer.

Here is Mungo MacCallam writing five days ago.......

Echo Net Daily, 30 March 2020:

Thus Spake Mungo: Isolation days

Last week I could have my hair styled, but I couldn’t get a kidney transplant. I could take my kids to school, but not to church. I could invite nine mates to a funeral, but only four to a wedding. I could attend a bootcamp, but I could not meet my friends in a park. I was told to vote in local elections if I lived in Queensland, but not in New South Wales.

Well, actually, I couldn’t do any of the above even if I wanted to – I am in isolation. But I am not considered ill and I will not be tested. Indeed, I can order cocktails delivered to my door.

And I am expected to work. All workers are essential – until they are not, until Scott Morrison bans or restricts some occupations and the previously essential workers are sent off to join the queues at Centrelink, where they will maintain social distance – or not.

It was beyond confusion, beyond parody. And when journalists tried to make sense of the chaos, a snarly Morrison slapped them down; any attempt at interrogation of government edicts was not helpful, verging on unpatriotic, even unAustralian. Shut up and do what you’re told.

In his so-called National Cabinet, Morrison bullied the state premiers to yet again postpone the inevitable

Clearly this situation could not go on, but it did. In his so-called National Cabinet, Morrison bullied the state premiers to yet again postpone the inevitable.

Well before the end of the week it was clear that the federal government was reluctantly moving to impose a near total lockdown of the kind already in place in many other countries. The premiers may have disagreed about the urgency, but all accepted it was going to happen. So did business: any resistance was minimal, the real debate was about who would be compensated, and by how much.

The National Cabinet was supposed to produce national policy, but Morrison is now extolling the idea that state differences are actually a good thing

And the premiers of the biggest states, Liberal Gladys Berejiklian, in New South Wales, and Daniel Andrews, in Victoria, have made it clear that they are preparing to move soon, even if Morrison will not. The National Cabinet was supposed to produce national policy, but Morrison is now extolling the idea that state differences are actually a good thing. Talk about making a virtue out of necessity.

The schools were spending more effort on home learning than supervising their dwindling numbers in the classrooms; few believed that schools would reopen after the impending holidays. The overall mood was that something close to total lockdown was only a matter of time, so we might as well get on with it.

But Morrison was determined to string out the phoney war for as long as possible, perhaps because he was all too aware that the cost of a lockdown will be horrendous, in economic, social and crucially, political terms.

Unemployment will soar, certainly to over ten per cent, with some estimates reaching 15 per cent – which means two million Australians out of work. This is not just a recession – it is getting into serious depression territory, and it will not be over in six months, as Morrison previously optimistically predicted.

The cost to Treasury will be enormous in lost tax revenue, and increased welfare payments, even without the third and subsequent stimulus packages that will be required

The cost to Treasury will be enormous in lost tax revenue, and increased welfare payments, even without the third and subsequent stimulus packages that will be required. There will be no talk of surpluses in the foreseeable future. But there is no real choice – in spite of Morrison’s insistence that we must act to protect both health and the economy – lockdown is the only serious idea on the table if we are to save hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives.

And the economic and emotional pain will be immense and long-lasting. Very little of this will be Morrison’s fault; the worst he can validly be accused of is procrastination and dithering, and given that those have characterised his entire time as prime minister, the electorate can hardly claim to be shocked.

But his will be the hand that signs the paper that authorises the lockdown, and the misery to follow. He is the officer on watch, and a lot of voters will not forgive him; they will remember the leader’s burden – that the buck stops here. Morrison will be remembered as the prime minster who dumped them in the mire, just as the equally innocent Jimmy Scullin was remembered in the Great Depression.

ScoMo’s legacy will be far darker than that of Kevin Rudd, who blew the budget to manage the Global Financial Crisis, or Paul Keating, who oversaw the recession we had to have. In time, Morrison may be condoned – he may even win another election, like Keating did in 1993, with the aid of John Hewson’s GST. But he will not be forgotten, and it will not be the epitaph he craves.

So, is he preparing to spread the blame? For no apparent reason he has convened what he calls the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission, to solve problems

So, is he preparing to spread the blame? For no apparent reason he has convened what he calls the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission, to solve problems. It was picked by him alone, mainly consisting of business cronies, with a couple of supportive bureaucrats, none of whom have any known expertise in managing a pandemic. Ironically, the only one who might have relevant experience is the token lefty, Greg Combet, who was a minister during Rudd’s bailout in the GFC. But he will be hopelessly outnumbered by the corporate free-enterprise number crunchers.

And the greatest irony of all is that the people elected to do the job – the members of the federal parliament – have been sidelined for the duration. Barbers are considered essential, but the MPs are considered redundant in a way that they have never been, not during wars, depressions or previous pandemics.

Naturally there is resistance, and not just from the Labor Party and its allies. And no reasonable justification for the extraordinary move has been advanced – other parliaments continue to sit around the nation, and indeed around the world.

There should be outrage – a demand that our representatives are brought back to do their job!

But there should be outrage – a demand that our representatives are brought back to do their job! Unfortunately, a shell-shocked, confused and frightened populace seems to be copping it as part of the ongoing madness, as they are assured by the partisan commentariat that Morrison knows what he is doing – and that unity is vital, we must all stick together, and we should be ready to accept sacrifices in the name of – well, what?

Morrison tells us that our health, our immediate physical survival, is not the overwhelming priority; preserving the economy is at least equally important. So just like some businesses, democracy must be placed in hibernation for the duration. And preserving his political dominance might also have something to do with it. Whatever it takes.

Clarence Valley asks day trippers and holiday makers to kindly stay away during 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 infection has already arrived in the Clarence Valley and now the first case of local transmission has been reported.

Despite this, holiday destinations - particularly on the Clarence Coast - are still seeing day trippers and holiday makers arriving in the valley.

The Daily Examiner, 31 March 2020:

....Last week Clarence Valley Council closed one caravan park and slapped restrictions on four others in an attempt to stop “unnecessary travel” in the area and general manager Ashley Lindsay has told people to stay away.

“We really wish this was the time for holiday-makers in our communities, but unfortunately it is not,” Mr Lindsay said. “We really want you to stay home this year.” 

Council is also asking local real estate agents and Airbnb operators managing holiday rentals to “do the right thing” by discouraging unnecessary domestic travel into the Clarence. 

It is an issue keenly felt in the coastal towns of the Lower Clarence as residents report a steady number of tourists still heading to beaches and towns on the weekends. 

Angourie resident Eden Hage was so concerned he was planning on putting up signs warning people of the dangers of travelling during the current crisis. But someone beat him to it, erecting a sign at Angourie Point – telling people to stay away. 

“People aren’t happy,” he said. Just about everyone I spoke to was flabbergasted at the amount of tourists still coming. 

“It is pretty concerning, especially for the elderly around here and the people that have health issues already. “It is just ignorant and arrogant that people are not taking this seriously.” 

Mr Hage was pleased council had closed or restricted the caravan parks, but he wanted other accommodation businesses to follow their lead to stop the flow of tourists ignoring government advice. 

At the time of print there were more than 150 accommodation listings across the Clarence on Airbnb alone and Mr Hage said it had to stop, either voluntarily or via stricter government measures. 

“It seems ridiculous some people’s incomes are stopping but there are still advertisements for holiday letting,” Mr Hage said. 

“It is just a total disregard and is putting a lot of vulnerable people at risk. 
“The message from the Prime Minister is not getting through. “We need leadership on this because there is a risk of people losing their lives.” The issue has been brought to light across the county in recent weeks as a number of coastal and rural areas receive a number of non-residents opting to wait out the pandemic in more remote locations. 

Airbnb has offered full refunds to those who booked accommodation before March 14 with a check-in date between March 14 to April 14. 

Hosts can also cancel without charge or impact to their superhost status.....

Clarence Valley COVID-19 cases gradually growing

Northern NSW Local Area Health District, COVID-19 UPDATE: 31 March 2020:

As at 8pm Monday 30 March there was 1 new confirmed case of COVID-19 in residents of the Northern NSW Local Health District.

This brings the District’s total to 38. 

By likely source of infection:

Source
Overseas acquired	30
Contact of a confirmed case or a known cluster	3
Contact not identified	2
Under investigation	3
Total	38

Northern NSW Local Area Health District, COVID-19 UPDATE: 30 March 2020:

As at 8pm Sunday 29 March there were 4 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in residents of the Northern NSW Local Health District.

This brings the District’s total to 37.

By likely source of infection:

Source

Overseas acquired	30
Contact of a confirmed case or a known cluster	3
Contact not identified	2
Under investigation	2
Total	37

Of the NNSWLHD cases, currently 4 COVID-19 patients are being cared for in hospitals, 1 of these is in ICU elsewhere in NSW. 4 people are considered to have recovered.

The Public Health Unit is following up close contacts of cases who are located within NNSWLHD, who are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days from last contact with the confirmed case.

They will be contacted daily to check that they are well and anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms will be tested for the virus.

If you are considered a close contact of a confirmed case, a Health officer will contact you directly.

The Daily Examiner, 30 March 2020, p. 1:

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections in the Clarence Valley has jumped in the past few days, with NSW Health updating its official figures.

The Clarence was listed as having seven positive Covid-19 tests as of 8pm Saturday, a jump from the 1-4 infections that had been reported since NSW Health began breaking down figures into local government areas last week.

It came as the numbers across the Northern NSW health district showed a big ­increase, with the total of ­confirmed cases rising to 33 at 8pm Saturday, up from 25 a day earlier.

In our neighbouring councils, it is reported that both the Ballina and Lismore council areas each have 1-4 cases, Byron have five, Coffs Harbour 7, Tweeds Head 12, while Richmond Valley and Kyogle have no confirmed cases.

The Public Health Unit is following up close contacts of cases who are located within NNSWLHD, who are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days from last contact with the confirmed case.....