Be COVIDSafe and bounce back! Covid-19 epi 1-4

The current wave of COVID-19 in Victoria appears to be persisting at least for now. While COVID is wreaking havoc in China, the country where it originated, we seem to have forgotten all about it in the din and hype of state elections in Victoria. The risk is still there and there is need to be COVIDSafe, vigilant and take care of your health which in turn helps, the state and society at large.

The case numbers in Victoria increased by 22 per cent in the week ending November 18, compared with a 62 per cent increase in the week before.

Other states are not doing any better either. NSW Health recorded 27,750 cases in the week ending November 19, an 18 per cent increase on the week before. Case numbers there had increased by 53 per cent in the week ending November 12.

Queensland had recorded a very big increase in number of cases with a 73 per cent jump in cases reported week, compared with a 31 per cent increase in the week before.

The message is that we should all be alert, not drop the guard, follow health advice and get on with our lives.

Bharat Times spoke to our community heroes for their experiences and how they were getting back to new normal. Melbourne’ famous RJ & MC Vani Pandya, 3ZZZ & Channel 31 broadcaster Harbir Singh Kang, Singer, Song=writer and Inspirational Speaker Shriram Iyer and Bollywood Dance Guru and Gender Equality Advocate Marshie P. Rajakumar, given insights into their personal worlds how they coped with restrictions, lockdowns and how, while still following COVIDSafe behaviours they are bouncing back in the new normal in a 4-part (1-3minute) podcast series.

Also read: CSIRO’s new tool to identify new variants of COVID

Our heroes believe we should all do our bit by continuing to adhere to COVIDSafe behaviours to ensure we do not have to, like China today, go back to lockdowns and restrictions.

To listen to what they say, click here.

With the current wave, China has massive problems with COVID.
Eight districts of Zhengzhou with a total of 6.6 million residents are under a five-day lockdown which began yesterday. They can only leave home to buy food or get medical treatment.

In Southern China, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, had on Monday suspended access its Baiyun district of 3.7 million residents. Guangzhou is in Guangdong province home to China’s very busy Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Residents of some areas of Shijiazhuang, a city of 11 million people southwest of Beijing, have also been told to stay home while mass testing is conducted.

Thankfully and with large swathes of our population already vaccinated, things are not as bad in Victoria, Australia.

In Victoria 22,281 new cases were reported this week, averaging 430 daily hospitalisations and 15 daily ICU admissions. There were also 68 deaths reported in the past 7 days.

Modelling by James Wood at the University of NSW predicted that the current wave would peak in the first week of December.

While the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron, which has caused large numbers of cases this year, is still responsible for nearly half the current cases, the BR.2 (15 per cent of cases) and BQ.1.1 (10 per cent) sub-variants are becoming more common.

Professor Wood noted the variant “soup” that was causing the current wave was encouraging.

“If you are infected with one of these new variants, you should also have strong protection to the rest of the soup,” he said when the modelling was released on November 16.

As our community heroes say, look after yourselves by continuing to adhere to COVIDSafe behaviours and getting on with our lives.

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