State of a Covid Territory

 

What are the likely near future public health scenarios across Greater Sydney in the next few weeks leading to the arrival of The Lunar New Year of the Water Tiger, on Feb 1?

Already 20 pc of PCR testing are resulting in positive infections.  The NSW capacity for PCR testing is cracking up, so lower testing numbers will give skewed and underreported figures of infection.  PCR test results are taking more than 48 hours by pathology providers to inform those tested - increasing risks of those already infected to spread an already more infectious Omicron, before the test results are communicated to them.

The push by Sco Mo and Perrotett for the public to utilise RAT testing, which can be inaccurate and incorrectly applied by untrained individuals, has already run into a wall of lack of stocks to buy, rising test kit prices and inaffordability of many to buy them.

The current focus by government here on testing, significantly misses what should be done more to reduce the spread of Omicron.  The reluctance to impose a focused and broader base of measures for the public since October 2021,  can sound the death knell for any hope of an early end to the pandemic.

The only strategy practised by governments here in Australia is to push for more and earlier booster shots of the same officially unquestioned vaccinations.  The absence of more innovative approaches underlies increasing pessimism in containing significant spikes in cases of Omicron.  The Re factor of spread is hurling more than 2 across Greater Sydney.
If around 95 percent of the NSW population has been jabbed, there is obviously less room to blame the unvaccinated to account for rising infections and hospitalisations.

When more individuals across greater Sydney get infected in five figures each new day, they increasingly cannot go to work more due to physical inability, rather than complying with government policies in isolation number of days.  So much for helping the economy at the expense of everything else.

When businesses and hospitals lack staff, there is an accumulative negative effect on the capacity of medical and economic activity and expertise to perform.

In addition to resourcing and infrastructure issues, there can be a looming supply logistics inability developing that casts a shadow on the access to many things we take for granted.

Australia is not the only nation battling the complexities of Omicron, directly or on secondary impact.  There is a real competition in securing many same things in demand across the world.

Hence there is most likely a perfect storm developing in medically treating the huge increase of infectees.

Pyschologically and collectively,  there has already been a lowering of the guard and mindfulness in simple personal responsibility measures of social distancing, face masking and avoiding crowded indoor venues with poor ventilation - the first line of defence and prevention has been whittled away.

The authorities will continue their knee jerk reactive measures, with policies that show how unprepared they are, even when they have allowed whatever new mutated strains to come in freely.

At the personal level across Greater Sydney, contact tracing, QR code scanning and exposure venue identification have all been minimised.  People are asked to maintain their confidence on the unquestioned reliance solely on vaccination protection.  Even the supplies for booster vaccination appointments are getting harder to obtain across Greater Sydney, together with the availability of test kits of whatever kind.

More and more of us this past week know of personal friends who have contracted the Coronavirus, compared to Christmas 2020 and even as recently as three months ago.

So in the next few weeks, we can expect to self manage more in our own medical treatment if we get infected - all good if we only have mild symptoms.  Treatment for other ailments will continue to be sidelined as in as much for the past two years.

For those unfortunate enough to suffer more adverse symptoms with Omicron infections, we must be prepared to lower our expectations of the private hospital and public health resources to timely support us.

So I suggest each of us have an emergency response kit and plan according to the needs of your circumstances.

Here I have taken a low risk tolerance to prepare for the worst near future scenario.    Another person may prefer a higher risk tolerance and prepare for a better scenario. The choice is ours - I pray for the best outcome and prepare for the worst.

3 January 2022, 8pm AEDT.

#yongkevthoughts

Rules, Roads and Reality

You can witness double parking of vehicles with their drivers not having a care in the world. Less people would dare to park or stop in stipulated bus zones, especially in built up areas of capital cities, for the rights and power of bus drivers are never to be under estimated. Interesting enough, the above behaviours do not attract driver demerit zones in New South Wales, unless they are committed within a school operating zone.

What attracts the most number of driver penalty points in NSW?  Nine points that is, for driving a vehicle with no one wearing seat belts, with two or more unrestrained passengers aboard. 

If you drive in the dark without a head light, it is amazing you are penalised for one point. This compares the risks of creating carnage and damage on the roads.  A failure to dip headlights also costs only a single driver demerit point.

Driving on the wrong side of a dividing line only involves three demerit points.  Crossing a continous line separating marked lanes incurs two points, just as failure to give proper signal when drawing out from the side of road.  These call for a review to increase the demerit points.

There is an interesting situation for a driver to be fined three penalty points - driving with part of body outside the vehicle.  Where do we stand with doggie pets jutting out their paws, head or tongue to enjoy the passing breeze?

In some foreign countries, it is easy to observe drivers make illegal U turns - if caught, such driver action costs only 2 demerit points and 3 in a school operating zone.

The following have shown increased incidence on NSW roads:

a) Use of mobile phone when not permitted - 4 points

b) Turn or stop without signalling - 2 points

c) Drive behind other vehicle too closely to stop safely - 3 points

d) Increase speed while being overtaken - 3 points

e) Drive in right hand lane when speed limit is over 80 km per hour.

All these rules have a purpose but sadly are often breached due to lack of resources in monitoring.    Driver behaviour is often an outcome of other issues in society - personal stress, reduced ethics, over crowding, depersonalisation, individualism and more.

Three points penalty are imposed for episodes of burnout, having someone alive but travelling in your car boot and starting or driving a vehicle with unnecessary noise or smoke.   I  do not like the use of subjective phrases like unnecessary - but I reckon that was necessary to cover the range of vehicles and scenarios, countryside or urban.

#yongkevthoughts

Sweet September Days

The rains were so heavy just before dawn. I felt - and heard - the rush of this passing overhead sensation just outside my bedroom window, just as September wound down from a busy but rewarding series of encounters, celebrations and meet ups.

A return to weet bix squares came foremost to my mind.  For several days, Vinu from California was having them very breakfast morning. I realised how I took this unique Aussie product for granted over on this side of the Pacific. Then I thought of Rosie, the ultra friendly doggy who came to greet the group of us who came from various corners of the globe to stay at a Henley townhouse in Sydney. Rosie lifted her paws in such a benign and captivating manner to you, locked her persona inside your heart and that could not be easily forgotten.

I always in the past had a bunch of keys for which I did not know what they were mostly for. Now I can reckon where all of these keys lead to in my sphere of things. The trick was in paying attention to the things that matter - and getting organised. Just like cousin Nancee taking leadership and effort to gently but effectively coordinate all of us residing at Henley like in a fraternity house.  We were there, gathered for a wedding.

A recent computer virus experience made me miss the thrill of downloading images on to my internet records.  I had hitherto had the pleasure of organising, collating and downloading such images as soon as they were captured. It had been a sudden empty feeling when this technical matter prevented me from doing so - but then the time subsequently freed me up for other things, like simple reading, taking up the advice of a dear lady colleague at work on how to get glass sparkling clean windows and watching how fat the sucking cat fish had grown in my home aquarium tanks.  Delight in other forms of detail.

A couple from the Nowra area had a stall full of potted rubberball plants at my workplace one weekday - they were leafy specimens in pots of flashy colours and terracotta.  What caught my eye was the attentive way they engaged with their customers, potential and actual. They easily highlighted the advantages these versatile plants offered, but also reminded us of the still necessary care and things these plants deserved. They sat there quiet otherwise, but I did realise that they had a strategy in approaching - and convincing customers - in a rather still pleasant manner.

On another occasion, outside my office building, a cheery Indian young man from Kenya drew a drum for me, added my first name and then gave a final touch of an outline of his nation's official flag. I acknowledged that he is an international student, bat the same time I realised that he is not of African origin. Nevertheless,  he displayed his commitment to the country of his birth - and did it indirectly, in a humorous way and through the expression of drawing.

Il Nido's Adrian was back from Canada, and I was heartened to see him again. Adrian was beaming with his usual friendliness and attention, a trait perhaps infused over from the natural engagement of his parents with customers. Uncle Yeow Tat, another cousin Kheng Chye, together with Nancee and her husband Vinu, had joined me for dinner in my village, nestled below the Illawarra Escarpment, on a spring evening.  I could not resist the pasta with seafood, the light sauced gravy being the key to this delightful dish from a family run experience.

Batemans Bay showed signs of money from the nation's capital just over two and a half hours drive away.
When we arrived in town, both the sky and surrounding waters had the same intensity of spring blue. I particularly liked Batehaven, with its varying character in sand and shore. We had caught a fish and chips lunch a bit north in Ulladulla, beside the river wharf. The meal was especially graced by friendly staff at the cafe at the end of the boardwalk.  The high level of water seen at the bridge crossing at nearby Burrill Lakes never fail to fascinate me, although I have never crossed that spot on a rainy day.

Jervis Bay National Park seemed to lack the required level of signage. My entourage ended up in different corners of the reserve, but not what we had hoped and anticipated. Its wind swept slopes leading to different bays ensured native vegetation that were levelled by the open ocean winds. We did reach an indigenous post with cottages and an air of community.

The excursion to Batemans had begun with a leisurely breakfast and stroll in Gerringong Village. I found the banana bread there moist inside a crispy bite, reminding me of the childhood waffle pancake known as ban chien kueh in South-east Asia. (Refer to The Making of Ban Chien Kueh in an earlier blog write-up). This day trip had then taken us along the coastal drive to stunning Mollymook Beach via Nowra and Milton. We were just skirting down half-way along the NSW South Coast, on the winding but scenic route to Bega and ultimately, Victoria State.

What a remarkable few days, for the few of us, who normally do not get to see each other, to share a trip. Back in my Balgownie house, we chatted about family connections, the past and the future.  It reminded me of being able to walk together on another Sunday with young Caitlin in campus recently, as she observed the ducks and native Australian birds - while at the same time wondering about the promised rabbits that I suggested. We enjoyed that moment, with her parents and sister Ash in tow, but I also sensed the hope of the future for her whilst reflecting in the solidity of past efforts of her family to raise her.

On yet another September day, Scott the plumber came to my house on time, unlike some other tradepersons, in his standard symbol cap and with smiling eyes. The main kitchen sink had its catridge broken after several years of use. The broken part could be viewed as a potential significant vulnerable spot, considering its high usage before and after cooking sessions. Some white goods are not made as solidly as years before, yet others tick on without much fuss and demand. Mechanical interfaces are on a predictable repair or replacement schedule, so when they ask for attention, our sub-conscious accepts their happening.  This brings to mind the motor that powers the opening of the double garage door twice a day. Oh yes, the attention to detail - and getting organised.

Somewhere Somehow

On a winter's day in August, I found myself back in the same lolly, preserve and soap shops that formed part of the cottage tourism of Berrima in the NSW Southern Highlands.

This time around, Mui Na was window shopping with me. Mui Na was on the last leg of her six week chill out around the eastern seaboard of the Australian continent, having been to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in the preceding weeks. She had caught up with our other university classmates, Chao Chin and Kwi Wah. The nights had been cool, and when the winds blew, temperatures had plummeted in varying extent. This was a far cry from the equatorial climate of our campus days.

We had a leisurely lunch at a cafe of her choice. Berrima is a a one-main street village, and the sun shone with blue skies over the cool air. It offered a casualness that thrived on familiarity and a lack of a sense of time. Maybe it epitomised what Mui Na wanted on this holiday, with no schedule and just flowing with spontaneous conversation and quiet conviction on what life should - and can - be. We traversed part of the Hume Highway going south before we reached Berrima. We had home meals in Wollongong apart from the foray to the harbour to partake in seafood, and I felt this need to be up in higher altitudes to offer a contrast from the coastline fronting the Tasman Sea.

The day before, we had watched a storm come over my adopted town one evening and then we instinctively headed to Towradgi Beach. The winds had stirred the waves - within minutes, young surf wannabes had popped out in dark suits to head towards the riding opportunities evident on the ocean side, even if the skies had been forever changing in mood. At least twenty surfers waited in the changing waters for the next big wave - and then they went for it.

We caught up for dinner at my cousin's house in Carlingford on a Sunday evening before Mui Na returned to Kwi Wah's Sydney abode. I was fascinated with Ralphie, the Maltese darling pet of Kwi's daughter Kimberley. Mui Na's coming to visit us opened my eyes again to the reason for existence, to live and that everything else is secondary. Somehow, ex-classmates got together as if the intervening past years had never occurred - I did not realise how easy it was to just resume where we left off in campus. Somewhere in the past, a certain wavelength must have amalgamated, to re-surface seamlessly in another place, another time. Somewhere, somehow, this is a gift.