A Flying F*ck At A Rolling Donut

I am convinced Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison is insane. In my opinion he WANTS the Covid-19 pandemic to get worse because a global catastrophe confirms his Pentecostal delusions of End Times and The Rapture. After all, he has claimed he was chosen by his god to become PM.

The horror… the horror…

More than 100,000 new Covid cases were reported nationally today. Victoria is being reported as overtaking New South Wales for daily Covid-19 cases, recording 51,356 new cases overnight and nine more deaths, a new pandemic record for Australia. There are 644 people in hospital, and 106 in intensive care (ICU).

Bullshit.

The reason Victoria’s case numbers are worse than NSW today was made clear in The Guardian online: around half of the cases recorded were rapid test results from the previous week because of the new system going live yesterday. The NSW figure is just PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test results because the NSW isn’t bothering to count or collate RAT (rapid antigen test) results! NSW has admitted to 45,098 new Covid-19 cases and nine more deaths. There are 1,795 in hospital and 145 people in ICU. The Tasmanian government announced 2,223 new cases this morning. There are 10 people in hospital. The state now has 6,509 active cases. Queensland 11,174 cases and two deaths, SA 4,274 cases and five deaths, ACT 1,305 and NT 594.

NSW Premier Domicron Parrotwat

But by now we all know the official figures are underestimates and the situation if far worse for everyone affected, from patients to health service professionals, not to mention all those people who risk their health and safety to stock supermarket shelves, deliver goods, test, teach, care, and do other jobs that keep society – and the precious “Economy” so beloved of laissez-fair Morrison and Perrottet – going.

What’s more, the officially released government figures are apparently at least a week out of date. And that data does not include anyone testing positive on a RAT and are now not getting a PCR tests to confirm. NSW has neglected to establish a system to record that. The Guardian online points out that in NSW, the positive test rate is now 38.6%. Supposedly there was a 3.3% rise in hospitalisations, and an 8.2% increase in ICU patients.

The state’s health system is reaching crisis point as overworked staff are diverted and patients miss out on care: ‘Patients discharged early, cancer specialists diverted to Covid wards, non-Covid patients mixed in with infected ones: this is the bleak picture from inside New South Wales hospitals despite government officials stressing they would cope with the coming surge without need for another lockdown.’

SBS News online reports: ‘Days after Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Sonya Bennett described the Omicron variant as “mild” for most people, the World Health Organization (WHO) and leading epidemiologists have said it is anything but that.’

The Rupture

“Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalising people and it is killing people,” according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “In fact, the tsunami of cases is so huge and quick, that it is overwhelming health systems around the world.” But Morrison and NSW premier Perrottet and their cronies continue to repeat their well-worn, dog-eared Covid lies.

The Morrison Government and Department of Health continue to downplay the severity of the Omicron variant. Remember in November last year, just two days after WHO designated Omicron as a “variant of concern”? Work Experience Health Minister Greg Hunt referred to it as “manageable”!

“There are two points the government simply isn’t recognising,” according to Professor Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist from the University of South Australia. “The first is that even with Omicron some people get severely ill and die. The second issue, which the government fails to mention, is long COVID. We know that a reasonable proportion of people who get infected end up with long-term health problems. So to make out this is just nothing worse than the flu is extremely poor messaging.”

Poor messaging, conflicting messaging, false messaging. That has been the response of both the Federal and NSW governments from the start of this pandemic.

First Tribulation, then Rapture!

Writing for ABC News online, Laura Tingle paints the stark reality: “Overwhelmed hospital systems, a primary health care system unable to cope, the return of many restrictions, people staying at home and not spending money out in the economy, millions of people getting sick and/or being frustrated by access to vaccines for themselves or their kids.”

Someone commenting in The Guardian put it another way ‘The government has left us to die or get permanent damage to our bodies or harm the people we love and I cannot believe we are so far into this and this is where we are. No wonder we can’t figure out climate change.’

As someone else remarked: ‘During the 2019 bushfire he [Morrison] buggered off on a secret Hawaiian holiday and imperiously blew off criticism with “I don’t hold a hose”. Well he has equaled that with his visit this week to the cricket during the current crisis and saying “Australians are taking wickets from the virus”, what a dumb assed comment from a won’t-do PM.’

This is what “living with covid” – an inane political mantra – actually looks like in Australia. “Ride the wave,” Morrison blethers. Tell that to those hospitalised, those in ICU, those with “long covid”, and don’t forget the dead and their families. But yeah, sure, no dancing, no singing and guzzle your beer sitting down. Genius!

As for taking “personal responsibility” and buying our own RAT kits, I just found an online shop selling the Innoscreen Rapid Antigen Test Kit – 20 Pack… for $335! To paraphrase Jack Nicholson, it’s like trying to take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.

 

 

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