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Uh-oh!

Triple virus threat looming in WA as COVID, flu and RSV infections soar

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It was nice not having to worry about the flu (or Covid) for a couple of years while the borders were closed and we had testing, mask wearing and quarantine but now we're back to "normal". Qantas, Virgin and Flight Centre need to be making those $$$$$ (even if it means "some people may die" - 20,049 so far and 14,000 since the Federal election last year).

Still waiting for the WA government's advice about how to deal with this "triple threat" during winter.

Let me guess - "Practise good hand hygiene and stay home if you feel sick".

Oh, "And make sure you're up to date with with your Covid and flu vaccinations" (the only bit of useful advice they'll give, I'm sure).

Not one word about wearing masks, of course.

I have noticed more people than usual wearing masks when I'm out shopping lately, let's see how long it lasts.

There was a small piece at the bottom of page 4 of today's The West Australian about the looming triple virus threat (but nothing was said about wearing masks to protect yourself and others, of course).

Also nothing there (or in the entire paper) about the grim milestone of 20,000 Covid deaths for Australia which was reached last week.

Not a single mention of the 20,000 deaths or the "triple threat" in the Letters to the Editor as I expected. No mention of Covid at all.

The West considers letters about how long it takes to unwrap your shrink wrapped home delivered copy more important.

*** Yes - don't cut yourself Matt and end up in the emergency department because if you didn't have Covid going in you'd definitely have it after you come out.

Carl D wrote on Apr 15^th, 2023 at 11:49pm:



hi carl,  my wife who is an actual nurse (not some twitter wannabe) reports covid is nothing in terms of problems in her hospital

they do have 2 4 bed bay blocked off with one patient in each (thereby making the other 3 beds empty ) thru vancomycin resistant staph.  staph is a much bigger problem and is resulting in lots of amputations of diabetics.  hopefully WA health is really hammering the dangers of sugar and forgetting about the inconvenience of a mild respiratory virus

Dr David Berger, aBsuRdiSTe cROnickLeR
@YouAreLobbyLud
Activist doctor.
Resisting bastardry, rebutting bullshit.

(Not really Covid related but I'll post it here).

Today's The Sunday Times.

The 'snippet' on the right is from page 4.

Question: Where are all of these students going to live once they get here seeing as we already have an acute shortage of rental properties and for the few that are available the rent is outrageous?

Not just in WA but Australia wide.

I read somewhere last week about students setting up half a dozen tents in the living room of a house that one was able to rent... in the Eastern States somewhere from memory.

Perhaps this is why 'Sneakers' McGowan hasn't done anything with the hundreds of vacant public housing properties around Perth and suburbs which have been "allegedly" waiting for maintenance (some of them for a few years) before new tenants can move in (or they're waiting to be sold off)?

The nearly 20,000 people on WA's public housing waiting list will just have to wait (quite) a bit longer I guess if these houses are being 'saved' for international students (I don't honestly believe they are but nothing would surprise me with our governments these days).

Oh, and I'm sure the $1500 "one-off" payment to assist with accomodation, cost of living and course fees will go a long way. Not. 

Edit: There's 79 vacant public housing units here for starters:

Stirling Towers keep casting a shadow over Highgate as latest plans for demolition fall through

October 28, 2021

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In the 9 years that the previous and current State governments have been dithering around trying to work out what to do they probably could have spent a few million dollars and refurbished it.

And as far as I know they're still dithering around trying to work out what to do with it. 

Hey, Greg.

Did you see or hear the protest march in St. George's Terrace this morning?

I came out of my dentist appointment just after 11am and immediately thought "what's this loud music and talking I could hear?".

Looked down the Terrace towards William St. (I was standing in the Terrace near the Cloisters) and saw the protesters coming. The police had both sides of the Terrace closed off up to Milligan/Mount Streets until the protesters turned into Mount St. and had a nice sit down in the park there (after having a extra loud chant at the Woodside building - they were protesting about oil and gas, etc.).

When the Terrace was reopened I finally caught a 935 bus coming down from Kings Park and got home over an hour later than I was expecting to.

The traffic lights at the intersection of the Terrace and Barrack St. weren't helping with the traffic situation either after the Terrace reopened because they would only let about 2 or 3 vehicles through before they changed back to red and gave Barrack St. (and pedestrians) about 2 or 3 minutes of green. 

Here's one of the pictures I took of the protesters as they were turning from the Terrace into Mount St. (The Woodside building is on the far left). Taken at 11:42am.

The picture was taken further up the Terrace just past QV1 because at one stage there I thought I might have to walk up to Kings Park to get the bus and I'd already started walking.

Oh, since this is a Covid thread I suppose I should say that as far as I could see none of the protesters... or the police... or hardly anyone else that I could see were wearing masks.

Carl D wrote on Apr 17^th, 2023 at 3:39pm:


Nah, I didn't go into the city today (my dentist is on St Georges Tce too).

I'm not surprised that the protesters weren't wearing masks though.

Strangely, I've noticed a lot of people are starting to wear masks at my local Vic Park Woolworths - all ages, too.