XPost: alt.global-warming   
   From: kym@kymhorsell.com   
      
   In alt.global-warming Unum  wrote:   
   > On 6/25/2020 3:43 PM, MrPostingRobot@kymhorsell.com wrote:   
   >> For the past couple weeks cases in Melbourne have been spiking up.  It   
   >> started with a couple days with more than 10 new cases.  That kept up   
   >> for a week and yesterday there was another jump up to 33 new cases in   
   >> a day.   
   >>   
   >> Testing is free and mostly run on a drive-thru basis.  (Do not get out   
   >> of your car, say the signs).  On TV news there are lines starting   
   >> early morning that grow to miles long.   
   >   
   > Where I live (Texas) testing is conducted in sparsely scattered   
   > drive-through spots and you can get it only with a doctor's order.   
      
   Yea. They started out that way here, too. But they quickly   
   found that got a very skewed idea of how many cases were out there.   
   So they opened it up to voluntary choice.   
      
   There is also a "random sampling" going on in the background   
   with the flu-season sentry system. People going to GPs for any reason   
   are asked to do tests for flu to check for the severity and   
   kinds of bugs in the up-coming flu season. They added covid19   
   tests to that a few months back.   
      
   Probably this wouldn't work in the US. Visiting a doctor and basic   
   prescriptions are virtually free here.   
      
   >> And in the past couple of days we've seen a return to hoarding.   
   >> Yesterday went to local PLAZA and dozens of old people were streaming   
   >> out with baskets full of toilet paper. In the supermarket 1/2 the   
   >> place had been taken over with a single brand of paper that was   
   >> stacked up to the ceiling and on special. No *intending* to create any   
   >> panic, of course.   
   >   
   > Same here, the daily case count soared and paper products immediately   
   > disappeared from the shelves. 2-item maximums were implemented.   
      
   Not sure if you mean the same pattern. We had a run on supplies   
   a couple months back. Then things went back to normal.   
   Only in the last couple of days has the panic buying started again   
   after daily new case counts passed 10 in Victoria. This is ridiculously   
   small by international standards, but a big deal here. I think   
   there was even 1 death in the past 8 wks for the whole country.   
   Again, teeny tiny by international standards but significant here.   
      
   >> And today authorities are targeting 10 mostly outer Melbourne suburbs   
   >> and will go door to door conducting what I assume will be compulsory   
   >> covid19 tests under the state emergency laws which have been extended   
   >> for another month. They had been due to end sometime around now.  The   
   >> door-knock will last for 10 days.   
   >   
   > A wise policy. Here in redneck countryside (chock full of guns) the   
   > door-knockers might need an armed police escort, "ain't no gubmint   
   > gonna stick a swab up mah nose"!   
      
   I am fully expecting there will be problems here, too.   
   The state govt even called for support from the Army which is   
   highly highly unusual for Australia.   
   Presumably police will be going around with the testing units   
   to point out people must comply with the testing because it's   
   under a state of emergency declaration. They will be gentle about it   
   but things might get ugly in some households, esp given this is   
   such an unusual situation.   
      
      
   --   
   [Stating the obvious says more about you &ct:]   
   If you had studied math you would know that calculus and statistics   
   are separate courses: two completely different disciplines.   
   -- "Trawley Trash"[@jeeves.gnet.net], 20 Jan 2011 20:53 -0800   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)