The penny has dropped
I use the title to this piece in relation to the situation in Australia and New Zealand in regard to the Covid-19 crisis, but especially the crisis relating to the prevalence of the Delta variant.
In the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English the “penny has dropped” is informal English used to say that someone has finally understood something that they had not understood before.
The truth about the prevalence and deadly Delta variant of Covid-19 now taking lives in NSW and in other states of Australia, but also in Fiji, has seen a massive rush to get vaccinated to the extent that pharmacists in NSW have had to start giving vaccinations because the existing vaccination centres could not cope with the rush of people needing both a first or second vaccination.
The news of Australia this morning, Saturday, serves to illustrate how serious the situation has become, and I quote from Radio New Zealand
New South Wales has recorded another 466 Covid-19 cases and four deaths today.
The four deaths include a woman in her 40s who was not vaccinated, a man in his 70s who was vaccinated but had pre-exisiting conditions, a man in his 80s and a female in her 70s. The number of Covid-related deaths in this outbreak has reached 43.
Of the new cases, 121 are linked to a known case or cluster and the source of infection for 345 cases is under investigation.
Sixty-eight people were infectious in the community
Premier Gladys Berejiklian outlined the new powers the police will have as well as the tighter restrictions and new penalties.
Victoria has recorded 21 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 today, with almost half of those in the community for part of their infectious periods.
The Health Department said 11 people were in quarantine for the duration of their infectious periods.
The new cases were found from 33,675 test results processed on Friday.
All of the new infections are linked to known cases, a positive sign after contact tracers raced to find the source of mystery cases driving the outbreak.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton yesterday said the recent mystery cases were a concern and getting on top of them "as much as possible" was a focus.
It is still not known exactly how the two cases at the start of the outbreak contracted Covid-19. Four mystery cases were detected on Thursday, and another four on Wednesday, spread across Melbourne's north and west.
Queensland records seven new cases. Six locally acquired and one from overseas.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath made the announcement this morning.
All six local cases are linked to the Indooroopilly cluster.
The seven cases have not spent any time in the community during their infectious period.
End of Quote.
The situation in Fiji today is no better and again I quote Radio New Zealand’s news bulletin.
Quote
Fiji has recorded another 15 deaths from Covid-19 taking the toll to 360. The dead ranged in age from 49 to 85, most dying before they could receive any hospital treatment.
The health secretary James Fong reported there were a total of 644 new cases in the latest 24 hour reporting period to 8am on Friday morning.
It means Fiji has now had nearly 40,000 cases, about four percent of the population, since the first case in March 2020.
Another 192 deaths of Covid-19 positive patients have been attributed to other medical factors.
There are 291 Covid-19 patients in hospital in Fiji with 58 in severe condition, and nine critical.
End of quote.
In New Zealand there has been ongoing mass vaccinations recently and more are planned.
The danger posed by the Delta variant is so real that the New Zealand Prime Minister last week threatened to put the country under lock-down if a single Delta infection occurred in the country.
The Solomon Islands very fortunately remains free from the coronavirus pandemic but the Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr. Jimmy Rodgers, like the Prime Minister, is acutely aware of the Covid threat and warned just a few days ago of the seriousness of the situation when he pointedly said, and I quote from the Island Sun newspaper.
Mandatory vaccination is crucial to protect the under-18-year-old population in the country.
Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr Jimmie Rodgers said this to the media via a virtual conference on Wednesday this week.
He said the difference with Delta variant is that it kills a lot more than the original covid-19 strain.
“Why we need the vaccination is because 56,900 doses in four months is just not acceptable, it cannot protect us.” he said.
“If we chose not to be protected, our children, our families in the house where we live are vulnerable.”
“So, this is where the moral and ethical thing comes in when you talk about vaccination,” he said.
“Under the country’s vaccination roll out programme, the eligible target population is 414,327 of the estimated total population of 700,000 by end of this year”.
Dr.Rodgers said since the vaccination programme started in March up until last Friday, they have managed to administer 56,900 doses.
He said of that, only 13,188 people are fully vaccinated.
However, Dr.Rodgers said to achieve the herd immunity of 80 percent of the 414 327, you need to vaccinate 331,500.
“That is the minimum number that we need to cover with both doses before we have any change of having some herd immunity. “
“Herd immunity is important when disease come into the country, those that are not protected are protected by those that are vaccinated,” he said.
Furthermore, Dr. Rodgers said even if the 414,325 people are vaccinated, that is only 60 percent of the total population.
He said 40 percent of the total population cannot be vaccinated, not by choice but because they are under 18.
“Those are the people that we have to worry about.
“If we don’t vaccinate, it no just us, because in Fiji, children are dying,” he said.
Dr, Rodgers said Delta variant is no longer like the alpha variant.
“Alpha variant does not affect young people, here as in Fiji the delta variant, young children are the most affected.”
“In Australia, 70 percent are the older people, 30 percent are the young people and they are dying and affected,” he added.
“How do you step up vaccination to protect the 40 percent?” he asked.
End of quote.
I personally have concerns for some of the persons with disability. Disability alone does not put you at higher risk for getting COVID-19. You may be at higher risk because of where you live, or lack of WASH facilities.
Many people in the Solomon Islands with disabilities have diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or obesity. These conditions may put you at higher risk of severe illness due to COVID-19. Talk to a doctor about your health conditions that may put you at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19 and about getting a COVID-19 vaccine to protect you.
Comment
It will be too imprudent event rude, to say outright the penny needs to drop in the Solomon Islands but the realization is exactly as Dr Rodgers has said and taking into account the moral, ethical, Christian and traditional customary values of wantokism, do please get yourself vaccinated before it becomes too late.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
