NT News Letters to the Editor, July 14, 2021

Covid-19, vaccinations, noisy cleaners and footy games are among the issues on the minds of NT News readers.

Covid-19, vaccinations, noisy cleaners and footy games are among the issues on the minds of NT News letter writers

NT News Letters to the Editor, July 14, 2021

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AD SHOWS GOVT GASPING

The government’s bottom-line messaging is spot-on: “Covid can affect anyone. Stay home. Get tested. Book your vaccination.”

The ‘cute girl’s’ obviously ‘fake’ gasping for air belies reality; scare tactics for the targeted audience (young adults) are misguided and obscure those messages!

Every young person I know ‘wants’ their vaccines – consistent with ATAGI advice (i.e., not AstraZeneca).

Young people who want vaccines ‘now’ cannot get them: insufficient supplies, inability to get vaccinated without queuing hour-upon-unpaid-hour, lack of local access.

Young people working with vaccine Category 1a and 1b people were often overlooked for vaccines … until now … and they feel blamed for this oversight, while those who defined those categories and allocated vaccines accordingly shirk responsibility.

Every person I know ‘wants’ to be fully vaccinated with highest effectiveness – consistent with ATAGI advice (i.e., for AstraZeneca, 12 weeks between first and second injections).

They understand the statistics and want the optimal.

The Morrison government’s pressure on “others” to do the right thing is a ridiculously feeble attempt to point fingers at us, as opposed to acknowledging and accepting responsibility for the government’s own misjudgements on both virus and vaccine from day one through to now.

And for the foreseeable future, given current government rhetoric.

This government’s gasping for air is the main message I take from their scare-campaign ad!

Judy Bamberger

Covid-19, vaccinations, noisy cleaners and footy games are among the issues on the minds of NT News readers

TWO FOR ONE JABS

Australians are fortunate, indeed. In 2020, any vaccine hope would be years away.

Why not vaccinate the thousands around Australia presenting for government encouraged Covid-19 testing?

As a two for one. Unless any valid reason. Most will be negative, just to go back into the community, to be infected by another.

This will save time and paperwork. Offer 24/7 walk-in or drive in service, for small business owners, essential workers and others who cannot make appointments, do not have computers or mobile phones.

As a test case study – recent NSW West Hoxton birthday party was announced. Of all attending, six fully vaccinated and one, half vaccinated, did not contract the current super Delta variant.

This shows vaccines are working. Open our borders, vaccinate all, and those travelling between countries.

We may then be able to help others, and remove check-ins. Australia needs to go forward. Not backwards.

Mandatory vaccination is important.

The Venetians had a quarantine island for infected during pandemics, or buried there.

Ellis Island, New York, quarantined ship arrivals, before being allowed on the mainland.

Sometimes clothes burned. Vaccination is proven to work, by curtailing disease.

What if this were a polio outbreak, or other? Some new, in recent times. Thank you to the few who use their life developing vaccines.

Claudia Tregoning

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NOISY CLEANERS

There seems to be an increasing activity to clean certain city eating areas with a leaf blower.

It first started at 6am seven months ago. After a couple of weeks of the constant stop start of a leaf blower at that time of the morning, I wrote to the health department asking if using a leaf blower in around an outdoor eating area is an appropriate way to clean.

To date I have had one reply indicting it is annoying at that time of the morning. Nothing answered in regards to the health and well being of people.

With all the hype on being hygienic because of this virus,
you would think this type of practice would be a no-brainer not to do.

This practice needs to cease and clean the area using more appropriate methods.

The only thing you are achieving by using the blower is spreading crap into the air. I have also emailed the offending business with no reply.

I have a lot of video of this so- called cleaning practice with the cleaner going out on to the road and blowing the crap back into the eating and walking area.

If this is acceptable to the general community can someone then explain how this is appropriate?

GMU, Darwin

COMMUNITY TRICKED

When the TraveLodge was chosen for foreign military personnel to quarantine in Jan 2020, letters appeared in this newspaper saying it was wrong to put the community at risk, as did other health orgs. Acting Health Minister Eva Lawler quoted at the time, assuring us “the Defence personnel are always in full PPE”.

On 13 Jan, 2020 an ABC TV News story on the matter showed footage of two Defence personnel who did not have full PPE on when collecting carrier bags from a delivery driver outside the gate. They were gloved and masked up, nothing more.

Later in the bulletin footage showed Howard Springs quarantine staff in full PPE.

Three positive cases came out of the decision to use the TraveLodge in Cavenagh St.

What were they thinking, a stone’s throw from Woolies and a bus stop well used by the travelling public?

No wonder the heebie-jeebies went around town.

Now NT Health won’t approve a FOI request by a journalist trying to do his job, saying it would be “susceptible to mischievous interpretation”, “leading to mistrust”.

Mistrust is already rife from the $12m grandstand grant but to label the interpretation of NTG documentation as susceptible to “mischief”, well wasn’t it the community that was tricked?

City Walker, Darwin

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FEARS FOR FOOTY GAME

Hoping the latest spread of the Covid outbreak won’t affect the NT’s chance to host the Gold Coast Suns game against Melbourne.

The virus is spreading so easily throughout the community in the southern states.

It would be a real shame if the game had to be called off for a second time.

Land of Rising Sun, Darwin