Thread by @MackayIM

Hey, Queensland-can I have a word?
We've managed to "dodge a bullet" so often when clusters emerge we might be feeling a little bulletproof at this point.
Hospitals, labs, the government-all are preparing for what comes next, but *we* each need to do our part in that preparation

We've had good luck (and the south has had bad luck), we don't have the high rise higher density living, we are outdoors more, we do have a sprawling State (a problem for vaccination). But, we've also worked hard, kept borders tightly controlled, tested, traced, isolated well.

We've also had a great response from our community when specific areas are asked to step forward for testing. Sampling numbers spike. We lockdown quickly, stopping the spread. We open up again.

This pattern has (so far) kept everyone onside. There's been no single thing, though - it's a complex web of many things, with communication at its heart.
But at some point, our luck might run out. We'll possibly see multiple clusters (like Melb did?) which..

..have bubbled along for some time before being found. Numbers could climb & - the pattern everywhere - contact tracing will be overwhelmed. A lockdown might be called. Cases will eventually outpace it because those who must still work will get infected and start new fires.

Households will provide the fuel.
Hospitalisations will rise (just not to the extent we've seen pre-vaccination), then deaths.
*ALL* of that can be better controlled with higher vaccination levels.

But every pocket of unvaccinated people will catch fire and burn brightest.
Those in regional areas who have not seen cases will see them & their effects on loved ones.

Their social media will fill with ~10% of their infected unvaccinated friends becoming very sick, requiring hospitalisation. Some will die there.

It'll all become real very quickly. The media will be singing their song of anxiety loudly.
The unvaccinated will wish they'd started vaccinating 5 weeks ago.
But it will be too late because the best immune response requires both doses of vaccine plus another couple of weeks.

Queensland.
Please make an effort to get vaccinated NOW. Ask your boss for time off to get the shot & walk into a clinic NOW.
Put in the extra effort to seek out a vaccine site.
covid19nearme.com.au/state/qld/vacc…
Book with a friend or the whole workplace.
qld.gov.au/health/conditi…