TWO weeks ago, I complained about my difficulty getting a Pfizer vaccination.
I am medically complex, very likely to die if I get COVID, can't just stay home because I need life-saving treatment three days a week, and I have risk factors meaning no AstraZeneca. I didn't try earlier because I was recovering from a two month hospital stay. After the brickbats I now want to offer some bouquets.
With help from friends and family I got an early September appointment. But once COVID hitchhiked to the Hunter I started to really worry. I tried again to get an earlier appointment but ran out of energy. But my sister persisted. She kept ringing and sending messages through website contact forms. Last Monday I got a call from the Belmont hub, pictured, and was offered a cancelled appointment that afternoon.
I went to Belmont, saw the doctor for further evaluation, and after the jab I stayed longer than usual for observation. They were very careful with me. From car park attendants to nurses and doctors, everyone was friendly, polite and helpful. I've had minimal side effects over the rest of the week.
They are trying their best to triage vulnerable people, but it's a hell of a job. I am scared for patients who don't have the fantastic support I did. The staff and systems are coping with huge numbers, complex information and changing rules.
So keep trying. If you run out of energy, ask someone to help. Ask anyone. Thanks to my friends and my sister, I got there. The staff really want to get you vaccinated safely. Don't give up.
Michael Jameson, New Lambton
Premier, we're giving it best shot
THE provision of vaccinations represents one of the most successful examples of preventative medicine. Yesterday, I spent five hours in a car, crawling to a hut in the sun, where I had a test for COVID.
Thousands of people in all these testing and vaccination queues trying to give it their best shot, and Australian politicians hindering and blocking them by their mind-numbing grind of one bad, poor, wrong, or no decision, after another.
It is as wearing as the awfulness of life's current unrelenting events.
By their laissez-faire attitudes, the federal and state governments reveal they believe the Australian public is unworthy of a plan. It demonstrates these politicians aren't giving us their best shot.
One local (Novocastrian) Australian company, until this pandemic, delivered annual music events for 15 years to six states during three back-to-back week-ends.
One hundred thousand people attended. The company gave it its best shot.
This is known as a successful rollout.
The event organisers and their teams, expert in crowd management, traffic, statistical analysis, and lately, pill testing; media savvy on how to reach all age groups, their number one priority is keeping their patrons safe.
The federal and state governments insist it is the people who are recalcitrant, and stupid. Politicians referring to 'stupid people' rankles. I am tempted to yell at the telly, 'Look in the mirror'.
Most Australians are giving it their best shot, whilst simultaneously trying to keep their powder dry.
Catherine Whelan, Newcastle
Testing times show system flaws
THERE needs to be a major rethink on the COVID testing situation. Not only are they taking too long, but the results are also taking too long. In countries overseas, but not in Australia, you can now get a self-testing kit (and have been able to for some time) that can give you the results within a half an hour. In the past I could understand why the government wanted to keep this information "in house", but now that it's out of control everyone needs this information ASAP. Consider this, if the infected people that travelled out of Sydney knew that they were positive, would they have travelled. I think not. It's easy to plead ignorance and cop a fine, but what about the consequences?
Neil Meyers, Warners Bay
Ongoing routes a soar point
YES Premier, we certainly do have some questions for you. So Newcastle and the Hunter regions are supposed to be in total lockdown, yet daily there are flights into Newcastle's Williamtown airport to and from locations also in lockdown including Melbourne, Canberra, Dubbo and Brisbane? Seems like double standards.
Jeff Dean, Adamstown Heights
Confidence comes in clarity
SATURDAY'S front page ("Cost in Translation", Herald 14/8), highlights a very serious issue which Newcastle ratepayers face when seeking information from our council.
When challenged as to its lack of openness, council representatives quote its 'Open and Transparent Governance Strategy'. However, on the other hand, it hides behind a commercial in a confidence clause.
I find it intriguing that a trader would want to keep its business dealings with council a secret. At the next council election I challenge candidates to openly state whether or not they are in favour of refusing to enter into contractual arrangements with tenderers who insist on including a confidentiality clause in their agreement. Then, if council wants to refuse to release the terms of any agreement it will have to justify to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) why it (and not the other contracting party) wants to keep the terms of the agreement out of the public arena.
Les Brennan, Newcastle East
Highlight the positives of plight
IN turbulent times like these it is easy to be dragged under by the negativity, but the cream of society finds a way to rise to the top.
Amongst that cream you'll find the best of people. Big-hearted people like the Warners Bay Medical Centre staff, Sonia Hornery and her crew, and the law enforcement officers, who gave up their weekend to help keep us healthy, informed and protected from this bloody virus. Thank you.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
Public transport key to emissions
THE IPCC report warning of global warming has made me think of another report I read, which spoke of the situation faced by people in regional areas who don't have a car.
It would seem that if you live outside cities you are expected to have a car as public transport is sparse or non-existent.
I can understand why some private bus operators are reluctant to run buses in sparsely-populated areas.
Obviously such services need to be subsidised by the state government.
Such services also need to be designed to attract as much patronage as possible.
The experience in Newcastle when the buses were privatised was the timetables were poorly designed and, I'm told, people deserted the services in droves.
As I have often said, when the railway closed, people deserted public transport in large numbers because a good direct service was destroyed.
Clearly, if greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced we need better public transport services in regional areas that people can and will use.
Peter Sansom, Kahibah
SHORT TAKES
JUST a thought: with all these masks that have been littered on the streets and parks, maybe we could use them to pick up all the dog poo which is getting out of hand and dispose of them together? A win-win situation. .
Peter Rossetti, New Lambton
WHERE has the Coalition government's duty of care been to all NSW communities, and now including the Indigenous communities of the Dubbo/Walgett LGAs? COVID has arrived there. The nearest major hospital is four hours away and vaccination rates are low. The slack and ineffective lockdown, beginning back in June, was the decision of powerful business lobbyists, a divided state cabinet and pressure from the federal government to put the economy before health. And some will suffer more than others from that poor decision making.
Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill
IT was very interesting to read the article in the Sun Herald last week the moves to greatly increase independents in federal politics. This is being built on the successes of Cathy McGowan and Zali Steggall in recent elections. A process to harness the increasing voter discontent with the two-party system is long overdue.
Wilton Ainsworth, Newcastle
IAN MacCormick (Letters 11/8) made the wonderful suggestion of sewerage testing 'upstream' rather than at the treatment plant end. The sewerage system works fine, it's the sewage that we test, Ian. A sewage test upstream at each household outlet would be great. It would really simplify things. We could do about 10 million tests each day. By the end of the decade, we should have the results. I won't mention the cost. Then Ian asks about testing for COVID gas coming out of the sewerage system. Great idea. A bit like testing for asbestos gas, bad-attitude gas, or bad-hair-day gas, I guess.
Peter Devey, Merewether
HOW this pandemic will end: Josh Frydenberg will run out of ink, or Gladys Berejiklian will run out of vaccine. Please gamble responsibly.
David Davies, Blackalls Park
FINES of $1000 for not obeying the COVID rules were not enough to deter some people. A driver's licence suspension might encourage more compliance. The rules allowing travel to view real estate must be rescinded and masks outside made compulsory.
Stephen Wines, Maryville
I READ with interest Lake Macquarie councilor Wendy Harrison thinks Coon Island is a derogatory and offensive name. I come from a town called Coonabarabran which is an Aboriginal name for 'inquisitive person'. Will Coonabarabran, Coonamble etc have to be changed so they are not offensive?
June Clark, Kilaben Bay
SHORT TAKES
JUST a thought: with all these masks that have been littered on the streets and parks, maybe we could use them to pick up all the dog poo which is getting out of hand and dispose of them together? A win-win situation. .
Peter Rossetti, New Lambton
WHERE has the Coalition government's duty of care been to all NSW communities, and now including the Indigenous communities of the Dubbo/Walgett LGAs? COVID has arrived there. The nearest major hospital is four hours away and vaccination rates are low. The slack and ineffective lockdown, beginning back in June, was the decision of powerful business lobbyists, a divided state cabinet and pressure from the federal government to put the economy before health. And some will suffer more than others from that poor decision making.
Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill
IT was very interesting to read the article in the Sun Herald last week the moves to greatly increase independents in federal politics. This is being built on the successes of Cathy McGowan and Zali Steggall in recent elections. A process to harness the increasing voter discontent with the two-party system is long overdue.
Wilton Ainsworth, Newcastle
IAN MacCormick (Letters 11/8) made the wonderful suggestion of sewerage testing 'upstream' rather than at the treatment plant end. The sewerage system works fine, it's the sewage that we test, Ian. A sewage test upstream at each household outlet would be great. It would really simplify things. We could do about 10 million tests each day. By the end of the decade, we should have the results. I won't mention the cost. Then Ian asks about testing for COVID gas coming out of the sewerage system. Great idea. A bit like testing for asbestos gas, bad-attitude gas, or bad-hair-day gas, I guess.
Peter Devey, Merewether
HOW this pandemic will end: Josh Frydenberg will run out of ink, or Gladys Berejiklian will run out of vaccine. Please gamble responsibly.
David Davies, Blackalls Park
FINES of $1000 for not obeying the COVID rules were not enough to deter some people. A driver's licence suspension might encourage more compliance. The rules allowing travel to view real estate must be rescinded and masks outside made compulsory.
Stephen Wines, Maryville
I READ with interest Lake Macquarie councilor Wendy Harrison thinks Coon Island is a derogatory and offensive name. I come from a town called Coonabarabran which is an Aboriginal name for 'inquisitive person'. Will Coonabarabran, Coonamble etc have to be changed so they are not offensive?
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