Are all the Lunar New Year events in Australia cancelled? And if not... should we stay home anyway?

bargain huntress on 31/01/2020 - 14:41
Last edited 07/02/2020 - 12:42

I've seen news that big ones in capital cities have been cancelled, but my small local one still has signs up on the streets and google still thinks it's on.

Is anyone else's local still on?… And are you going?

Going Ahead
[QLD] Fortitude Valley - Feb 1&2 - https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/whats-on-and-events/event/lu… - https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisban…
[QLD] Caboolture - Feb 1 - https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/whats-on/moreton-ba…
[QLD] Surfers Paradise - https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/lunar-n…
[VIC] Melbourne - Jan31-Feb2 - https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/whatson/festivals/multi…
[NSW] Cabramatta - Feb 8-9 - https://www.facebook.com/cabramatta.a.taste.of.asia
[SA] Adelaide - https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=…

Cancelled
[QLD] Brisbane - Feb 8 & 9 - https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisban…
[QLD] Logan - Feb 2 - https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisban…
[QLD] Gold Coast - Feb 1&2 - http://www.mygc.com.au/lunar-new-year-celebrations-on-gold-c…
[QLD] Southport - https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/lunar-n…
[VIC] Box Hill - https://www.3aw.com.au/chinese-new-year-celebrations-cancell…
[NSW] Campsie - https://www.cbcity.nsw.gov.au/events/lunar-new-year-at-camps…

International Cancelled
US - New York - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc.…
US - Denver - https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/25/coronavirus-denver-chi…
US - Boston - https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2020/01/25/coronavirus-…
China - Beijing - https://www.dw.com/en/china-cancels-lunar-new-year-events-ov…
France - Paris - https://www.thelocal.fr/20200126/chinese-new-year-parade-pul…
Canada - Vancouver - https://bc.ctvnews.ca/some-lunar-new-year-events-cancelled-i…
Canada - British Columbia - https://globalnews.ca/news/6463023/coronavirus-lunar-new-yea…
New Zealand - Auckland - https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/119155847/auckland-s…
Macau - https://www.fxstreet.com/news/macau-has-cancelled-all-lunar-…

This is part of Lunar New Year Deals for 2020
Entertainment Lunar New Year

Comments

  • theHMASfriendship on 31/01/2020 - 14:52

    Maybe they are cancelled because we are on Earth, not the Moon…

  • Bargain80 on 31/01/2020 - 15:08
    +2

    my local one has been postponed.

    I can understand that everyone including the organiser are feeling anxious.

    I still believe the risk is still low in some cities but the ability to pass on the virus before developing symptom is concerning.

    • bargain huntress on 31/01/2020 - 15:17
      +4

      the gov of the PRC are being semi-secretive as usual

      i am not convinced of the validity or truthfulness of their info and stats

      so i am concerned things could be worse than they appear right now

      • Bargain80 on 31/01/2020 - 15:39
        +1

        maybe.

        There are two factors here.

        1. China government is covering the actual number/stats for whatever reasons.

        2. Not every infected person in China is registered. I imagine the local hospital can't cope with the number of sick patients and people with just mild symptom are rather stay at home than going to hospital and risk of infecting or getting infected other people.

        or maybe a bit of both.

      • dstar012 on 31/01/2020 - 16:25
        +1

        Why would you not be convinced?

        • bargain huntress on 31/01/2020 - 16:54
          +4

          various reasons, some of them:

          they are always very concerned with image and optics.

          there is local anger that they initially were saying it was no big deal.

          they are now pulling out all the stops; their response has been enormous for days. yet the stats for the death ratio are relatively low.

          they released the genetic sequence, but there was this report that they refused to give samples to the WHO and i have yet to see an explanation for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyg8T1cP3EQ

          they're hiding various other information. for example

          researchers are struggling to accurately model the outbreak and predict how it might unfold, because the case-report data that’s being released by the Chinese authorities is incomplete. “What we need to identify is when people got sick, not when the cases were reported, and all we’ve seen so far is when the cases were reported."
          https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00154-w

      • HighAndDry on 31/01/2020 - 18:25
        +1

        Things are almost certainly worse than the Chinese government is reporting. But them being semi secretive and not blackout secretive is already an improvement.

        • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 15:55

          i agree!

          in fact to me that was a bit of a pleasant surprise.

          …but then i started worrying; is it possible that maybe things are really SO BAD they are too desperate for international help to continue their previous behaviour?

          hopefully i am over-analysing

      • bargain huntress on 07/02/2020 - 12:39

        Dr Li Wenliang has died.

  • CyberMurning on 31/01/2020 - 15:24
    +1

    this one still going… 8-9 FEB
    https://www.facebook.com/cabramatta.a.taste.of.asia

  • netjock on 31/01/2020 - 15:24
    +1

    Hawkers market at Crown Melbourne Southbank is still happening. As a rational person I would stay away. But you know people just can't help themselves.

  • brendanm on 31/01/2020 - 15:56
    -1

    I'm not even eating Chinese takeaway at the moment, the news has me that worried.

    • bargain huntress on 31/01/2020 - 16:32

      well cooking does kill most viruses. to be extra safe you could extra-heat the food and it's containers in the microwave and/or oven. and clean your hands after placing the containers in.

      • HighAndDry on 31/01/2020 - 18:28

        Don't think it's the food he's worried about, but the packing/delivery process.

        Thinking about it, it's not that illogical - after all, small restaurants and delivery services are where a lot of Chinese international students work - I'd know, my friends worked in some of them during uni.

        • brendanm on 31/01/2020 - 22:28

          I was actually joking, I thought the "news had me worried" part would highlight that, obviously not. I actually stopped by my favourite Chinese shop this arvo, they were having a lunar new year celebration, dancing dragons and what not, everyone was having a great time.

          • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 16:02

            @brendanm: um ok, you're now saying they had a daytime lunar new year festival with wǔ lóng at your local chinese take-away shop?! that sounds a lot more elaborate than all of my locals. i can barely get them to remember the sweet and sour sauce sometimes.

            • brendanm on 01/02/2020 - 18:53

              @bargain huntress: It was about 6pm I suppose. They are great, have never had a bad or incorrect dish. It wasn't an entire festival, just a bit of fun.

        • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 18:56

          @HighAndDry
          i didn't think it was illogical either, but apparently he was joking.

          i did think of heating the packaging as well as the food, but i agree there is the problem with interacting with the delivery or sales employees.

          orangetrain commented below a lot of the takeaways/restaurants are closing anyway https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8298138/redir

  • redpump on 31/01/2020 - 16:19
    +1

    There are only 2 infected people in NSW, 2 in VIC and 3 in QLD. I don't think we need to be this worried… no deaths outside of China either.

    https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.h…

    • bargain huntress on 31/01/2020 - 17:11

      you are probably right… it's just that i think that's what they thought in 1918 as well. do you think we have the technology, knowledge, and logistical capability in the modern world to stop every potential pandemic now?

    • JimmyF on 31/01/2020 - 17:19
      +4

      Give it 2 weeks and those cases are going to sky rocket in the 'west', deaths to follow after that.

      • HighAndDry on 31/01/2020 - 18:30

        Hate to say (or think) it, but I agree with you. Though given its mortality rate closer to the flu than SARS, it's still the young and elderly and sick who really need to be worried.

        • JimmyF on 31/01/2020 - 19:07
          +1

          Though given its mortality rate closer to the flu than SARS

          Yes I keep reading its so low and people saying its no worse than the flu but then I look at this

          https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.h…

          and then look at figures

          Deaths 213
          Recovered 187

          and go, Hmmmm out of the 9776 cases, only 187 have recovered while 213 have died, the rest are still classed as 'sick', they could go either way. We can't assume all the ones classed as 'sick' will recover.

          Based on the 400 early victims that have either recovered or died, you have a 53% chance of dying! I don't really like those odds!

          If this ratio so far continues, by the time those 9776 'heal', we're looking at a death toll of around 5181 people!

          • HighAndDry on 31/01/2020 - 21:01
            +2

            @JimmyF: It takes a lot longer to completely be "recovered" from a viral illness, but you're past the danger point after the first few days of symptoms.

            Of the 9k cases, basically all the ones who've been showing symptoms for over a week and still kicking are basically all in the clear and just waiting for their immune systems to mop up the rest of the viral load.

            • JimmyF on 01/02/2020 - 16:45
              +1

              @HighAndDry: We'll wait and see. What 'China' Says and what really is happening are not always the same thing. China Social media seems to be painting a much worse picture than our media.

              • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 19:32

                @JimmyF: my chinese languages skills are not great. what are you seeing on chinese social media?

            • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 19:42

              @HighAndDry: @HighAndDry

              but you're past the danger point after the first few days of symptoms. Of the 9k cases, basically all the ones who've been showing symptoms for over a week and still kicking are basically all in the clear and just waiting for their immune systems to mop up the rest of the viral load.

              how do you know this? like is it always necessarily the case with coronaviruses?

              • HighAndDry on 02/02/2020 - 00:42
                +1

                @bargain huntress: Just going off similar illnesses like the cold, but it's also how the immune system works, if the body gets over the initial shock and begins producing antibodies, usually the person will recover - so it's decided early on. If not, they won't get past the initial few days/week.

                https://healthengine.com.au/info/common-cold

                The severity of cold symptoms increases rapidly after infection, peaking within two to three days. The average duration of common cold symptoms is seven to ten days, though symptoms may be present for up to three weeks.

          • bargain huntress on 02/02/2020 - 16:06
            +1

            @JimmyF: @JimmyF

            stats currently at 50/50 with 305 deaths vs 343 recovered

            • JimmyF on 02/02/2020 - 20:40
              +1

              @bargain huntress: Nice….. only a 47% chance of death now!

              • bargain huntress on 03/02/2020 - 12:34

                @JimmyF: it's now 16907 infected
                362 deaths vs 472 recovered

                looks like the first possible hint that highanddry may be right

                lets hope

                • JimmyF on 03/02/2020 - 13:16

                  @bargain huntress:

                  looks like the first possible hint that highanddry may be right

                  Hard to say as it is still early. No one believes Chinas figures are correct but its all we have to work on, they always under report and even the people who live there don't believe them it would seem, but this article is saying closer to 11% death rate is to be expected, which is SARS country death rate, but with the added bonus of spreading much easier/faster than SARS.

                  https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/new…

                  • HighAndDry on 03/02/2020 - 13:33

                    @JimmyF: The study in the article is… not being interpreted correctly. The sample was only cases transferred from smaller regional hospitals to the major Wuhan hospital, so given the lack of resources already, was likely to be only the most severe cases - minor cases would remain at the local hospitals.

                    So there'd be some major sampling bias. But it makes for good sensationalist headlines I guess.

                    • JimmyF on 03/02/2020 - 13:37

                      @HighAndDry:

                      So there'd be some major sampling bias. But it makes for good sensationalist headlines I guess.

                      Yeah I guess The Lancet medical journal was after some clickbait when they came up with that figure.

                      • HighAndDry on 03/02/2020 - 13:41

                        @JimmyF: Hahaha no, I tried to be careful with My wording: the study is being wrongly interpreted. The sample in the study had a mortality rate of ~11%, and that'll be useful information.

                        But only when used correctly and by people who know what the number means. The article is the one who's interpreting the study to say that 2019-nCoV could have that as its actual overall mortality rate, which is not what the study says or even implies.

                        I'll quote from the article:

                        The report authors warned “additional deaths might occur in those still hospitalised”.

                        No mention of 11% and only referring to those hospitalised. And:

                        Important: a key group of patients progress rapidly to ARDS, septic shock, and multiple organ failure. 23% ITU admission, 17% ARDS, 11% mortality.

                        Only a subset of all those who catch the virus. And:

                        US epidemiologist Dr Eric Feigl-Ding said the mortality rate findings were “much higher than expected” but said they should be viewed in context.

                        “This is just a selected example of infected patients seen in Wuhan hospital, not all infected patients. So let’s cautiously interpret.

          • bargain huntress on 12/02/2020 - 19:39

            @JimmyF: @jimmyf & @highanddry

            i;m not liking the look of the arcs in the graph

            https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.h…

        • bargain huntress on 03/02/2020 - 12:42
          +2

          @HighAndDry

          Hate to say (or think) it, but I agree with you. Though given its mortality rate closer to the flu than SARS, it's still the young and elderly and sick who really need to be worried.

          I always find that in a disturbing way reassuring. Even though it means I am in the danger group as a person who is sick with immune issues.

          When it is the old, very young, and sick dying, at least it's not a cytokine storm inducing pathogen like the spanish flu might have been that is going to wipe out the healthy young adult population.

      • bargain huntress on 27/02/2020 - 19:27

        @jimmyf Sadly you were right. it's jumped quarantine. All continents now.

    • payton on 31/01/2020 - 17:39
      +1

      The two infectious patients in QLD was in a plane … with 170 people in it :o

      • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 19:33

        they have a fun couple of weeks to look forward to then

        • payton on 01/02/2020 - 20:57
          +1

          14 days of having everyone in the house stay put, not go out for groceries, not eating out, not earning income, not seeing family friends.
          It sure is a memorable family bonding moment.
          Should receive a "We Made It" achievement badge at the end.

    • ozbs25 on 31/01/2020 - 22:09

      Thing is though, it's not just getting sick that is the problem. If you catch it then you are pretty much out of action for what, 2 weeks? Due to the nature of the virus they are putting you in quarantine. Even if you are young and healthy and are bound to get over it, the government isn't going to let you get on with your regular life. You'll be stuck at home or the hospital. If you are stuck at home, who is going to look after you? What if your caretakers get sick? What if you can't take sick leave or you don't have insurance or whatever. The virus just brings a whole lot of other problems. I'm pretty sure most people do not want any part of that.

      • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 19:36
        +1

        if you are/become unwell they will move you to quarantine in hospital

        • ozbs25 on 01/02/2020 - 22:08
          +1

          I'm sure most people would be quite inconvenienced if they have to stay in a hospital for up to two weeks. If it gets bad enough how will they find enough beds for everyone. Aren't hospitals in Australia overburdened already or has the government actually sorted out something for once?

          Edit: I was pretty sure so I went back and checked, not all coronavirus patients are in hospital. At least a couple of patients are in isolation at home in Victoria.

          • bargain huntress on 02/02/2020 - 00:40

            @ozbs25: have you seen the hospitals they are building superfast right now in china?

            the US has a tent system i think.

            i actually don't know what we have to deal with hospital overflow, if anything?

            • ozbs25 on 02/02/2020 - 01:04
              +1

              @bargain huntress: Who knows if what they are doing in Wuhan is enough. I'm hoping Australia won't need anywhere near that many beds. I haven't really looked into the hospital bed situation here but the last thing I heard, and it may have been many many years ago was that we didn't have enough beds in the public system. Now that we are allowing tourists to go into the public system without fees I hope we have the capacity to deal with everyone. Not sure what else we can do really.

  • pegaxs on 31/01/2020 - 16:42
    -1

    Um… Wasn't it all last weekend??

  • orangetrain on 31/01/2020 - 17:27
    +1

    I think they will all get cancelled. I've seen many closed Chinese restaurants and a lot less people in some Chinatowns around Sydney. Most people that are walking about are wearing masks. Looks like local Chinese-origin people are scared. I'm seeing more and more people wearing masks.

    Be sure to not have your face touch anything public via hands!

    • JimmyF on 31/01/2020 - 17:30
      +2

      Looks like local Chinese-origin people are scared. I'm seeing more and more people wearing masks.

      Yep I'm seeing the same here, people wearing masks in the supermarkets/shopping centers. People are worried, as they should be.

  • JimmyF on 31/01/2020 - 17:29
    +1

    should we stay home anyway?

    Its rampant in China ATM (everyone believes China is way under reporting these figures like every other time they have reported things like this before).

    https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.h…

    Once it was announced a few weeks ago in China everyone fled China back here before the lockdown etc and may be attending this event. I honestly would give it a wild beth at this stage. The risk isn't worth it for me, but YMMV. Australia is basically 3-4 weeks behind what China is. 4 weeks ago China only had a handful of cases just like Australia, now they have nearly 10k official cases.

    Do some reading, lots of reports come out of China saying its much much worse than the media here is reporting. Lots of people not getting treatment as the hospitals are full, they are not even testing people in a lot of cases to see if they have it, hence not getting reported on the figures.

    I mean there is a reason to lock down 60 million people, twice the population of Australia.

    • orangetrain on 31/01/2020 - 17:32

      Meanwhile, Australian government is ok to allow flights between China and Australia. So corrupt for crony money.

  • chumlee on 31/01/2020 - 20:20

    Any serving bat soup or mice dipped in urine?

  • HardlyCharly on 31/01/2020 - 21:26
    +1

    Uh what? People go back to China for Lunar New Year, not come from China to Australia to do it!

    • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 18:38

      a lot of people travelled there for the start and then came back early
      because they had to start uni school work etc here
      that happens every year

      in addition this year some have fled back here just before the hubei lockdown, and from surrounding areas before the china flight bans,
      and now i'm hearing some have managed to get out into other countries before they put in place their bans, and have flown here from there

  • try2bhelpful on 01/02/2020 - 06:49

    I don’t get why the events are being cancelled? The Australian Open, is still happening, the cricket is still playing, why cancel Lunar New Year events?

    • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 15:14

      because logically there is a higher probability of people who have recently travelled from china being there.

      • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 15:15

        if we reach a high enough local infection rate those events may well be cancelled too. pray that doesn't happen.

        • try2bhelpful on 01/02/2020 - 15:27

          It still doesn't make any sense. So we've decide that "Chinese people" are the problem so we cancel "Asian" events? People who have come from China are likely to be wandering around our shopping malls, travelling on public transport, going to popular tourist areas, going to restaurants. Just closing down events associated with one set of racial groups isn't going to stop the spread.

          • bargain huntress on 01/02/2020 - 18:47

            @try2bhelpful: no it isn't going to stop the spread - the other measures MAY - lets hope.

            i get what you're saying. and you're right - some people who SHOULD BE SELF ISOLATING are not. they are going to shopping malls, and on public transport, and to tourist areas, and restaurants.

            but at the same time you're not right. we're talking about people with a higher risk of infection congregating in small areas and mixing in large numbers with an uninfected local population.

            i can see the potential danger of racialising it. but i haven't seen evidence of that so far.

            see jimmyf and orangetrain's comments above: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8298138/redir https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8298148/redir

            • try2bhelpful on 01/02/2020 - 23:36
              -1

              @bargain huntress: So shutting down Lunar events, and not other events, is not making it racial? The vast majority of people at these events are going to be uninfected locals. If this Is an issue it should be an issue for places where people congregate not just where the majority of them are Chinese. is there something about the Chinese physiology, or habits, that makes them more likely to be infected? Nup, still don’t get it. The people who don’t go to the Lunar festivals will go elsewhere, including the tennis, shopping malls, etc. if this is going to be a pandemic then it is not going to stop short whilst there are other outlets for transmission.

              • bargain huntress on 02/02/2020 - 00:19
                +1

                @try2bhelpful:

                So shutting down Lunar events, and not other events, is not making it racial?

                no, it's risk mitigation.
                on top of that, it's facing a smaller turn out due to fear - some warranted, some not - and organisers, performers and stall holders deciding that it's not worth going ahead due to the expected smaller turnout.
                it's also some organisers performers and stall holders at these events pulling out because of their own fear of the virus. are they being racial or racist? see; https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8298138/redir

                orangetrain …I've seen many closed Chinese restaurants and a lot less people in some Chinatowns around Sydney. Most people that are walking about are wearing masks. Looks like local Chinese-origin people are scared. I'm seeing more and more people wearing masks.
                JimmyF Yep I'm seeing the same here, people wearing masks in the supermarkets/shopping centers. People are worried, as they should be.

                .

                The vast majority of people at these events are going to be uninfected locals.

                so you concede a minority may be infected people recently returned/visiting from china? that's not good in a crowded place of uninfected people.

                is there something about the Chinese physiology, or habits, that makes them more likely to be infected?

                no. their higher probability of having recently been in china, or of having interacted with someone who has recently been in China, makes them more likely to be infected.

                . The people who don’t go to the Lunar festivals will go elsewhere, including the tennis, shopping malls, etc.

                they - as in people who have recently been to china (especially Hubei) - of any race or culture - are not supposed to go anywhere! they have been asked to self quarantine. but there are selfish people who will choose not do that of any race and culture.
                added to this - probabilistically a large percentage of people who have recently been to China - are either Chinese, or of other races and cultures who are interested in Chinese culture - and logically they are likely to be interested in attending Lunar New Year events.

                If this Is an issue it should be an issue for places where people congregate not just where the majority of them are Chinese.

                it will quickly become so if it gets into the wild in australia. currently it is not. if the authorities manage to quarantine it at the borders, if we are very lucky, it will not be. if it is, then lots of events will be cancelled.

  • netjock on 01/02/2020 - 20:15
    +1

    It is okay to make individual decisions on attendance.

    But the amount of panic on these boards are not helpful.

    There is the sense people are implying people are not that smart because of their individual choices.

    Noted some people take unreasonable choices but that should be an example to us all.

  • ozbs25 on 01/02/2020 - 22:22
    +1

    I'm actually quite worried about it all. There are a few reasons including my health. I also know someone who had to be quarantined and tested for coronavirus. Sure they were cleared but they had to stay at a hospital for a while, over night I believe, and it was really inconvenient for them. I've pretty much chosen to avoid public places for now. I know people must think I'm crazy but I need to look out for myself, and staying away is what's best for me.

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