West Australia has opened its borders to the east and birth rates are rising

@JudyEv (339548)
Rockingham, Australia
January 29, 2021 11:46pm CST
In my state of Western Australia, we have had very low rates of COVID-19, and count ourselves very fortunate to have had a lockdown in place at the very beginning of the pandemic. Now that rates in the other states are very low, we have now opened our borders to all bar one state. By that I mean one state still has to quarantine for a fortnight when they come here but other states simply have to say they have no symptoms, haven’t been in contact with positive cases, etc. I think they also have to state where they have been for the past fortnight. This is the point where we could see an upsurge of cases. Let’s hope not. In other COVID related news, the birth rate in the holiday town of Busselton have nearly doubled nine months after the start of the lockdowns and isolation. Rates in the Pilbara (far north of WA) are up 48% and those in the wheatbelt up 33%. Looks like we’ll need more childcare, kindergartens and schools in a few years’ time. Photo is of the jetty at Busselton.
30 people like this
27 responses
@sallypup (61000)
• Centralia, Washington
30 Jan 21
Lovely and warm photo. Um..... thanks for the laugh. No comment otherwise on being isolated.
6 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
These blue 'sheds' have been photographed hundreds of times. It's a really iconic spot now.
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@LadyDuck (471337)
• Switzerland
30 Jan 21
The birth rate has dropped all over Europe. Couples are too scared to lose their jobs, they do not want to have a kid to feed. Many couples split because of the lockdown, they could not stand to live together 24 hours a day. The divorce lawyers are making a lot of money.
5 people like this
@LadyDuck (471337)
• Switzerland
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv How sad! I immediately thought that for some couple it would have been a surprise "living togheter all the time". We have the habit.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
I haven't heard any figures on divorce rates. I wonder if they are going up in Australia.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 21
@LadyDuck Phone calls reporting domestic violence lessened but apparently because women were less able to make calls while their abusive partners were at home.
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (46917)
• India
30 Jan 21
In some countries and regions within different countries, birth rates increased but in many, people put off child plans due to increased economic struggles or uncertainty.
4 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (46917)
• India
30 Jan 21
@JudyEv Yes one needs to plan accordingly.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
I can imagine that many would give careful consideration as to whether they should plan to have a child or not.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137257)
• United States
30 Jan 21
Hmmm... I wonder why the birthrate has increased since lockdown?
5 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
I'm sure you can work it out.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137257)
• United States
30 Jan 21
@JudyEv I keep telling you I'm sweet and innocent. I don't even know how I got Pretty, let alone how other people do that.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
@DaddyEvil Oh come on! Pull the other one!!
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@Shiva49 (26665)
• Singapore
30 Jan 21
One positive side effect of lock-down - rising birth rate! This pandemic is keeping us on our toes, at our wits end to contain it.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
Australia could probably do with more people although it's only our fringes that are very productive.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 21
@Shiva49 Our interior areas would be very harsh to live in.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26665)
• Singapore
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv Canada is likewise. They want immigrants to locate to colder places so that they develop too over time.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (87770)
• Bangalore, India
30 Jan 21
It seems there is a baby boom everywhere. Even india has recorded a high birth numbers in this lockdown. I know of few couples who planned for a baby during this period. All these years they had no time to plan in this fast paced working life.
3 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (37350)
• Toccoa, Georgia
1 Feb 21
@JudyEv I am so glad to be past child bearing age at this time.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
So many are having babies; others are just getting a pet!!
3 people like this
@arunima25 (87770)
• Bangalore, India
1 Feb 21
2 people like this
@kaylachan (69370)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Jan 21
Sounds like another generation of baby boomers because people haven't had anything else to do.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (69370)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Jan 21
@JudyEv That's really a sad thing, don't you think.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
Yes, I think that is so. Maybe they'll become known as the COVID generation.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
@kaylachan Yes, it is indeed.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89831)
• Arvada, Colorado
30 Jan 21
Yes it is a see saw with the virus everywhere Judy..lets hope you dont be getting more of it there.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
It will be interesting to see what happens here now our borders are open.
2 people like this
• Arvada, Colorado
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv It always is when borders open up
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 21
@RebeccasFarm We're going into lockdown this evening but you can't say opening the borders is to blame. A security guard has contracted the virus.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Mar 21
if'n the u.s. 'd taken such more serious'n the beginnin', we'd been a whole lot better off. not certain 'bout birth rates, but presume such to be high here's well. our county 'tis finally'n the 'green', thingies startin' to re-open. not that folks 'bided the restrictions, which caused great losses.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Mar 21
@JudyEv oh no! i so hope such'll be so, hon. i cringe here since i've been havin' to go 'nto town. those that're wearin' masks 're not doin' so correctly (mouth covered, nose 'xposed. perhaps they aint comprehendin' where the virus enters'n starts 'ts 'ttack?) nor do they keep their distance. 't the grocery store the other day they'd jest 2 lanes open (i refuse to self-check without a discount) - side by side! not e'en 2 foot 'twixt customers.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Mar 21
We watched your figures with great dismay. We've had another outbreak in Queensland now but hopefully they will bring it under control soon.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar 21
@crazyhorseladycx Some people just don't get it, do they?
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@rakski (122316)
• Philippines
30 Jan 21
that is good news, right? less number of cases of covid
1 person likes this
@rakski (122316)
• Philippines
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv you are very lucky
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 21
@rakski It's all changed. We go into lockdown at 6 tonight.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
We have very few cases at the moment. We're very lucky.
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@moffittjc (121548)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jan 21
I said right from the beginning that the birthrate is going to rise due to the pandemic, with so many people stuck at home with nothing else to do but procreate. But of course, the opposite could have happened as well, with the birthrate dropping due to people being afraid to touch or kiss each other over fears of getting Covid. But it looks like human nature in the first scenario is winning out over virus fears in the second scenario.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121548)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jan 21
@JudyEv That is true. But I remember the early days of the pandemic, couples were afraid to even kiss each other for fears of contacting the virus. That sure didn't last long though, as couples residing in the same home figured they would get the virus from one or the other regardless of how many precautions they took!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
@moffittjc When there is just the two of us here and we haven't been anywhere, we're not forever washing our hands, etc, either. We use sanitiser when we get home perhaps but there won't be any virus in the house.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
Within families, I guess the fear of contact isn't so strong. The urge to procreate would overcome a lot of fears for some.
2 people like this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
31 Jan 21
Its nice that your area kept so safe during this time, we haven't had a lot of it in our little town and pretty much everything here is open and running.
1 person likes this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv That sucks, so your in lockdown from one case now?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 21
@cintol Yes, that's right.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 21
That's good to know. However, since I wrote this, a security guard has tested positive and we're in lockdown from 6pm tonight.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
3 Feb 21
The next problem after covid would be population explosion because of the stay at home policy :)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Feb 21
Yes, that's very true. But more babies would mean more employment for teachers, childcare workers, etc.
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Feb 21
@sunrisefan Yes, that's true.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
3 Feb 21
@JudyEv The upside of it :)
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@DocAndersen (54402)
• United States
30 Jan 21
good that things are going well in Australia, we are still struggling with the reality in the US.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
I can't believe our good fortune. It's hardly impacted on us (Vin and I) at all. People in the big cities have had it a bit tougher but at least we're not dying off like flies.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
@DocAndersen I check the figures every morning - US, Britain, Canada, Ireland (where our son lives), and Austria (we have a friend there). And Australia first, of course.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54402)
• United States
30 Jan 21
@JudyEv it is really bad in the us
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136089)
• India
31 Jan 21
Lockdown for NINE MONTHS is the cause for increase in child birth
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 21
Yep, seems like it.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
3 Feb 21
Not happening here, I think we have a lot of birth control or people just don't like their significant other lol
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Feb 21
Haha - I wonder which it is?? And maybe many weren't as locked down as we were early on.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Jan 21
Oh my - at least they found something pleasant to do during lockdown.!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv It is indeed.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
True - that's a huge increase, isn't it?
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
2 Feb 21
Lollll so does in my country. Seems like people have nothing better to do haha
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Feb 21
Haha. All these people with nothing to do.
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
30 Jan 21
I'm not surprised. I have heard the new popular name is Covid.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv People are nuts! I met someone here named after a hairspray!
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@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
Really? Why would you want to call a child that? Maybe these new babies will be known as the COVID generation.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178131)
• United States
30 Jan 21
Birth rates are actually down here in the States in spite of the lockdowns. COVID-19 is still running rampant in the US...and now we have the variants to deal with. Vaccination appointments are not available for some of those that need it the most (such as my husband and myself); and we have no idea when we will get the shots. Have a good weekend.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339548)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
The mutations are very worrying. I'm sorry you haven't been able to get an appointment. Hopefully, it will happen soon.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178131)
• United States
31 Jan 21
@JudyEv Thanks!
1 person likes this