Living With Covid

Government regulations have been less restrictive over the last couple of months than they were - except for Victoria, which has been back in lock-down for six weeks. Suffering a massive second wave, its numbers peaked at over seven hundred cases per day before easing off to about one hundred after lock-downs were re-imposed.

Most state borders remain closed and there is a lot of political shouting and posturing about opening them up. Continued closure is inevitable but there is certainly a need for a more humanitarian approach to harsh border closures in border regions.

Some inhumane conservative bastards have continued to advocate for a complete abolition of all restrictions and letting covid rip, allowing "nature to take its course". We've already seen the devastating effects of covid running rampant through aged care institutions, where the disease did take its course. Carrying on as if everything was normal would decimate the over sixty population and then there would no longer be any need for aged care. Perhaps that's what they desire.

The government aim is still for covid containment, not covid elimination. New Zealand went hard for elimination and was covid-free for three months before new infections recently appeared. 

Most people here accept the need for continued restrictions, although some push the boundaries and a few flout the rules. Some even say the rules don't apply to them.

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My Bride and I make our own (stricter) rules and I am sure that many other people who are classed as vulnerable do the same. We choose to stay at home. We choose not to risk contracting the virus and we don't want to transmit it either - so we don't allow family, friends or tradesmen in the home.

Groceries and pharmaceuticals are delivered and then quarantined for four days. Letters and parcels too. Where possible, medical appointments take place either by home visit or by telephone.

We've been out briefly for essential medical tests and dental work - but apart from that, the furthest we've travelled has been to put the bins out - and tomorrow (4th September 2020) marks Day 200 of our self-imposed covid-19 isolation.

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As of today, there have been almost 26 million infections world wide and almost 26,000 in Australia. (That's 0.1%)

There have been 861,000 covid deaths worldwide and 663 here in Australia. (0.077%).

There is talk of vaccinations being available within six to twelve months.

Meanwhile the political debate has turned from "We're all in this together" to a puerile blame game, mostly coming from the noisy conservatives but also from a state Premier with an election coming up.