IloveFauns wrote:Yes, the Ruby Princess was a disaster for NSW. South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, and Tassy have had many days of zero cases. In WA, we have had one known case in the past 10 days and this case was someone returning from overseas. This is one time in my life that I am thankful for living in the most isolated city in the world. I hope NSW and Vic get their cases under control soon. Although, compared to the majority of the world, cases in these states are very minimum.
It is lovely to hear from you, IlF, & glad to hear you are okay. Yes it is a bit isolated in Western Australia. From today some of the restrictions we have been having are being lifted, & restaurants, pubs etc can have up to ten patrons at a time. Many of these businesses point out that such low patronage isn't really viable. They are still dithering around about school attendance & maybe in a week or two TAFE will be restarting for apprentices, because for so many jobs there needs to be "hands-on" learning in suitable learning installations. It is not only the teachers, many of them being both casual & seasonal, it is also the ancillary staff, such as the canteens there to cater for any students, attending classes, who have suffered.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of Sydney Morning Herald's Column 8 a couple of days ago, it was reported that someone had seen a van with a notice on it saying "You lied! My children are not a joy to be in class". There will be many parents, unused to the idea of home-schooling, who will be very relieved when school gets back to normal, & grateful for the put upon teachers.
In a new suburb called Caddens 2 km away, across the nearest large intersection, there is a retirement village, still in development only five years ago, which we had put our names down for, as it is close to all our local facilities. Unfortunately, the aged care facility has been the focus of media attention due to the COVID-19 deaths of about 16 of the elderly residents there. It is bad enough reading about the horror stories elsewhere, not only about the Ruby Princess, but it still is intensely sobering when it comes to one's own neighbourhood.
johobbit wrote:The world is changed. I feel it in the isolation. I feel it in the quiet. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost; and many now live who remember it.
Yes, & winter is coming, too. Not a good time for our oven to pack up & become unfunctionable. But let us look on the bright side. It will save electricity consumption at any rate.