I Understand… but I don’t Sympathize!

Three days ago Jan baked a loaf of “Lockdown bread”. 

This is new to me (and I think her!).  Apparently it does not require yeast and this loaf had a cheesy top.  Of course garbage guts (me) was chief tester.  I got the hot end crust smeared in a layer of butter.  The bread is dense, rather than light and fluffy, and quite filling.  The first day we used if for tomato sandwiches and on the second day Jan toasted the remaining slices which we then covered in sardines.  I’ve no complaints.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the State government has closed the State borders.  They have now gone one step further and divided the State into different regions.  Non essential travel has been banned between regions.  This all makes sense if you want to control the spread of COVID-19.

The government strategy is quite apparent.  Australians trapped on infected cruise ships were transported back to Australia at government expense (ie the tax payer) and placed in enforced quarantine for 14 days on Christmas Island or in a project camp in the Northern Territory.  Those Australian residents who returned voluntary either at the end of their holiday/trip or early were required to go into 14 days quarantine in their own homes. 

During this period there were still people leaving Australia to take a holiday.  One assumes because their travel insurance (if they had it) didn’t allow them to cancel or they chose to ignore the risk. 

The next phase of this was the demand by many Australians now overseas, and starting to be trapped by travel restrictions, for the government arrange for them to be repatriated.  In the meantime the Australian authorities commenced checking on the people who had returned earlier to ensure they were staying in quarantine.  The police discovered a number of them were not complying.  The media have reported on case where the Australian resident returned from Jordan and had now been caught four times breaking his 14 day quarantine.  Obviously the government has realised some people are unlikely to comply with self quarantine.

Now we have the last wave of people who are being repatriated to Australia under inter government arrangements.  One assumes the bulk of these are people who left Australia in the last couple of months (ie, after the Coronavirus was public knowledge).  The authorities will likely have assumed if these people were prepared to depart, despite the virus, then they are also likely to not comply with self quarantine.  Consequentially all of them are being taken directly from their arriving aircraft into enforced quarantine for 14 days.  They are being detained in major 4-5 star hotels with meals provided, all at government (ie, tax payer) expense.  Some attempted to leave their rooms and there are police in the corridors to ensure they can’t “escape”.  Others have turned to the media and social media to complain about their conditions.

To them I say

• You decided to risk it and go overseas
• You demanded your government arrange your repatriation
• Your actions suggest you are likely to breach self quarantine.
• You are being fed and accommodated in 5 star facilities FREE
• There are people in Australia who lost everything in the recent bush fires and who are now living in tents.
• Have a good look at your hotel room.  Later in life you’ll look at your nursing home room and perhaps realise just how good you had it.
• STOP WHINGING…….!!!!!