Sorry, People, But We're Living In A Pandemic

I'm lucky enough to be living in what is probably one of the safest places (in terms of COVID 19) in the world at the moment. We had a relatively brief lockdown in February and March which was gradually lifted although we have maintained strict controls over who can and cannot enter the state. In total as of today there have only been 854 cases here - all from incoming people (travellers, returning residents and crews of ships) and of those there have been 9 deaths. There have been no infections in the community at large. 

What has given us this safety is our hard border policy and it is supported strongly here. This has meant that apart from essential supplies coming in from outside and strict quarantine measures for those who are granted entry - you can get exemptions for a variety of reasons but then have to self isolate or go into quarantine - for months now we've pretty much been living our lives as usual. A system of contact tracing has been put in place for anywhere that large groups meet up and we can travel freely in most of the state.  This has not been universally popular in other parts of the country, many of which have been vocal in their complaints and regularly demand we open our borders. One newspaper has even accused us of threatening national unity. Those who live here, on the other hand, have seen what happens when things are not so tightly policed and are well aware of how lucky we are so are none too keen on risking what has happened in other places happening here. 

That said there is as always a small proportion of those folk who think their wants should come ahead of the safety of the whole community. Every day there are complainers - we call them whingers here - who want the rules to be relaxed and I get it. We're social creatures and we want to go back to a world where you could jump on a plane and visit family interstate or in another country, one where you don't have to sign in when you take your child to swimming class or at a restaurant, where you can go where you want when you want. The trouble is life has been turned upside down worldwide and that way of life no longer exists. 

This is not important to the whingers, though. Every day on talk back radio, on social media, in letters to the newspaper there are people complaining that they can't do what they want when they want and it's not fair. In the past few days I've heard complaints ranging from how unfair it is to not let someone from another state bring their one year old here to visit his grandparents - it's his first Christmas, how can they be deprived of this - to how inconvenient it is to have to fill out your contact details at a public venue and that's before we even consider the idiots who breach self isolation or quarantine or try to avoid quarantine altogether. They are being robbed of these moments by a mean spirited government which should let them do what they want because they want it whether it's meeting with family or going to a nightclub when they should be in quarantine. Community safety means nothing to them. 

Well, the world doesn't work that way. Even in normal times we can't always do exactly what we want and people miss out on moments like a grandchild's first Christmas all the time. People get ill or have accidents and end up in hospital instead of at a family lunch. It happens. I've missed enough Christmases with family due to health problems to know the day is not what matters. You miss that particular moment but you catch up later and it's all the sweeter for it. Let's try to understand that and realise that a small sacrifice of a looked forward to pleasure for the common good is not the end of the world. Truth be told in this world of the internet you can get to see pretty much everything via video anyway and while it's certainly not the same as having physical contact it's a great deal better than nothing.