Snapshots of the world whilst in Sydney quarantine
18/4/2020
There are 69 deaths in Oz. They are currently trying to provide 17 million people with food but need food, funding and volunteers.
The death toll in the US is still rising yet Trump wants to reopen the country. Globally there are over 150 thousand deaths. As businesses go bust and employees lose their jobs, Centre link lines grow bigger and bigger.
21/4/2020
Virgin Airlines have today gone into voluntary receivership. The Federal Government has offered $1.5 billion dollars to bail it out. Oil is now $-40 US per barrel because the virus has decimated the requirements for car and plane travel. SA has had no new cases for three days. We need to implement a suppression system rather than total border closures allowing a modicum of infection and control. The first day of school and 1.8 billion hits on the online learning system caused it to crash in just half an hour!
22-23/4/2020
Cats have been identified as catching the virus. Today there have been 4 deaths in SA, 7 in WA and 3 in the ACT. The first human trials of vaccine are proposed to take place in Germany then US and China.
25/4/2020 – Anzac Day
There have been very moving Anzac Day services across Australia with young and old playing the Last Post on all kinds of instruments including trumpet, cello and even bagpipes and standing outside homes or driveways, some in uniforms wearing medals. Families placed candles on the ground or held them and drew poppies on their driveways. Children made commemorative posters; others went to their elderly grandparents. In Gallipoli, a lone gardener honoured the fallen, a solitary attendee where there are usually thousands. It had me in tears. Social distancing saw neighbours line their streets whilst a 95 year old veteran rode down the street on his mobility scooter led by a piper. Probably a more memorable event than ever before as people come together from all walks of life at this very difficult time in history.
26/4/2020
WA has loosened restrictions allowing 10 people to gather now. NSW doesn’t seem to be listening. People are not adhering to beach restrictions at all. The police are having a really hard time controlling them. There are now 6720 cases in Oz and 83 deaths.
27/4/2020
The Government has developed a Coronavirus tracking App to help health officials. A million Aussies downloaded it on the first day but they are hoping at least half the population will do so. All schools are to resume teaching face to face by the end of May. There’s been a significant increase in mental health issues.
28/4/2020
The economy has been affected by the Coronavirus more quickly than the great depression of the 1930’s.
The Government has given all retirees $750 to assist. SA has 6 straight days without a new case. In Oz, there have been 53000 tests conducted and 438 recorded cases of the virus since February 2020. 2.5 million Aussies have downloaded the new Covidsafe App.