25-March - Wednesday - Lock this country down! NOW!

We spent the second day of quarantine (isolation) trying to catch-up with all the various messages from the Australian government: 10 people at a funeral, only 5 at a wedding, do not go outdoors, do not gather in groups, but you can do an outdoor workout with maximum of 10 people. You must stay home, unless necessary, but go to work. Which one is it? We spoke to friends and colleagues, hearing their frustrations and receiving their updates. Why on earth is this country not in lock-down? Why are we interested in saving the economy at the cost of human lives!? Every person potentially exposed to COVID-19 is a person that could pass it onto someone else, who might pass it onto another person, till they pass it onto a more vulnerable person, a person at risk: a father-in-law with pre-existing respiratory conditions; a friend recovering from a cancer treatment; an elderly grandparent. This country must go into lock-down right now, TODAY! These 2 travelling lads are flabbergasted at the inaction, at the casual approach being taken. It is unacceptable, it is irresponsible. States are taking action over the federal government; schools are taking action over federal or state instructions. Why? Because the measures being taken at higher levels are too lax, too slow, too ineffective. A body at federal level is too far removed, involved too deep in looking at the broad picture. In times of crisis our focus returns to our immediate surroundings, we saw this firsthand in Bali, as we were at that Qatar office. We did what it took to save our situation! What ever happened to the poor lad #41 or at the guy holding position #42 on the list and who neither ever made it into the Qatar office? I haven’t got a clue, it was outside our perspective, outside our immediate scope, we took action to protect our immediate family! I am observing the same happening world-wide. Cities, regions, states are taking the action they need to protect their immediate surroundings. It is extremely concerning, old divides long forgotten are re-surfacing so quickly, so dangerously. All the Qatar office needed to do is guarantee that people still outside the office will be seen and processed, what-ever it takes. The federal government needs to delegate powers to states, provide guidance and offer support, but the actual decisions need to be with states, with the community. The current disaster, inaction, frustration is a consequence of lack of leadership and extremely disappointing. How can a developed country like Australia, with such few cases at present, having observed what has happened overseas NOT decide to lock this country down and minimise the spread of COVID-19!? Shame on you, federal government of Australia!