Worrying times

Pomegranates ripening

24.3.2020

We are really worried. We have so many lovely family members and just at the moment they do not all seem to be acting sensibly.   It is difficult keeping up with all the changes as the changes keep changing. On Sunday evening we were told all non-essential businesses were to close and now we are told this is not so, but we need social distancing.  Schools are to stay open but parents in some states have been advised to keep their children at home. Here in Victoria the school holidays started today, which is a week early than it should have been.

As yet no one we know has been diagnosed with Covid19, but no-one has been tested either, so this is not totally reassuring.  We have been told to use sanitizer on our hands and house surfaces, but all supplies of sanitizer have been sold out.  It looks as if individual businesses are making up their own rules.  Morg’s work at the airport has shut down for at least four weeks. Bo’s boys are going stir crazy at home as she is trying to work out how she can do her work on-line.  And it is only day one!

Al has a problem because Pip’s baby was due today.  She is booked to go into Geelong hospital once labour starts, because she haemorrhaged so badly after the last birth.  Al tells us that the hospital will now not let anyone other than Alvyn in and that they are not allowed their own midwife.  We know that this will really upset them. The other problem is that Pip’s mother was going down to help (probably look after Pele), but Pip’s father is older and frailer, so they are in lock down and not going anywhere.  The staff member who Al employs who sometimes cares for Pele, has a partner just returned from America who is in quarantine lock down, so they should not even be at work.  We will all be much relieved when Al, Pip and the new baby are safely back at home.

Edd and I intend to self-isolate as much as possible.  We have plenty of work to do and lots of food.   It will be very hard on Edd, who is more restless than I am.  We are not forced to do this but so many other local people are just carrying on as normal and ignoring all the guidelines that it seems our most sensible course of action.