Lockdowns are very difficult – and of course, there are levels of difficulties depending on individual circumstances and temperaments.
Unfortunately, they are necessary in places where vaccination rates remain relatively low – it is really our only chance of containing the highly transmissible delta surge which is now causing the third major global COVID-19 wave.
Socio-economic impacts of lockdowns are real – there are broad-, large-scale economic issue that Governments can deal with and on a smaller scale (just as important), there is decimation of small businesses, loneliness and mental health issues which are all part of the COIVD-19 pandemic.
In the context of lockdowns the question of what constitutes an essential business is important. Obvious ones would be medical clinics, pharmacies, supermarkets etc … people need medicine and food. Things like “bottle” shops are less obvious but IMO opinion are super-essential; same with smoke shops – super-essential IMO [although they might want to re-think taxes – $120 for 50g tobacco is robbery; it really punishes the poorer people; some of which maybe using tobacco as self-medication; different topic for a different day]. How about take-away food shops and cake/coffee shops – probably less essential but still important! Personally, the most essential worker for me during this pandemic has been my Gyro- and Churros-maker guys which are both thankfully within my 5km bubble; lockdown would probably be unbearable without them! I think for many people – home improvement warehouses would also be considered essential – “click and collect” is not the same! Have to give people something productive and useful to do at home; making bread all day is not the best for the waistline!
Talking about essential and non-essential and Governments – stooges from both our leading political parties stuffed over the Father’s day weekend. With people in lockdown, restricted to a 5km radius and 9 pm curfew, one thought it was a good idea to post a black and white artistic photo of Father’s day family dinner – in the meantime many people haven’t see their kids, grandkids in weeks – even if they live like 5.5+ km away. The other guy decided it was a good idea to take a flight to Sydney to fettle about J! Don’t do that stuff – common sense; people don’t want to see that crap right now! Currently the situation in Sydney is pretty bad with 1480 cases reported today (and nine deaths), and in Melbourne (despite super-strict lockdowns in place for a few weeks now), 221 cases were reported; in some not bad news regional Victoria is looking OK with restrictions set to ease in the next couple of days.
In other current news – the Sturgis rally has been blamed for causing the August delta surge in South Dakota (Oktoberfest will be blamed next), Britney Spears has been “Freed” from her conservatorship, and Kim Kardashian posted something wrong about cryptocurrency on Instagram J.
On final last thought about essential things – earlier today I needed to staple something, and I re-noticed a box of staples that has been sitting next to the stapler for probably over decade (even longer). It contains 5,000 staples and I wonder: has anyone ever finished a whole pack of staples! This is an unusually big lot – usually you get a 1,000 pack but still it’s a huge surplus J!
Until next time …