{"id":263238,"date":"2020-07-13T11:46:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T01:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=263238"},"modified":"2020-08-19T13:33:18","modified_gmt":"2020-08-19T03:33:18","slug":"covid-19-we-must-do-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/07\/13\/covid-19-we-must-do-better\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19: We Must Do Better!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>July 13, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Anne Miller<\/strong><\/p>\n

C’mon South Burnett! Do we really want to end up like Melbourne … back in lockdown, the economy haemorrhaging?<\/p>\n

The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating in Australia.<\/p>\n

The escalating outbreak in Victoria proves this, as do recent detections in NSW.<\/p>\n

Just because Queensland has gone many days and recorded only three new cases doesn’t mean the danger is over.<\/p>\n

Now that our borders are open (except for Victorians), I’m seeing more interstate numberplates on local roads.<\/p>\n

This may be good news for local businesses but it also means it’s no time for South Burnett residents to drop the ball.<\/p>\n

Abattoirs and hospitals are both high-risk work sites … we’ve got them both.<\/p>\n

“It’s just the flu” is dangerous nonsense.<\/p>\n

“I’m ok, she’ll be right” doesn’t cut it.<\/p>\n

Neither does the complacent self-assurance I’ve seen demonstrated by a lot of people lately who really should know better.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have attended several events over the past month where people shook hands, hugged and chatted for 20 minutes or more within centimetres of each other.<\/p>\n

But when I photographed them, they all broke up into nice, legal “socially distanced” groups.<\/p>\n

And the feeling that COVID-19 is all behind us is not only confined to the South Burnett’s elite.<\/p>\n

During recent visits to local shopping centres, I’ve seen multiple examples of groups of people standing around and chatting in small groups, making a mockery of the ubiquitous warning signs and taped-on floor crosses.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you tried to use any of the hand sanitisers at major stores in Kingaroy over the past fortnight or so?\u00a0They are almost universally empty.<\/p>\n

There’s a big question mark over social distancing adherence in some commercial establishments throughout Queensland, too.<\/p>\n

Been dancing lately? You shouldn’t have … it’s still banned.<\/p>\n

Our politicians aren’t helping, either.<\/p>\n

There was an incredible amount of political pressure – urged on by commercial imperatives – to open the Queensland border.<\/p>\n

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk basically caved.<\/p>\n

When I suggested in a comment on a politician’s Facebook page the border should remain closed for a bit longer, the party cadres piled on … apparently I am a bedwetter who should crawl back under the doona.<\/p>\n

In other social media arenas, apparently I am “woke” because I do not believe COVID-19 is a media beat-up created by Bill Gates and Big Pharma in some sort of 5G, pro-vax conspiracy.<\/p>\n

Well, the bad (or perhaps, good) news is the virus does not discriminate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter if you’re a right-wing or a left-wing ratbag, you can still get sick.<\/p>\n

And it doesn’t matter that you’re not elderly … you can still get very, very ill with lingering – perhaps lifelong – consequences.<\/p>\n

And as the overseas experience proves, young people CAN die.<\/p>\n

The frightening thing is that hundreds of cases in Victoria at present are “under investigation”. ie. the health authorities don’t know (yet) where they came from.<\/p>\n

This means community transmission. Just like the UK, the USA, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Brazil …<\/p>\n

Why do we think we are immune from the same thing happening here?<\/p>\n

Because we’re special in some way? Because we’re Queenslanders? Because it can’t happen here?<\/p>\n

Or perhaps because we’re just in dangerous denial.<\/p>\n