The time for warnings is over: Follow the rules, do it for you’re family

Disappointing, frustrating, infuriating; such words come to mind when thinking of the COVID-19 situation facing Australia. It has become increasingly obvious that some people think it’s okay to flaunt the guidelines we’ve been continuously asked, instructed and now forced to comply with. Such guidelines or rules are no joking matter and have been put in place with good reason and consideration. They’ve been implemented to lighten the load on our medical profession; stay at home, and you are unlikely to get sick. As the daily numbers rise, basic precautions become more critical. The bottom line, if we don’t follow the rules, we risk contracting the unpredictable and deadly virus. COVID-19 doesn’t care about your age or health. Nor does it care if you choose to believe or not.  Many stories are emerging to demonstrate this point. Otherwise healthy, young people are catching COVID-19 because they chose to not believe it was real. Some young people have died. It’s time to step up, Australians. These government restrictions, mundane as they are, have been put into place for good reason, to slow the spread of this deadly disease.

We’re hearing a constant stream of complaining and whinging about being subject to isolation. No-compliance is becoming a problem in my home state of Victoria, with people trying to get out of Melbourne to avoid lock down. In response, authorities have been instructed to enforce these laws. Major roads are being patrolled and anyone without good reason for travelling is turned away and slapped with a hefty fine. The congestion on our major highways is appalling, those with legitimate reason for travelling, having to wait hours  to get through the checkpoints. This is disappointing; we don’t want the virus to spread further, we want to keep regional Victoria safe; we want people do the right thing so that metropolitan Melbourne can get those virus numbers down. This is not a form of punishment for living in Melbourne, just protection for those infected and those who are not.

I acknowledge that I’m no expert, but I do have a good sense of right from wrong and I wholeheartedly believe that our Government is not seeking to break us purposely, or put us in a position of harm. Why would our Government deliberately suppress the very people who are relied on to ensure the steady growth of our country’s economy?  What does the Government stand to gain by weakening us, the taxpayers, the people who keep this country ticking along?  I think it’s far-fetched to consider our Government has nothing better to do than to conspire to control our lives, monitor our every move and dictate the boundaries within which we can freely move. Likewise, Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia, I suspect has more on his agenda than being concerned with how we spend our daily lives. As for the communist conspiracy, what do they have to gain from such a move? Our society’s freedom of lifestyle sums up what it means to be Australian and that is not communism.

I’m baffled by the many theories I hear flying around. Those people blatantly breaking the rules and flaunting conspiracy theories may be having a more harmful impact on our mental health, than the virus itself. Stop blaming the isolation, we all know and acknowledge it isn’t an easy way to live. I understand the struggles, I struggled horribly during the first round of isolation, yet we do it for the health of ourselves, our families and the greater population at large. And if regional Victoria is ordered to lock down, I’ll do what is recommended.

Do you wonder why Victoria and now other states are seeing a re-emergence of COVID-19 cases? I watched it unfold, people flocking to restaurants, overcrowding bars, congesting shopping centres and flocking onto the beaches, as restrictions began to be eased. We were encouraged to go outside, support businesses but with great caution. We were to remember to continue with the social distancing, good hygiene and staying home when sick. Sadly, we seemed to have misinterpreted these directives, taking them on as an option rather than regulation. This is why we are seeing the return of restrictions, but on a much higher scale. This is why extreme measures, such as fully isolating apartment towers, were put into place. This is why industries have had to shut down again and metropolitan Melbourne got put back into lock down.

To be brutally honest, I think this illustrates how over-indulged, irresponsible and pampered some people in our society have become. Some lobby groups seem to be gaining momentum and becoming more vocal as our situation worsens. Aussies, who have been praised when it comes to standing up and being accountable, are becoming a bunch of complainers. It’s not fair, it’s over the top, you can’t do that, it goes on. The time for warnings is over. For those of us who continue to do the right thing, we say it is time to move on from your grievances. Everyone can make mistakes, doctors, nurses, teachers and yes, even politicians. If you can do better, step up and have a go, otherwise forgive and let go.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has emphasised that “self-isolation is a civic duty”.  If we want our freedom back, if we want to feel safe while visiting the beach, going shopping or on holidays, we all need to behave in a manner that is trustworthy, reliable and with a sense of integrity. No more running around behind the backs of authorities, trying to skip the border, taking off from homes in urban hot spots to the rural holiday homes, its not smart and it’s not funny. No more hosting and attending private parties on both ends of the age spectrum, it’s unsafe to do so. Think twice before acting. Is lining up at a pub that already has a line half-way down the street a sensible thing to do?

Take Home Message

Today my message is simple. Like it or not, our lives have changed. Our old normal will never be our new normal, there’s no going back to how we lived prior to COVID-19. This is reality, we all need to find a way to accept this and move on.

What we can do is come together as the great country we are. Respect our politicians, police force, medical authorities and health workers who are trying hard to steer our country on the safest path. They too have families and deserve respect.

Overwhelmingly, it’s up to us all to help the cause. We need to listen and stop the critical and bizarre comments. Follow  basic guidelines and when the time comes to venture out of isolation next time, act with more caution. Life has changed. Consider moving slowly. This is how we learnt as children and it’s a wise insight into how to approach the coming months.