Sigh. We were doing just so well. Vaccine being rolled out in the UK, coming to us next year. No community transmission cases across Australia for ages. It was all starting to feel normal again. Then slam, a week out from Xmas a new cluster erupts in Sydney.
So it turns out that even though we put returned overseas travellers into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days, we just rely on overseas flight crew to do the right thing. So now we have found that they are not all doing the right thing, we are going to change the rules (a bit after the horse has bolted sadly). They have not yet found the sources of the outbreak, but DNA testing has shown it is a US strain, possibly from flight crew who a week or so prior had been found not to be staying in their hotels as they were supposed to.
So then an older couple in Avalon was found to be positive. But they got tested and then instead of quarantining till they got their results – they went to beaches and cafes and shops and restaurants! So selfish!!! So that sparked a new cluster with the numbers rising to 17 and then to 28.
All of a sudden the Xmas period is in disarray for many people. Gladys asks the northern beaches people, all 250K of them from the spit bridge to palm beach to stay home for 3 days. It’s not an order, but a request. Beaches are shut, many shops and restaurants shut down.
Unfortunately on the northern beaches many people think the rules don’t apply to them and still go about their business.
But lots of people do and the traffic drops off considerably past our place just on the other side of the Spit bridge. All of those who haven’t done their Xmas shopping are a bit stressed. Everyone is hoping they will be able to get out to do their Xmas food shopping, although I can’t see things getting under control that quickly.
Of course the great toilet paper rush started again.
There are joke calls to lift the spit bridge and cut off the northern beaches – unfortunately some people don’t realise that articles like this are satire: The Rest Of Australia Tells Sydney’s Northern Beaches To Keep That Fucking Bridge Up — The Betoota Advocate
Queues for testing are hours long. Lots of pop up clinics open on the northern beaches.
Next the different states all start to put in restrictions and most states are refusing entry or requiring 14 days quarantine to people from the northern beaches. So families who thought they were able to get together for Xmas – won’t be. There is a massive rush to get in or out before restrictions some in place that night. WA of course takes a hard line so people who were on a plane to Perth discover that while they are in the air things have changed and they need to get tested and quarantine.
My family pre-Xmas gathering at Manly dam is cancelled and as most of the family lives on the northern beaches we probably won’t be able to get together. It has certainly meant a disappointing Xmas for many people.
Many northern beaches people would love people to stay away forever:
XMAS
We all wait each day for the 11am press conference to find out what will happen for Xmas this year. We know the borders are all closing, but can we see family in Sydney?
The cases continue to pop up – not huge amounts but 9 or 7 a day. The city is divided into zones with different rules. There are rules for before Xmas, then different rules for Dec 24.25.26 and then we go back to the previous rules. It’s all a bit confusing. But really the rule should be:
I actually think Gladys strikes a good balance between compassion and restraint. Basically for 3 days, those north of Narrabeen bridge (the red zone) cannot have any visitors from outside the zone, but if someone in Avalon is on tehir own they can go to the neighbours for lunch. The other part of the northern beaches, well they still aren’t allowed to leave the area, but people outside the area can come and see them within those 3 days.
I do like this version too:
And then these:
But the reality is this:
Of course not everyone does the right thing
New Years eve will likely be restricted too
And now we have a new strain to worry about
