Melbourne is officially the most locked down city in the world with more than 245 days staying at home since pandemic began, yay for us and our mental health.
I must admit, it’s been a real struggle these last few months, some days are better than others, but some days we’re really at our wits end, especially when the kids are home all day, have all this energy to spend, and we can’t really engage with them. I was even too depressed to blog this.
Luckily, a change of work situation meant just recently we were able to apply for a permit and send our young children (5 & 2.5 yo) to kinder/childcare. It does help as they are getting the social interaction and learning they crave, and we can keep sane while working, but the fear of the virus lurking around doesn’t stop. Especially, the unvaccinated ones are now mostly under 12 yo, and it’s climbed up to 1000+ new cases per day, topping 1400+ few days ago.
It wasn’t just us feeling the crunch and insanity of lockdown, there’s been a few days of protestors in the city, most claiming to be construction workers/tradies with their hi-vis on. Ever since the premier announced construction industry was to be shut down for the past 2 weeks due to non-compliance of a few, the protestors have gone beserk, then there was also the illegal AFL parties – which made the cases skyrocketed past 1000+ cases a day (we’ve now surpassed NSW which was at 1000+ cases a day but not they are about 600+ a day).
The Vic Roadmap was released Sunday 19 Sep and I remember the announcement, feeling slightly optimistic that things would start opening up soon, but as confusing as the roadmap was (with a different set of rules to each milestone and to NSW), I realised after reaching our ‘milestone’ vaccination last week, we could only travel 10km from 5km, and have a picnic with a friend if fully vaccinated but everything else stayed the same – curfews, lockdown and childcare to permitted workers. I had to even do a mini roadmap of my own, which listed down when I could get a haircut (priorities right), when it moves to 25km, when kids can return to childcare fully, the curfew being scrapped, the travel restrictions ease… etc.
Mother nature has a way of telling us we need to treat our world better too. It’s been strange last few weeks, although it had brought some excitement into our lockdown lives (kids were more excited than us), we had some hail and 5.9 magnitude earthquake all in the same week! The earthquake was the one that ‘shook’ us all a little (as we never experience earthquakes in Melbourne), but luckily no damages to our house (but some in surrounding suburbs).
I guess I just need to stay positive and not get too freaked out about the cases, especially popping up in early learning centres and childcare. I have been trying to start my spring cleaning, stocking up the pantry and designing my herb/vege garden. Have started growing the seedlings from woolworths, but will add a few more that I’d like to grow this spring. Also, to end on a positive note, I’m getting my 2nd Pfizer in mid Oct (can’t wait) as there weren’t any side effects with the last one, I’m hoping the same again this time and it’ll keep myself and family safer at least.
Surviving Corona Virus 2020 