A Little COVID -19 Update

We break our usual transmission for a new flash.......well not really.

This is just a post for my records, as our friend COVID-19 is starting to impact us a bit more.

Back in early June, a fellow in Sydney caught the Delta variant and unwittingly passed it on.  The powers that be tried to keep things under control with minimal limitations to our daily lives, particularly as New South Wales had been saying they wouldn't be closing borders etc.

Sadly, by not doing a snap, hard lock down the virus spread rapidly throughout Sydney, and a couple of infected people travelled to the Central Coast, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains.  Subsequently, all those areas were subject to a lock down. 

Regional NSW has been spared from a full lock down, but for the first time since the start of the pandemic, eighteen months ago, we are now having to wear masks when out and about, including at work, as well as compulsory signing into everywhere we go with a QR Code.  Other than that, we are not all that limited in our movements.  The Bathurst Winter Festival was even still able to proceed, albeit in a reduced manner.

Progressively, daily infection numbers increase until there were more than 100 per day, with many being out and about in the community while infected. Restrictions were tightened in Sydney and surrounding areas. Miraculously, there were still no infections in regional NSW.

In the last few days Victoria and South Australia have also imposed lock downs and Queensland has now a case or two, so watch this space.....

On a personal note, we have both had our first dose of Astra Zenica vaccine, with the second jab due in early September.  We haven't been impacted too much, both still going to work and doing what we need around town.  We had hoped to attend the Quilt Show in Sydney in early July, but it was postponed until early September.  I won't be surprised if it is postponed further, or cancelled.  I know we won't be going to Sydney, regardless of the outcome.  The other impact is that we were going to the Mundi Mundi Bash music festival, west of Broken Hill in mid August.  It has now been postponed until the end of September.  Once again, we will wait and see if it eventuates or not. 

We aren't too far west of Sydney, on one of the main routes out of the city, so have been thinking it would only be a matter of time until the virus reached regional NSW, and particularly our area.

There have been a couple of instances of transport drivers coming to our area while infected in the last couple of weeks.  The most recent was last week, where a delivery driver visited a factory in Blayney, about half an hour west of us, several times last week, stopping at a truck stop just out of Bathurst for dinner each night.  Many people have been tested, and now, one employee at the Blayney factory has tested positive.  He had attended several places in the neighbouring city of Orange while infectious, but while unaware that he had been in contact with a COVID positive person.  

Subsequently, Orange, Blayney and Cabonne council areas are going into lock down as of midnight tonight for seven days.  This is the first regional area to be affected in this way.  It makes us all realise that we do need to take protective measures seriously.

Now that there are exposure sites close to home, with many people travelling between towns for work and shopping, we will keep a low profile, where possible.

Let's hope that things get under control before long, as so many people are affected by the lock downs, in so many ways.  We are certainly thinking of them.

On a positive note......there has to be an upside......the weather has been cold, wet and just plain bleak here.  It is much easier to wear a mask in this weather than it would be in the middle of summer.  Also, it's great weather for staying home.  Sewing, reading and cooking all are rather appealing, regardless of the COVID situation.

There are just a few tiny pops of colour in our winter garden.  Poor photos, but it's hard to take a photo when the flowers are just above ground level.  I noticed yesterday that our wallflower is budding up, as is the daphne we planted last year. Something to look forward to.

Now to return to our usual programme........