Kindly Yours

Thursday, 3 June 2021

Exceptions for the Privileged Few

Our international borders have been declared officially closed since March 2020. However, more than 14000 Australians have reportedly left the country, more than once, since Covid 19 arrived. These include military, diplomats, government officials, people seeking medical assistance and other categories. They have all been given exemptions by the Federal Government. I am more interested in the detail of the other categories. This is for a national population of around 25 million. So around 0.00056 per cent have been granted permissions to leave more than once. Often, it is not the statistical percentage that counts, but the reasons why and how. Voters lose faith in government policies when exceptions are allowed without a reasonable explanation. The majority of Australians have been compliant, restricting their personal movements, mostly within their states. Even the media around the world has remarked how compliant most Aussies have been since 2020, breaking our previous track record as often going walkabout, driving long distances and as frequent backpackers overseas per capita of population. Domestically in Australia, many individuals have just put up with a stiff upper lip, bit their tongue and kicked their heels in, while not being able to physically see their loved ones, mostly interstate, even for significant life events, delaying weddings, medical procedures and more. Go figure. #yongkevthoughts

No Brainers

Commercial hotels are not built to accomodate as medical evacuation centres. They are designed for holding healthy guests. A powerful national ally asks an aggressive leader to de-escalate tensions, but the latter doubles down on bombing. The NSW Government in Sydney so far ignores the rising mouse plague across NSW farms and countryside - when will the impact arrive at supermarket prices and supply to suburban areas? The plague of corruption of our public monies and manipulation of politics continues unabated under the cover of Covid 19. Nature gives us produce from plants we can grow ourselves. The sun shares her bounty to give to our bodies and for our household energy utilities. Yet society makes us go to pay a middle person for our table veg, a manufacturer for vitamin supplements and a company that burns coal. Most of us these days have a mobile phone, a social media address, a personal email, an ID document, a favourite password, a swipe card, etc. Soon there may be more required as governments may utilise Covid 19 to make us have more. Is there a website where I can follow up on electoral promises, the varying pronouncements of medical bureaucrats, the predictions of soothsayers and the forecasts of economists? Each of us can read between the lines when a snake oil sales person tries too hard to press on the message to us. #yongkevthoughts

Covid 19, June 2021

Are there lessons for Australia? If any government does not effectively manage the breach point of Covid 19 entering into their country, the risks of whatever numbered infectious waves remain. The international borders of Australia have been officially closed since March 2020. Breach entry points to me possibly encompass aircraft crew, returned citizens and permanent residents, travel ban exempted personalities like politicians, diplomats and celebrities with connections, so called essential personnel and exceptions decreed by bureaucrats and governments as if Covid 19 can recognise and do not touch them. The management of such breach point groups must be improved. It is the self entitled wiring in the brains and egos of our decision makers which actually provide the greatest public health management risks for any of us, who are mostly complying with rules as pronounced by our respective state and Federal governments. For Australia, the track record of cross infections of Covid 19 in quarantine hotels and facilities - and occasional leakages into local transmission cases - is rather concerning, after all these months. #yongkevthoughts