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Canada, Cuba and Covid 19Canada, Cuba and Covid 19
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Canada, Cuba and Covid 19

March - December 2020
In March 2020 a group of 16 riders from the Australian Ghostriders cycling group travelled to Cuba to complete an extended cycling adventure around the island. This journal documents Cuba and the COVID aftermath that cut our trip short. Read more
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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 273

    30 Days Without Covid

    November 29, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    According to the calendar it's been over two weeks since I last posted a footprint. That could be because (a) not that much has been happening or (b) I am becoming slack or (c) both of the above.

    Actually, it would be very misleading to say that nothing much has been happening. In fact, it has been an exciting time for Australia, and Victoria in particular. We were always told that 14 straight days without a new Covid infection would mark a significant milestone in our post Covid recovery. That point was reached two weeks ago.

    At the time it was a real reason to celebrate. For the first time in months we could dare to believe that there was going to be a life after Covid after all. Even better has been the fact that the run of "donut days" has continued unbroken. Today marked the 30th such day. Since 14 days represents one Covid cycle, we have now completed two such cycles. The experts are now cautiously telling us that we have achieved Covid elimination in Victoria.

    Apparently there is a difference between Covid elimination and Covid eradication. We might not have fully eradicated it yet, but elimination is surely the next best thing.

    The improving situation in Victoria has meant that restrictions have been even further relaxed. We can now entertain up to 15 people per day in a private house. Of even greater significance for the Ghostriders, we can now have groups of up to 50 people participating in outdoor events. This means that we do not have to count all our riders to make sure that we have no more than 10 riders in any group.

    Last Thursday was the first time we were able to put these new guidelines into effect. It was our first unrestricted ride in many months - and it felt wonderful. Even the weather played the part by providing us ideal conditions for riding.

    One of the most unpopular things we have had to endure for the past few months has been the compulsory wearing of face masks when outside the home. We have now been told we need only wear these masks when in close proximity to other people. This means that we can enjoy the freedom of "bare faced cycling" once again. It is amazing how important such things become when you no longer have them. It certainly felt great to be able to ride and breathe freely again.

    Eighteen riders met for this very important ride, although we did divide into two smaller groups for the ride itself. The ride itself went mostly according to plan, although we did get slightly lost at one point and one rider had a fall from his bike. These minor mishaps did not stop us from smiling the whole way. It was great to be alive and share fun with the friends we had missed for so long.

    So what else has changed ? The state borders are progressively starting to open - just in time for Christmas. It is now possible to travel between Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Tasmania, without having to quarantine on arrival. Western Australia is taking a more cautious approach and seems determined to stay closed until the next Ice Age.

    And what about South Australia ? That is the only sour note in an otherwise positive report. Over the past two weeks South Australia has experienced a new local outbreak of cases. This has grown to around 30 active cases in a significant cluster. Having seen just how quickly such outbreaks can spread through a population, it has obviously been a cause of concern.

    The initial response of the South Australian government was to throw the entire state into a complete lockdown for 6 days. The extent of this lockdown was even more extreme than we experienced in Victoria. After only three days of this lockdown, the governemnt did an abrupt about turn and called it all off. They are now reliant on contact tracing to prevent further spread, but they have not been entirely successful in this as every day brings another 2 or 3 new cases.

    For the past few days I have been back in Melbourne, while Maggie has stayed down in Inverloch to enjoy a well earned rest. The remaining short time before Christmas looks like it will be the busiest we have had for a long time.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 255

    A Covid Remembrance Day

    November 11, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    One hundred and two years ago today, World War I officially came to an end with the signing of the Armistice ceasefire agreement in France. Over the preceding 4 years, over 20 million people had lost their lives in what many still believe was a pointless war. On that day, the battlefields of Europe finally fell silent and the world was able to take some time to count the incredible cost.

    Since that historic day in 1918, we have set aside the 11th of November as a time to honour those that made the ultimate sacrifice. In Australia, the day is known as Remembrance Day. All over the nation, people gather in towns large and small to hold remembrance services. This year, remembrance day services were destined to become yet another casualty of the ever-growing list of canceled events.

    Even though the traditional services were not possible, over the past few days there has been a steadily growing feeling of optimism in our population. This is especially evident in Melbourne where we are finally daring to believe that we just might have beaten the Covid menace.

    Today marked the 12th consecutive day with no new known infections and no deaths in our state. There is absolutely no doubt that there is a widespread feeling of relief spreading through the people. This has also been reflected in a significant rise in the stock market over the past few days. Since most people's superannuation savings are closely connected to stock market movements, this gives another reason to smile a little.

    This morning we had yet another reason for celebration. An announcement came through that one of the major candidates for a Covid 19 vaccine has shown better than expected results in the latest large scale tests. The experts had been hoping for a success rate between 60-70%, but the initial results exceeded this benchmark, with a success rate of over 90%. We are now being told that widespread vaccinations could begin early in 2021.

    Although many businesses are still battling to stay afloat, there are others that are actually doing very well indeed. Now that the "ring of steel" no longer separates Melbourne from the Victorian country, there is hope that we will see a huge flow of money from city dwellers to the rural cities. All over the state, signs have been erected outside country towns, welcoming back people from Melbourne.

    Although the battle is far from over, there is no doubt that we are rapidly becoming the envy of the world. The latest news from the USA showed that the daily new infections are now in excess of 200,000. In most states of America, the virus is spreading without any real attempt at control. While this is going on , we witness the ludicrous spectacle of the defeated ex-President Trump, bunkering himself in the White House and refusing to acknowledge that he has been thrown out. It is a truly sad spectacle of a man in complete mental decline. Where will this lead in the weeks ahead? Who knows?    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 253

    Donuts Galore

    November 9, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    At the time of my last update Victoria had achieved the unthinkable - three days in a row with no new Covid 19 infections. Just a few months ago we were in a much different position, with daily new infections over 700. I am pleased (actually ecstatic) to announce that the sequence of "donut days" has continued for another week. We have now had 10 consecutive days with no new infections and no deaths. Perhaps even more remarkably, we now have only 4 active cases remaining in our entire state.

    Today we take another big step towards reclaiming our freedoms. The much hated "ring of steel" around Melbourne has been removed, along with the 25 km travel restriction. All Victorians can now leave their houses whenever they wish and travel as far as they want. After being confined for so many months, it represents a massive change.

    Not so popular was the news that we can still only have two visitors per day to our homes and a maximum of 10 people can take part in an outside activity. That means that extended family dinners and large group bike rides are off the agenda for at least another two weeks.

    Against the backdrop of our improving Covid 19 status, we have daily reminders of how dire the situation still is in most of the world. This is especially the case in the USA and Europe where the daily infection numbers are setting new records virtually every single day.

    The USA has had another event to distract from the long-running Covid show. Last Tuesday was the US presidential election. While the rest of the world looked on and hoped that the four-year Trump debacle would finally come to a peaceful end, in the USA the outcome was not so sure. For millions of underpaid and undereducated Americans, Trump has become some sort of cult leader. The more outrageous his behaviour becomes, the more they seem to adore him. It is sad but true.

    The lead up to the election has seen the USA more and more divided into two warring camps. On numerous occasions we have seen news footage of heavily armed Trump supporters marching through the streets, threatening a civil war if they do not get the result they want.

    The best possible outcome would have been for a decisive victory for the Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Although at 78 years old he appears to already have one foot in the grave, he does seem to be a decent and honest man. At such a precarious time in world history, perhaps the voice of reason and experience is what is really needed.

    It did not turn out that way. Due to a record number of postal votes having been lodged, the counting continued day after day. It soon became evident that the final result was going to be tight. After several days passed, Joe Biden slowly moved into the lead. Eventually, on Sunday, he was finally declared to be the clear winner.

    That would normally be the end of the matter. At that point, the loser generally contacts the winner to offer their congratulations and best wishes. Trump was never going to behave in such a gracious way. Instead, he has bunkered himself down in the White House, sending out a torrent of uppercase tweets, These childish ravings accuse the Democrats of having "stolen" the election. He also seems to think that all the postal votes are "illegal" (apart from the ones that favour him). It is looking increasingly likely that he will need to be dragged out of the Oval Office, while he stages a full-blown kiddy tantrum.

    I guess you can add the weird goings-on in the USA to the huge list of unbelievable events that have already taken place in 2020. What a year this has turned out to be.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 246

    A Feast of Donuts

    November 2, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Some people spell them "donut" and others spell them "doughnut". However you spell the word, we all know what they are. They are those circular, sugary treats with the hole in the middle. When I was a kid I visited a very early incarnation of Chadstone shopping centre. The shops did not interest me much, apart from one store that stood in a special location, all by itself. It was the Downyflake donut shop, and for a curious child, it was the stuff of wonder and amazement.

    Because we were a very poor family, we could not afford to buy any of the delicious treats, but that did not matter. The real fascination was due to the fact that the store contained a machine that manufactured the donuts, right before your eyes. I remember standing outside the Downyflake window, mesmerised by the never ending donut parade that took place there. The final step was when the completed donut dropped into a bed of sugar. Lucky shoppers could then purchase the, still warm, delicacies and enjoy them while they explored the shopping centre.

    About sixty years have now gone past since those days. The Downyflake store has long since disappeared, but I can still vividly remember that smell of warm donuts, that so permeated the location.

    Nowadays I very seldom buy donuts. In fact, I can't remember the last time I sunk my teeth into one, however all of Melbourne has been enjoying a wonderful sequence of so called "donut days" in the past week. This does not mean that Melbournians have all gone off to the nearest bakery in search of a sugar hit, but it is an undoubted reason to celebrate.

    After enduring one of the harshest lockdowns of any city on earth, Melbourne is now finally enjoying the fruits of our sacrifice. We have seen the daily numbers of new infections drop steadily. The first milestone was achieved a few weeks ago when we dropped into single digits for the first time. Then we celebrated afresh when the numbers dropped below 5 cases a day. But the best was still to come.

    About two weeks we achieved what was almost unthinkable - a day of zero new cases. The day was christened a "donut day", because the numeral zero resembled the classic circular donut shape. This week the incidence of donut days has increased, so much so that we have now had three consecutive donut days.

    There is no doubt that this is a significant milestone in our recovery from Covid. We now have good reason to hope that we will soon be able to move to the next stage of removal of restrictions. The next major update is due next Sunday 8th November. The rumour is that we may see the hated "ring of steel" around Melbourne finally removed. This is the network of police roadblocks that stop Melbournians from venturing into rural Victoria. If that does happen I suspect that we will see an instant exodus of people from the city heading off to enjoy the countryside.

    Although that day would be a very happy one for Melbourne residents, I am not sure that the sentiment is shared by the people of country Victoria. Obviously, they are concerned about the possibility of infection being carried out of the city, along with the day-trippers.

    Another observation we have made is that people seem to be getting visibly slacker with their Covidsafe habits. I think that many have decided that the battle is now over and therefore they no longer need to wear masks or maintain safe social distancing. Maggie and I went on another bike ride today and noticed numerous walkers completely ignoring the mask-wearing rule. Many others had their masks hanging uselessly under their chins. It would be such a terrible waste of our previous sacrifices and self-discipline, if such slack behaviour allowed a terrible third wave of the virus to re-emerge in Melbourne.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 237

    A Covid Grand Final

    October 24, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    In this year that is unlike any other, today we have the spectacle of the strangest Grand Final in football history. In any normal year, this would have already been held on the final Saturday in September. But not this year.

    This year was without doubt, weird in every respect. Football was no exception. The outbreak of the pandemic looked like it would bring a premature end to the entire 2020 season, and that's what almost happened. After a few rounds, the pandemic grew to such an extent that all matches were suspended.

    For a time matches resumed in front of empty grandstands. It was purely a TV spectacle, but the "spectacle" was more like a farce. Someone decided that we need some artificial crowd noises to build the atmosphere, but that only served to make it a sad joke. The quarters were reduced in length to 15 minutes. I am not sure why this was done, but it only added to the lacklustre season that never was.

    Soon the dreaded "second wave" arrived in Victoria and somehow all the players, partners, friends, neighbours, etc were offered free transit to Queensland. The players were supposed to be separated in a special "hub" away from the general population. Of course, many players immediately ignored that condition and proceeded to behave badly at every opportunity.

    The home and away season was reduced to only 17 matches - just enough for every team to play every other team just once during the season. The all-important Grand Final was delayed by four weeks and, in the worst insult to Victoria, was rescheduled to be held in Queensland at the Gabba. At least up there they could still have modest crowds. In the meantime, the massive MCG would sit empty.

    Somehow the season limped along to the finals. It was hard to really get very involved in such a contrived situation and many of the people I spoke to told me that they had lost all interest in what was going on this year.

    To cut a long story short, one by one, the teams were eliminated, until only Richmond and Geelong were left to battle for the Premiership of the Damned. It was somewhat ironic that the first non Victorian Grand Final would be battled out by two Victorian teams. Since I like to support the underdog, I would have liked St Kilda to win the premiership this year, but that was not to be. Both Richmond and Geelong have had more than their fair share of success over the past few years, so it will be another example of the "rich getting richer".

    Against the backdrop of the leadup to the Grand Final, we had had a steady reduction in the daily numbers of new cases in Victoria. It was actually looking like we might even reach the holy grail of zero new cases, however another stuff up in bureacracy has seen another local outbreak in the Preston region. Apparently the Dept of Health and Human Services incorrectly omitted to tell a family that one of their children should have been kept in isolation. The parents dutifully sent off the infected kid to school and the result was therefore quite predictable. We now have three schools closed for 2 weeks and hundreds of people placed potentially at risk.

    Dan Andrews had previously promised that we could expect a further easing fo restrictions tomorrow, but the latest bungle may now have prejudiced that happening. In the meantime, hundreds of unmasked protestors rioted in the streets of Melbourne yesterday. They have come to the conclusion that the pandemic is a scam, and that we should be completely freed to infect anyone we choose, in any way we choose.

    On a personal level, Maggie and I were very happy with the increase in travel distance up to 25 km. This gave us the chance to leave our neighbourhood for the first time in months. We met with friends at Gembrook, had a picnic in Garfield and, best of all, saw our youngest grandson again. It really was like a breath of fresh air and made us feel like there was light at the end of the tunnel after all.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 231

    The Big Day Finally Arrives

    October 18, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    In a few short hours all of Melbourne will be watching and listening for the long awaited announcement from Dan Andrews about what, if any, changes will be made to our lockdown rules. After enduring months of the most severe lockdown restrictions on earth, people are now at breaking point and desparately in need of some light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel.

    The last few days have finally seen a dramatic drop in the number of new daily cases. The past three days' critical numbers were 4, 2 and 1. A few minutes ago we heard that today's number was 2 (with no deaths). This brought the rolling `14 day average down to 7.5 for Metro Melbourne.

    In spite of this, we are continually being warned to not expect too much change to the current restrictions. The most hated restriction is the 5 km travel limit. This is the one that everyone really wants to be scrapped. Apart from split families, the other major group suffering at the moment is the retail sector. With the majority of retail shops still closed, there is a very real danger that many will not survive if they cannot open and start to gain even some benefit from the upcoming Christmas period.

    So what else has been happening over the past week ? For people looking for some diversion from the doom and gloom of Covid, we have had the AFL football season finally limping towards a conclusion. With the MCG closed, all matches have had to be held interstate. The final preliminary final was held last night at the Gabba in Brisbane. The two teams fighting for the final spot in the Grand Final were Brisbane and Geelong. Although Brisbane put up a brave struggle for most of the match, they were overun by Geelong in the final quarter. The final margin was 40 points. This now gives rise to a somewhat ironic situation where, for the first time in history the Grand Final will be held outside of Melbourne, but the two teams competing are both from Victoria. Geelong will now face Richmond for the title of the weirdest premiership ever. I will be barracking for Geelong.

    Later today I will post an update with what changes have been announced to the lockdown. In the meantime, I will have some fun by making a few predictions.

    I predict
    1. That the 5 km travel limit will be increased to 20 km.
    2. That Melbourne will still be cut off from regional Victoria.
    3. That some retail shops will be allowed to reopen (eg hardware, clothing, etc)
    4. Cafes will still only be able to sell take away.
    5. Groups of up to 10 people will be able to meet outdoors.
    6. No indoor gyms, dining, etc.
    7. No change to mask wearing laws.
    8. All students to return to school as soon as possible.
    9. Next major date for updates will be 8th November

    I don't pretend to be Nostradamus, so I wonder how many I will get correct.

    Update at 1.30 pm
    Now that the important press conference has been held, I can report on what sort of score I received for my predictions.
    1. Almost correct - the 5 km was actually increased to 25 km.
    2. True - Melbourne is still surrounded by a ring of steel.
    3. False - most shops remain closed for another two weeks, but somewhat amazingly, hairdressers can reopen.
    4. True - cafes still closed, apart from takeaway.
    5. True - groups of 10 can meet outdoors, but only if they are from no more than two households.
    6. True - gyms and restaurants remain closed
    7. True - masks will be worn for just about forever.
    8. True
    9. False - next major announcement will be on the 1st Nov.

    I think that means I got about 6 and half out of 9 - a reasonable pass grade.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 222

    Another Week with Nowhere to Go

    October 9, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    It's been a long seven days since my last update, so I thought it was time to make another record of my observations.

    So what has happened in the past week ?

    In the USA we have the ongoing spectacle of the upcoming Presidential election. The narrative was diverted for a few days by President Trump, his wife and an ever increasing number of White House staff being infected with the virus. Of course Trump was never going to a well behaved patient, and spent his time enthusiastically spreading his contagion to just about everybody within a 10 mile radius. He even interrupted his time in hospital to conduct an expensive (and very dangerous) drive around the neighbourhood. It would be crazy if it was made up, it's even more crazy when it actually happened.

    After a few days in hospital, treated with the very best drugs that power and money can buy (and that few others in the USA could afford), he made a very public return to the White House. He claimed that he had assessed himself and discovered that he was a "perfect physical specimen" and that he felt better than ever. He went on to make the even more ridiculous claims that the coronavirus was a "gift from God" and that he was "extremely young". And this is the man that is the supposed leader of the free world. I really hate watching that guy, but somehow his behaviour is so outrageous, that it is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You shake your head in disbelief, but you can't take your eyes off it.

     What about things closer to home ? The biggest event in Australian politics in the past week has been the Federal Budget. Twelve months ago we were promised that we would see the very rare spectacle of a budget surplus. Of course, the arrival of the pandemic quickly sent that promise sailing somewhere out over the proverbial rainbow. The government immediately went into a lather of furious spending, in an attempt to keep as many people as possible still in jobs (even if those jobs were just sitting at home, watching TV, and waiting for the pandemic to pass).

    The promised meager surplus quickly transformed into the biggest deficit that the country has ever faced. Now that the budget has been finally brought down, we can see how huge that deficit actually is. In the space of six short months, we now face a devastating deficit of over 200 billion dollars. That is really a massive number, almost as big as the personal fortune of Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.

    For those of us who do not understand the mysteries of economics, it is always staggering to see where such sums of money can be just made to appear out of thin air. And of course, Australia is not the only country that is currently performing such Herculean feats of Monetary magic - every country on Earth is doing the same thing. So where does the money actually come from ? We are told that it is all "borrowed money". If that is the case, who then is it borrowed from ? If every country is simultaneously also "borrowing" stupendous amounts of money, then even Jeff Bezos would not be able to provide the loans. There appears to be a bottomless pit of virtual money that all countries can access in such times.

    The day after the handing down of the Federal Budget, the Leader of the Opposition is given his chance to put forward his own alternative solution. We then had the incredible mental gymnastics of Anthony Albanese promising to throw even vaster sums of money at everything and everyone in sight. And this has come just a few hours after he had enthusiastically criticized the government for creating a debt that would put everyone's grandchildren into penury. His solution ? To spend even more. It is little wonder that politicians are held in such low regard around the world.

    And what about the situation in Victoria ? With only little more than a week to go before Dan Andrews promised to further relax the restrictions, it is looking more and more obvious that the lockdown is set to be extended for an indefinite time into the future. The target of achieving a 14 day rolling average of less than 5 new cases a day was always going to be unrealistic. Now is it rapidly becoming a mathematical impossibility. With another 11 cases today, the 14 day average is sitting stubbornly around 9.8.

    We have now endured the lockdown for many weeks and people are finally reaching the tipping point. The 5 km travel restriction means that families are split. Many people have been denied almost all human contact and their mental states are suffering. On a personal level. we have not seen our youngest grandson for many months, and he has now achieved many important developmental milestones without us being there to share them with him. As to when we will be able to see our family in Queensland, that is beginning to seem unlikely for at least another six months.

    More and more people are stating publicly that they will not allow the lockdown to be extended any longer. The government is facing the very real probability that many will just ignore the restrictions if they are not relaxed a little.

    This is all taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing fallout from the hotel quarantine debacle. Dan Andrews continues to refuse to answer any questions about the fiasco, instead choosing to hide behind the lame excuse that he will wait until the inquiry hands down its findings. In the meantime, the ex health minister has made the extraordinary claim that Dan Andrews' testimony is not to be trusted. Although the mistakes made in administering the quarantine have been responsible for most of the deaths and infections in Victoria, not once has anyone apologised or admitted making a mistake. Victorians continue to suffer, without a clear end in sight.

    So is there any good news ? To finish on a positive note, I should record that the number of active cases in our state has continued to fall. It now stands at around 200. We also now have only 17 Victorians still in hospital with COVID, and no one is currently on a ventilator. At the height of the second wave we had almost 700 in hospital, so that is a cause for some celebration at least.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 215

    Covid 19 in the White House

    October 2, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Just when you think this year couldn't get any more extraordinary, the twists keep coming. This afternoon we received the incredible news that President Trump and his wife have both contracted coronavirus. This announcement has sent shock waves around the world, the stock markets have dived and the US has launched its so called "Doomsday Planes", What else could possibly go wrong ?

    With the US President now potentially facing the prospect of being unable to perform his duties (not that he was capable of doing anything sensible when he was well), the constitutional experts have been rapidly examining the succession plans. Since Trump was proud of the fact that he seldom wore a mask, it is quite possible that he has already passed it on to the Vice President as well. Who then takes command ? God only knows. And what are the doomsday planes ? They are two airborne command posts that can control the US nuclear arsenal in the event of a surprise nuclear attack.

    These really are uncertain times, and 2020 just keeps taking us further and further down the rabbit hole. If anyone had written a book about the events that we have seen unfolding over the past 7 months, I doubt that anyone would have thought it even remotely possible.

    At least our situation in Victoria is stabilising a little. Today we had another 7 new cases, bringing our 14 day rolling average to just under 13. Since Dan Andrews is refusing to relax our restrictions any further until this number falls to 5 or less, it is looking like we will have a considerably longer time separated from our families and friends.

    Even closer to home, today marked Maggie's birthday. Normally we would have celebrated with a family dinner, but that was not possible today. We did manage to meet our eldest son and one of our grandchildren for lunch in the park, so that was some cause for celebration. The weather is really starting to warm up now, although the howling wind detracted from the pleasantness of the day. This wind has been a feature of the past couple of weeks and looks like it will be around for the next few days at least.

    So life in lockdown continues. Each morning we wait for the release of the latest figures. We try to use our time constructively by doing chores around the house, but everyone really is over this. There are clear signs that more and more people are just taking the law into the own hands and ignoring the laws. The premier keeps telling us of how many people have been fined each day, however I would really like to know how many of these fines ever actually get paid. I suspect that it would not be many.

    This is definitely not a year that anyone will be sorry to see draw to a close. Please let 2021 be better.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 210

    The Lockdown Drags On and On

    September 27, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Part of the reason that lockdown is difficult to endure is the fact that every day is pretty much the same as every other day. Without the normal events that help to punctuate and define our weeks, we seem to be stuck on a perpetual 24 hour loop. Every day is like Groundhog Day.

    Since we now have been trapped in a lockdown of varying degrees of severity for over 6 months, we are all getting near to the limits of our endurance. As I have said many times before, the hardest part is being separated from our family and friends because of the 5 km travel limit. This is also a huge problem for those who do not have a suitable and safe bike path network in their neighbourhoods. Their choices are either to not ride at all, or to take the risk of cycling on busy public roads.

    Today was a very significant day on Victoria's so called recovery roadmap. Dan Andrews had promised that, due to the steady reduction in daily new infection cases, he would be able to reduce the restrictions in several steps. I am sure that the whole state was eagerly waiting to see exactly what changes would be introduced. Personally, I had been hoping for something important, but expecting very little. And that's exactly how it turned out.

    From tomorrow Melbourne will no longer have a nightly curfew, but the dreaded 5 km travel limit will apply for at least the next three weeks. The only other significant change is that up to 5 people from a maximum of two households can meet outdoors for a maximum of 2 hours. That can only take place if both households are within 5 km of each other. For us, this makes very little difference as we will still not be able to see our youngest grandson . The misery drags on and on.

    All of this has been taking place against the backdrop of the hotel quarantine enquiry. Every day we are faced with an unending series of denials from just about every government minister and senior bureaucrat, all claiming that they "knew nothing" and that the bungles must have been someone else's fault. We are being told to believe that the disastrous decision to use private security to run the quarantine program was made by nobody. Yet it was that dreadful decision that led to 99% of all subsequent Covid cases and over 700 deaths. So far the only casualty of this debacle has been the Health Minister. Jenny Mikakos finally quit the ministry (and parliament) when Dan Andrews threw her under the proverbial bus. I wonder how many other heads will roll when the enquiry finally hands down it's finding at the end of the year ?

    Another factor which has made lockdown seem even worse than usual is that the past few days have been wet and very cold. It has been a return to winter with a vengeance. This has meant that we are spending even more time indoors than usual. This year just goes on giving.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19
    Day 206

    Six Months and Counting

    September 23, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    It's now just over six months since the COVID 19 pandemic burst out all over the world. At that time I was partway through a cycling adventure in Cuba, when the Australian Government put out an urgent message to all Australians abroard, warning them to return home as quickly as possible by any means possible.

    So what has happened in the past six months ? In a nutshell summary here it is. Firstly I took the DFAT advice to return home. It took numerous changes of flights and a great deal of money, but three days later I was safely back in Melbourne. Although it was a nightmare journey around the planet, I am so glad I acted quickly. We are now being reminded constantly that there are still tens of thousands of Australians scattered overseas, with no definite idea when they will be able to return. The problem is that there are very few international flights taking place and the few planes that do make the journey are only permitted to carry a handful of passengers. It is likely that most of those still waiting to get home will not be home before Christmas.

    I arrived back in Melbourne, just in time for Lockdown Number One to begin. Maggie and I packed the dog, our bikes, some groceries and clothes, and headed down to our holiday home at Inverloch. That's where we spent the next three months. When it appeared that Melbourne had endured the worst, the restrictions were briefly relaxed a little. We returned home to Pakenham and were able to see our families again. But it didn't last.

    Almost as soon as our freedom was in sight it was snatched away again. Largely due to unbelievable errors made in the running of hotel quarantine, the state was plunged back into a dreaded "second wave" of COVID. This was much worse than the first wave, with daily infections soaring to over 700. We were trapped in Lockdown Number Two. Once again we were cut off from family and friends, unable to venture more than 5 km from our home for only one hour a day. Every time we do leave the home, we must wear a face mask. It was not easy to face another indefinite period of isolation after we could almost feel the end was in reach.

    Now, after weeks of lockdown, the daily numbers are finally starting to show a consistent drop. We are told that the all important "14 day rolling average" has dropped below 30. Today's figure has just been released and it stated that the state had 15 new cases and 3 deaths. That's a lot better than 700 and gives us some hope that the restrictions might be relaxed a little this coming weekend. We will have to wait and see.

    And what is happening in other countries ? Europe is also suffering from a terrible second wave. This morning the British PM announced that the country would be reintroducing restrictions. Apparently, after 11 weeks of relaxed living, the virus has once again escaped at a frightening rate. The most common offenders are people between 20 - 29. Although they are often asymptomatic themselves, they are eventually passing their infections on to older people who suffer badly. Most other European countries are also experiencing a resurgence in cases. This is a reminder that we are not out of the woods yet.

    On the other side of the ledger, there are almost daily reports of the progress being made with the development of a vaccine. Some of the vaccine candidates have now moved to the third stage of trials, where they being tested on tens of thousands of people. The world is hoping that at least one of these vaccines could be the game changer that we need. Only time will tell.

    It will be interesting to read this journal in the future when 2020 has long been relegated to the history books. Things are always much easier to see with the benefit of hindsight. For anyone reading this in the year 2025 or beyond, I can assure them that 2020 was not a year we ever want to repeat. I hope that 2021 will be much better.    Read more

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