What a time to be alive. If you were like us, you were thinking, thank goodness 2019 is over, bring on the new year!
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And now what have we had - fires, floods, and now COVID-19. It was everywhere you look - turn on the TV and it's there. Pick up a newspaper and it's there. Turn on the radio, and it's coming over the airwaves.
What seemed like something that happened elsewhere has now well and truly hit Griffith. True, we have no cases here or anywhere in the Riverina. Disregard the rumours, there are no confirmed cases.
But we are now in full swing of the great toilet paper famine, something we once laughed at others for stockpiling.
Meat, food in cans, nappies, sanitary products, pasta, rice - all the staples we need are going off the shelf faster than you can say 'panic'.
Our local supermarkets are doing everything they can to make provisions last for those most in need. Walking the streets, you can hear people say 'it's gone too far'.
With the new measures being brought in reducing gathering numbers from first 500 people to 100 people, those social butterflies and sports fanatics alike are screaming 'enough is enough'.
While children and healthy adults seem to be relatively safe - with exceptions of course - it's the most vulnerable in our communities that we are trying to protect.
The government on one hand is saying, social distance, remote work and no large indoor events to protect our most needy.
Yet a large majority of normal healthy people are looking out for numero uno, taking all the provisions and leaving none for those who truly need them, not isolating themselves if they are sick, and generally having no regard for others.
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It's craziness, pure and simple.The dichotomy of opinion swings from thinking precautions are overboard, to complete panic-mode on impending doom.
There is one thing we all need to think about. Prevention in the best cure.
Yes you may be OK, but what about your elderly or immuno-compromised neighbour/friend/relative/colleague? Would you like to be the one signing their death warrant by carrying on as normal?
Even if this is all an overreaction, nobody knows the future. Maybe what we do now will save our city and the MIA. Maybe it won't.
But in this time of uncertainty, shouldn't we do what we can for those who need us the most?