Victoria, I see you.
We Queenslanders have had the privilege of a somewhat normal life over the past month or so. The Sunshine State has been hosting parties and eating out and even hugging one another.
It felt weird at first to be finding our groove in the new laxed restrictions - but we did it - and quickly.
Then very recently, some locals holidayed in Melbourne - in the middle of Victorias vertical uptick in cases.
They lied when coming home, fudged their border passes and whilst symptomatic they had a field day of dining out in our wonderfully laxed restrictions, visiting here there and everywhere... whilst symptomatic.
We now have a few cases. Just a handful.
We Queenslanders are now holding our breath.
Holding our breath because we see you.
We see your Stage 4 restriction and we stand with you.
We may be still dining out, but I hope that we learn from you and begin to social distance again, stay home when we are sick and protect our elderly above all because they would protect us if it were us young ones dying like flies.
I had a Covid test this morning because I have a runny nose and my sons doctor called me with the swab result he took last week testing positive for Rhinovirus (just the common cold).
I left work immediately and had my doctor email me a referral for the test.
The test was easy, it's just a swab.
It's not painful at all. And now I will stay home for 3 days whilst I await my negative result.
I wont walk my dog to school pickup - I wont nip in quickly to get a coffee - I won't slay my girlfriend in Tennis tomorrow morning.
In stead I'll be staying home, in my tracky daks and watching TV, sipping cups of tea and watching my family with the eyes of a hawk for a runny nose.
And if I see it, I'll be hauling them to the testing facility and keeping them home too.
If we ALL did this, no matter the circumstance Covid could not continue it's spread.
How could it ?
You feel sick, you get tested and you go home.
It was tempting to be embarrassed about being tested at the Pathology this morning, but instead I felt some power in this powerless situation we find ourselves.
I can only hope that the bullet was dodged for Queensland so far, only time will tell.
xoxo
Belinda Messer
Children's book author of On the Wings of a Butterfly - supporting kids through the loss of a loved one.
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