What a year this week has been...
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As someone said "what a year this week has been". Coronavirus (or COVID-19 to give its proper name) has been a slowly growing news story since it was first diagnosed in China at the turn of the year. For about a month we watched as China tried to contain the virus at Wuhan. Concern grew as we heard Iran, South Korea and Italy were infected and then the Diamond Princess cruise ship. We had our first case in Australia, then another, then another. Last week a movement arose to "flatten the curve" based on the Italian experience of overloaded emergency departments due to the influx of COVID-19 cases. On Friday we heard that a Cannington Mine worker and Senator Susan McDonald both contracted the virus. Both were in Townsville at the time and we have not yet had any cases in North West Queensland with 200 people tested as of midweek. But it was clear that the curve of cases in Australia was starting to see an exponential rise in the last seven days and urgent action needed to be taken, Firstly the federal government announced a maximum gathering number of 500 which has more or less stopped sport in its tracks. Then on Wednesday there was a new announcement to ban indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, with new laws and hefty fines in place for non-compliance. On Thursday Qantas announced they were cancelling all international flights until the end of May, These announcements are coming thick and fast and you can be sure further restrictions are to come. Local events are falling like ninepins as sporting and community groups try to keep up with the flow. Boulia Shire has taken the drastic action of cancelling everything until September, effectively cancelling the winter season that it normally relies on. The economic implications will be enormous, but our health comes first and drastic action is necessary. This will be a long and difficult winter for everyone across the world (okay, summer in the north) but we will defeat it together.
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What a year this week has beenAs someone said "what a year this week has been".
Coronavirus (or COVID-19 to give its proper name) has been a slowly growing news story since it was first diagnosed in China at the turn of the year.
For about a month we watched as China tried to contain the virus at Wuhan.
Concern grew as we heard Iran, South Korea and Italy were infected and then the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
We had our first case in Australia, then another, then another.
Last week a movement arose to "flatten the curve" based on the Italian experience of overloaded emergency departments due to the influx of COVID-19 cases.
On Friday we heard that a Cannington Mine worker and Senator Susan McDonald both contracted the virus.
Both were in Townsville at the time and we have not yet had any cases in North West Queensland with 200 people tested as of midweek.
But it was clear that the curve of cases in Australia was starting to see an exponential rise in the last seven days and urgent action needed to be taken,
Firstly the federal government announced a maximum gathering number of 500 which has more or less stopped sport in its tracks.
Then on Wednesday there was a new announcement to ban indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, with new laws and hefty fines in place for non-compliance.
On Thursday Qantas announced they were cancelling all international flights until the end of May,
These announcements are coming thick and fast and you can be sure further restrictions are to come.
Local events are falling like ninepins as sporting and community groups try to keep up with the flow.
Boulia Shire has taken the drastic action of cancelling everything until September, effectively cancelling the winter season that it normally relies on.
The economic implications will be enormous, but our health comes first and drastic action is necessary.
This will be a long and difficult winter for everyone across the world (okay, summer in the north) but we will defeat it together.