I first wrote about this in August 2020 with the following paragraph:
The current infection status for Benalla, is that we have had three cases reported in March/April so far this calendar year. We currently have no reported cases, or patients in hospital. Our township, and surrounding communities are complying with the regulations, however many of our businesses have closed, some permanently, or are on limited trading programs, due to the restrictions. These restrictions were to be eased in June, but have now returned to previous levels, due to issues in Melbourne.
What was very annoying was the fact that we seem to have had a culture, amongst a noisy minority in Melbourne, of selfishness and blatant disregard for the regulations and the laws currently in place to combat this virus outbreak.
The restrictions were severe. The whole state of Victoria was locked down for 262 days in six ‘lockdown periods’. *Lockdown 1: March 26 to May 12, 2020 – 43 days. *Lockdown 2: July 8 to October 27, 2020 – 111 days. *Lockdown 3: February 12 to February 17, 2021 – 5 days. *Lockdown 4: May 27 to June 10, 2021 – 14 days. *Lockdown 5: July 15 to July 27, 2021 – 12 days.*Lockdown 6: August 5 to October 21, 2021 – 77 days.
One misleading rumour that was spread by social media, was that the virus caused diarrhoea. This caused a ‘run’ on supermarkets for toilet paper stock around the world. Many stores ran out of stock and sales had to be restricted. This did not stop some Melbourne residents, who hired buses to travel to regional areas, to ‘raid’ their supermarket stock. In more than one case, local residents blockaded the bus, until the police arrived and demanded that the ‘raiders’ return the stock to the store.
In an attempt to restrict the spread of the disease, the Victorian State Government set up a ‘ring of steel’ around the Melbourne metropolitan area. It may well have been described as a ‘colander’, as many ‘escapees’ simply used the back roads to get around the blockades. However some of the ‘escapees’ plans come ‘unstuck’ when regional shop owners recognised them as non-locals and refused to serve them.
The Government health agencies came in for a considerable amount of criticism following the easing of restrictions. However, in the very early days of the pandemic, they had little, or no, information about the virus, and they could only act on the information they had, including setting quarantine periods for those infected with the virus.
Whilst the significant numbers of infections now appear to be behind us, the virus is still within the community. I personally tested positive in May last year, and have had an instance as recently as two weeks ago, where two associates tested positive following an event the previous evening. Thankfully both cases were medicated immediately and both recovered quickly. Fortunately, both my wife and I tested negative the following morning.
One day we will be rid of this virus, as research scientists eventually come up with the ‘solution’.
Barry O’Connor.
March 2025.
The current infection status for Benalla, is that we have had three cases reported in March/April so far this calendar year. We currently have no reported cases, or patients in hospital. Our township, and surrounding communities are complying with the regulations, however many of our businesses have closed, some permanently, or are on limited trading programs, due to the restrictions. These restrictions were to be eased in June, but have now returned to previous levels, due to issues in Melbourne.
What was very annoying was the fact that we seem to have had a culture, amongst a noisy minority in Melbourne, of selfishness and blatant disregard for the regulations and the laws currently in place to combat this virus outbreak.
The restrictions were severe. The whole state of Victoria was locked down for 262 days in six ‘lockdown periods’. *Lockdown 1: March 26 to May 12, 2020 – 43 days. *Lockdown 2: July 8 to October 27, 2020 – 111 days. *Lockdown 3: February 12 to February 17, 2021 – 5 days. *Lockdown 4: May 27 to June 10, 2021 – 14 days. *Lockdown 5: July 15 to July 27, 2021 – 12 days.*Lockdown 6: August 5 to October 21, 2021 – 77 days.
One misleading rumour that was spread by social media, was that the virus caused diarrhoea. This caused a ‘run’ on supermarkets for toilet paper stock around the world. Many stores ran out of stock and sales had to be restricted. This did not stop some Melbourne residents, who hired buses to travel to regional areas, to ‘raid’ their supermarket stock. In more than one case, local residents blockaded the bus, until the police arrived and demanded that the ‘raiders’ return the stock to the store.
In an attempt to restrict the spread of the disease, the Victorian State Government set up a ‘ring of steel’ around the Melbourne metropolitan area. It may well have been described as a ‘colander’, as many ‘escapees’ simply used the back roads to get around the blockades. However some of the ‘escapees’ plans come ‘unstuck’ when regional shop owners recognised them as non-locals and refused to serve them.
The Government health agencies came in for a considerable amount of criticism following the easing of restrictions. However, in the very early days of the pandemic, they had little, or no, information about the virus, and they could only act on the information they had, including setting quarantine periods for those infected with the virus.
Whilst the significant numbers of infections now appear to be behind us, the virus is still within the community. I personally tested positive in May last year, and have had an instance as recently as two weeks ago, where two associates tested positive following an event the previous evening. Thankfully both cases were medicated immediately and both recovered quickly. Fortunately, both my wife and I tested negative the following morning.
One day we will be rid of this virus, as research scientists eventually come up with the ‘solution’.
Barry O’Connor.
March 2025.
Source currently unknown--investigating and will remove if not found.
COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
Disease COVID-19
Virus strain SARS-CoV-2
Location Australia
First outbreak Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case Melbourne, Victoria
Arrival date 25 January 2020
Date As of 12 January 2023
Confirmed cases 11,861,161
Active cases 79,112 (estimated)
Hospitalised cases 5,025
Critical cases 419
Ventilator cases 117
Recovered 10,541,594 (estimated)
Deaths 19,265
Fatality rate 0.15%
Test positivity rate 21.75% (7-day average)
Health Department.
Disease COVID-19
Virus strain SARS-CoV-2
Location Australia
First outbreak Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case Melbourne, Victoria
Arrival date 25 January 2020
Date As of 12 January 2023
Confirmed cases 11,861,161
Active cases 79,112 (estimated)
Hospitalised cases 5,025
Critical cases 419
Ventilator cases 117
Recovered 10,541,594 (estimated)
Deaths 19,265
Fatality rate 0.15%
Test positivity rate 21.75% (7-day average)
Health Department.
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