Covid19 lockdown reflections and signs 2.0

Back in June after our first lockdown, I wrote a post reflecting on lockdown called Covid19 lockdown reflections and signs.  Today I bring you some signs from lockdown 2.0.  The first lockdown was shorter, less severe and easier than the second.  I am still feeling burnt out by the second.  But I have taken photos and now that we have had 8 double doughnut days (ie no new diagnoses or deaths) in a row, it is time to share before we all get to Covid Normal or - please noooooo - a third lockdown! 

Little acts of kindness were really appreciated in the second lockdown.  I love this sign above saying "everything will be ok".  Maybe it will and maybe it wont but a little bit of optimism does not go astray in dark times.  Little signs while out walking lifted the spirits.

Another sign that I really liked.  Stop the second wave, 'kay.  If only it was as easy as a road sign!

And one more sign that I found cheering.  (For those who are unfamiliar with our slang "ISO" = isolation.)

Then there were many Spoonvilles among us.  Little gatherings of people crafted from wooden spoons that would pop up on the nature strip.  Craft for us to do at home and share in public!

One of the big differences between lockdowns 1.0 and 2.0 is that in 2.0 we could not go more than 5km from home, we had a curfew of 8pm and masks became mandatory in public.  Signs about masks sprung up on many shops - if they were considered essential enough to open.

 

As well as signs about masks, there was lots of discussion about the best way to wear masks and why they were effective.

 

Most people wore masks because there were fines if you didn't.  But a lot of people wore their masks slipped down from their nose or on their chin.  (I saw someone talking about chin diapers and the chindiaperatti recently.)  This is a public transport sign above but use of public transport was way down on pre-pandemic.  Not only were many people working from home but the trust in the safety from Covid on public transport was not great.

Some signs had a sense of humour.  Like this sign at a Barbers.  I love the section that reads "It's OK to be a bit OCD: Before all this started, some might have raised an eyebrow at someone who regularly used hand sanitiser.  Now you'll see us dosing it out like candy at Halloween.  Please accept if offered."  And I also like the last line reminding people if you are unwell, the haircut can wait.  I assume this sign was put up before lockdown as it did not have anything about masks but also because many people could not wait for hairdressers to open after lockdown.  (Me, I could cope with home hair cuts but I was excited when outdoor pools opened after lockdown.)

Yes, it seems that it was a matter of life and death to some people whether or not we could have a haircut!

There was less consensus about lockdown this time.  We weren't all in this together.  It rankled that in Victoria, we were the only Australian state or territory in lockdown.  And then Melbournians had a tougher and longer lockdown than regional Victoria.  There were all sorts of complaints about our premier, Dan Andrews.  There was a royal commission into the hotel quarantine system where the virus had come from in this second wave.  And while we had it tougher than other Aussies, you have to commend him for 120 days straight of press conferences and getting us to a run of double doughnut days!

There were fines for defying lockdown.  Not everyone was happy about that.  Though one of the daily amusements was reading about the silly things people did who were fined.  Like the guy who drove a few hours into country Victoria for a burger!

Quite a few shops were only selling by ordering online and having items posted or "click and collect".  We only did click and collect twice.  Once we rode our bikes and queued at the store, which was fine.  Another time we drove to the store and found it a very frustrating experience trying to work out what was happening.

We didn't need the vet during lockdown but I saw this sign on a local vet practice.

This sign gave me a laugh.  "Keep your distance - where you can".  Social distancing remains an odd thing.  We are still seeing a lot of people on tv sitting far apart in a way that looks unnatural, seeing people bunch up to take selfies now seems odd, and crowds were so forbidden that most of the AFL football season was played interstate including the Grand Final.

I liked this sign in Aldi.  Patience was in short supply and needed in buckets.  (Sounds like the American elections which seem so drawn out this year, especially as we are not getting out and about much yet so there just aren't enough distractions.)

And I will end with one more Spoonville with its hopeful rainbow.  We are still living under many restrictions.  The "ring of steel" around Melbourne still is keeping us out of regional Victoria.  Many borders to other states are closed.  We still must wear masks and can only go 25km from home.  Indoor gatherings at home and in public are still very limited (2 visitors to a home, 20 people in a cafe or pub.)  We are waiting to hear from our Premier tomorrow and hope to have more restrictions lifted.  It is a slow process out of lockdown but one that makes me feel lighter and more hopeful.  I send best wishes to those in other countries who are just going into lockdown and still experiencing high daily tallies of diagnoses and deaths.