3 ms·

I don't understand this take. I went the same Melbourne lockdown and am extremely grateful for how the government handled it. I have colleagues in the US and, w

I don't understand this take. I went the same Melbourne lockdown and am extremely grateful for how the government handled it. I have colleagues in the US and, while they're not under strict and enforced lockdown, they've had to effectively self lockdown since the start of the pandemic. They also have 400,000 deaths and no real end in sight for when some normality might resume. I'm happy with the measures taken, even if they were a bit draconian, because now I can, without needing to worry too much, do normal things like going to visit friends/family and going out to restaurants/cafes. It sucked to have a curfew and only be able to get out of the house for 1 hour per day, sure, but it would suck much more if we were in a perpetual limbo state with only the promise of a vaccine to hope for.

pmiller2 6y ago
I agree. I have been on "self lockdown" since March, in the USA. I've been observing all of the following since then: > - 8pm-5am curfew (you have to be at home) Check. > - no visitors Other than my girlfriend, who broke up with me 3 months ago, check. > - 5km radius (this lasted for what felt like 6 months) Not really all that practical, but I certainly haven't been travelling about to strange places. I'd say my radius has been about 90% within the 5km, except for things I couldn't do within that radius, such as buying things that literally aren't available within 5km. In any case, I take my own car, by myself, and always wear a mask, so it's no more dangerous than going to the grocery store 1 mile away from me. > - you had to wear your mask as soon as you left your house (this went for months, we still have to wear masks in shops (even though we have zero cases)) Check, mostly. I don't wear it when I take my dog for a walk, but I also never run into anyone else when doing so. > - you could only go to the super market once per day, and you had to go by yourself Check. > - you were only allowed outside for exercise for 1 hour (with 1 person) Check, mostly. See above dog walks. > - no gyms, hospo, group events, activities etc 100% been avoiding all of these things since March, except for a trip to Tahoe in June with my then girlfriend, where we met up with her best friend. Other than said best friend, I was never within 6 feet of anyone else, although I was really nervous about how few people were wearing masks. We probably should not have made that trip, even though none of the three of us got sick. I wish they had just done these things for 2-3 months: > - lots of shops forced you to give your details over and some demanded that you sanitize your hands (these are two things I didn't want to do for my own reasons) > - increase of police powers, fines around $1600 The police bit is the part that really pisses me off. Technically, it's a misdemeanor to have a social gathering right now, but local police won't do shit about it. There have been 2 gatherings in my 6 unit apartment building during the time it's been banned. I don't want to get COVID because other people in my building are idiots. Proper use of lockdowns would have been to reduce cases to the point where contact tracing and testing could take over. Unfortunately, we haven't implemented those measures, either. To quote Death to 2020, "I'd say it was a train wreck and a shit show, but that would be unfair to trains and shit."
mgkimsal 6y ago
> with only the promise of a vaccine to hope for. US here - I'm still not 100% convinced enough people will take it. Even this week I'm hearing and reading and talking to people who are telling me they'll refuse a vaccine. Yet... also complaining about a coming "2 tier" system where people who aren't vaccinated will be locked out of some parts of society... but then also refusing a vaccine because... (no direct clear answer beyond "rights"). So... we have the vaccine to hope for, but if not enough people get it, I'd think new strains might continue to develop and infect more folks. :/
ryandrake 6y ago
I’m a USAian and I’d trade our situation for yours in a heartbeat. What a mess we have over here! Likely avoidable if our leaders were not so incompetent and cowardly and if our population wasn’t a bunch of selfish morons. 400k avoidable deaths.

pmiller2 6y ago

I agree. I have been on "self lockdown" since March, in the USA. I've been observing all of the following since then: > - 8pm-5am curfew (you have to be at home) Check. > - no visitors Other than my girlfriend, who broke up with me 3 months ago, check. > - 5km radius (this lasted for what felt like 6 months) Not really all that practical, but I certainly haven't been travelling about to strange places. I'd say my radius has been about 90% within the 5km, except for things I couldn't do within that radius, such as buying things that literally aren't available within 5km. In any case, I take my own car, by myself, and always wear a mask, so it's no more dangerous than going to the grocery store 1 mile away from me. > - you had to wear your mask as soon as you left your house (this went for months, we still have to wear masks in shops (even though we have zero cases)) Check, mostly. I don't wear it when I take my dog for a walk, but I also never run into anyone else when doing so. > - you could only go to the super market once per day, and you had to go by yourself Check. > - you were only allowed outside for exercise for 1 hour (with 1 person) Check, mostly. See above dog walks. > - no gyms, hospo, group events, activities etc 100% been avoiding all of these things since March, except for a trip to Tahoe in June with my then girlfriend, where we met up with her best friend. Other than said best friend, I was never within 6 feet of anyone else, although I was really nervous about how few people were wearing masks. We probably should not have made that trip, even though none of the three of us got sick. I wish they had just done these things for 2-3 months: > - lots of shops forced you to give your details over and some demanded that you sanitize your hands (these are two things I didn't want to do for my own reasons) > - increase of police powers, fines around $1600 The police bit is the part that really pisses me off. Technically, it's a misdemeanor to have a social gathering right now, but local police won't do shit about it. There have been 2 gatherings in my 6 unit apartment building during the time it's been banned. I don't want to get COVID because other people in my building are idiots. Proper use of lockdowns would have been to reduce cases to the point where contact tracing and testing could take over. Unfortunately, we haven't implemented those measures, either. To quote Death to 2020, "I'd say it was a train wreck and a shit show, but that would be unfair to trains and shit."

mgkimsal 6y ago

> with only the promise of a vaccine to hope for. US here - I'm still not 100% convinced enough people will take it. Even this week I'm hearing and reading and talking to people who are telling me they'll refuse a vaccine. Yet... also complaining about a coming "2 tier" system where people who aren't vaccinated will be locked out of some parts of society... but then also refusing a vaccine because... (no direct clear answer beyond "rights"). So... we have the vaccine to hope for, but if not enough people get it, I'd think new strains might continue to develop and infect more folks. :/

ryandrake 6y ago

I’m a USAian and I’d trade our situation for yours in a heartbeat. What a mess we have over here! Likely avoidable if our leaders were not so incompetent and cowardly and if our population wasn’t a bunch of selfish morons. 400k avoidable deaths.