I live in Sydney and I don’t like to brag, but on 15 December – when QR code use in NSW was scrapped – I presciently tweeted the following:
I don’t think we’ll have lockdowns again but QR code and mask use probably will stay ..
Today it was announced that, in New South Wales, QR code use would return. It was also announced that, in Victoria, indoor mask use might be expanded. Mask use is already mandatory in Victorian shops and on public transport there (it’s mandatory on public transport in NSW).
Meanwhile, the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that, in South Africa, where the Omicron variant of Covid-19 first appeared, infections are declining after a short, sharp spike for about a month. It looks promising.
Every day Australians are watching the news avidly as the main drama is playing out in our communities at large. We know how addicted to drama people are – news stories are written to encapsulate conflict in order to draw our eyes, and the number of OTT services serving up movies and TV shows seems to grow monthly – but the level of anxiety that the virus is causing is unprecedented in peacetime. Personally, I can’t remember a time in my life like this.
Mask use in Sydney is still only mandatory in a limited range of settings, including public transport. While the prime minister yesterday forcefully encouraged people to wear masks, it remains to be seen if the state government will reintroduce mask use in such places as shops and cinemas.
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