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In this Groundhog Day pandemic life, people demand the State resolves issues related to COVID. But every time the State does anything, people clamour 'not like that'.
What is the answer to this 'magical rhetoric'?
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What is the answer to this 'magical rhetoric'?
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(And I want to add, that I also really do not enjoy being unable to see friends and family, that I despair at the strangeness of being home-bound even as I am grateful for my home, my wifi. This world depresses and saddens me, the death and loss overwhelms me)
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A major criticism of government is its inconsistency – why are schools closed, but commuter taxis open and allowed to operate at 100% capacity (I do believe, unlike previous comparisons, this one is a little more fair and relevant).
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But I cannot wrap my head around the gap between what we are asking the state to do, and what is possible to achieve.
How are we to save restaurants – when we know that eating in enclosed spaces, close together, is extremely risky for transmission of the virus?
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How are we to save restaurants – when we know that eating in enclosed spaces, close together, is extremely risky for transmission of the virus?
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(I love restaurants by the way, and support the rights of workers and owners to make a living – but what I don't understand is *how* is there a different way to do this, that does not involve exposing everyone to unacceptable risk? Is 'booze sales' enough on its own?)
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Is the call that 'everything' should be open, without limit? And we trust in human goodness?
Except, we don't want funerals and churches to be open without limits. Or taxis?
I am confused by this.
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Except, we don't want funerals and churches to be open without limits. Or taxis?
I am confused by this.
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We want convenient ways to travel, we want to be able to quickly export time-sensitive produce to the rest of the world. But we don't want to support SAA. (How are we sending our fresh food and other exports?)
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If we opened up tourist facilities (i.e. accommodation) – who would be able to go? Who has an extra $1500 pppn to splurge right now? If we opened up our borders, which traveller in their right fucking mind would come to ZA this month?
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The point is: even if everything was open, with no limits (booze, smokes), places would not be full. Businesses that trade in non-essentials would still be struggling.
& those places that were full, would probably have to shut down every few days because of COVID cases.
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& those places that were full, would probably have to shut down every few days because of COVID cases.
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This is a board with many moving parts. Each time we adjust schools, restaurants, hair salons, malls, taxis, booze sales – another factor shifts e.g. hospital bed occupancy. I see endless criticism of choices gov has made, but few suggestions of better *integrated* choices.
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And I really would welcome an integrated plan that improves all of these factors (in the South African context don't come with New Zealand here please), without deciding it's okay for some people to die. But I have not seen anything that works across the entire system/chain.
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