Lockdown 6.0 in Victoria, Australia

Just as we had all settled back at school, having returned for 9 face to face days, and as we had all felt comfortable that a donut day (no COVID-19 cases( had been reported for the Wednesday. It did not seem so concerning that that very same Wednesday afternoon, two cases were reported. This number would go into Thursday’s numbers.

VCE students completed their first Business Management SAC for Semester 2 on Wednesday afternoon. The Olympic games gave us all something positive to follow with Australia doing well with the medals achieved. It was a much needed distraction to the daily COVID-19 updates, especially as Sydney’s numbers were high. On Thursday morning 6 new cases were reported – again everyone thinking this was a manageably number. It was with almost disbelief that I read a msg from my daughter at lunchetime, that the media was speculating a lock-down on Thursday afternoon.

I attended an online meeting with other MIE Expert educators on Wed night. Those in New South Wales and Queensland were reporting their feelings about being locked down. It was with some relief that it wasn’t us for once in Victoria. We have been locked down for nearly 6 months since the start of the pandemic and it is not easy.

Having discussed with our principal whether we were ready to go back into lockdown, it was felt that we should be as students had only really returned. However, I quickly checked with some of the students that they knew their login details for MS365 as MS Teams is our learning platform during remote learning. Two new students were given their logins. There were sufficient laptops and devices for those who needed them, especially the primary school cohort. Our principal were to each classroom after lunch to ask them to take all books home together with their device just in case. The rumours were stating that it would be 3 day lockdown. Imagine our surprise that it was announced that it would be a 7 day lockdown commencing at 8pm. In previous lockdowns, they had started at 11:59pm. How could we go from a donut day one day, and then to a lockdown the very next?

Regional Victoria wondered why it was that they were locked down when the cases were only appearing in Melbourne. It was stated that COVID samples had been detected in Wangaratta in North East Victoria. Today the media reported that that was not so! It seems strange that the whole state is in lockdown, when even New South Wales and Queensland had only locked down metropolitan centres and any specific cities that had cases.

We can only leave home for five reasons, cannot travel more than 5 kms, can exercise for 2 hours with no visitors in homes. Masks are to be worn at all times except in homes. The 5kms rule is impossible for us to follow. As we live on a farm, our nearest major supermarkets are 40 km away. My husband and I have had one Astra Zenica injection and are due for the second shot on August 21st

Morale is fairly low. Vaccination rates are still low and anxiety/stress levels are mounting amongst many. Senior students looked so despondent when they left school as the end of their school year is in sight. It is hoped that this lockdown will only be for 7 days but the Delta variant is especially contagious.