Are you in Australia? Have you changed your behaviour as we have so few cases?

[Ozgirl75]

I’m in Sydney and I think we had a total of 4 new cases countrywide yesterday.

We are still at home etc but I must say I’m feeling a lot more relaxed now and I’m seeing loads more people out and about. I had my hair cut yesterday and the shopping centre was fairly normal. Roads were pleasingly quiet at 5pm though - almost the best of both worlds!

[Ozgirl75]

Because my two boys are there in junior.

[Reginabambina]

it’s not really possible given that a lot of things are still closed. I will go back to normal the second restrictions are lifted though. It’s terribly boring being at home with children all the time and there have been very few cases over the past few weeks in SA so I feel quite safe.

[WhippetyStourie]

I’m in Adelaide. Still working (library but no customers permitted to enter) but isolating aside from supermarket shopping. We will be keeping our kids home still when the schools reopen after the extended Easter holidays.

[squeekums]

Rural sa
Shops here still pretty bare, no TP, have social distance stuff up but in our local it's largely ignored now. Bottle shop doing a huge trade with pubs closed.
Schools to open as normal next week but we can choose to keep kids home and will apparently be supported. I'm hoping to convince dp to let dd go back.
We starting to go out more and more, no local cases, we not in city
Went to McDonald's last night couple towns over, dd was so happy, it's been almost a month since her last happy meal lol. Was quietER than normal there but people venturing out again

[Soon2BeMumof3]

In Australia. We're completely self isolating apart from grocery shopping once a week.

My behaviour is the same as I know the only reason we have had so few cases is because people have practiced social distancing.

I think it's good that people are less anxious, I am as well. But we'll loose everything we've gained if people start to get lax now.

[JazzyTheDog]

In mid nsw near coast. Working from home and getting sick of not being allowed to drive 20 mins to the beach as we are just outside the Shire boundaries and police are fining everyone who doesn’t actually live in the beach town if they go there.

Grocery shopping for elderly parent.

At one point it felt like anything you touched could be covid contaminated but barely a case in the fairly heavily populated region I’m in so getting a bit sick of the restrictions.

Thanks to Scotty from Marketing one of our teens friends who worked 4 hours a week after school is also getting Jobkeeper and will for 6 months as the business he worked in will definitely be closed that long so is planning to take the $20,000 payment from the government to fund a trip to Asia and Europe when this is all over. Freaking ridiculous that the Idiot in Charge is paying children who live at home with their parents more than the unemployed, they are children who used to maybe earn $60 per week and now the government is dishing out $750 per week to them for 6 months. It makes me so angry at that giant fuck up and gross inequality, and waste of taxpayer dollars paying such a huge sum to children who have never paid tax either. Not happy Jan.

[TheyDressedMeUpLikeThis]

The thing I don't get about Morrison right, is that he is a MARKETING exec.

HOW can he be screwing up the PR optics of this so monumentally?!

He has been handed not one but TWO chances to shine as Prime Minister and he has fucked them both up.

I don't know ANYONE who can stand the sight of the stupid smirking oaf's face. From my lawyer colleagues, my posh ladies who lunch friends, right down to my feral bogan relatives. We ALL hate him. I just don't get it.

[spottygymbag]

In Sydney and maintaining our distancing/isolation. I can see the cases have dropped etc but still concerned about testing and community transmission. I have asthma and influenza b had me admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties at the end of last year.
DH is working from home, I'm on mat leave with our DD 3 and DS 3weeks. Its testing my sanity at the moment as we are in a 2bed apartment and are usually out and about most days.
DD is missing her daycare friends but our GP has advised us to keep this up for the next 4weeks and reassess.
There are less people testing positive but it will be interesting to see what happens over next 2weeks as they increase the testing across the communities.

[SnowsInWater]

@Ozgirl75 Yes, that's the one 😊 How are your boys doing with the extended break? I am very happy with how the school has handled things and have just read the e-mail they sent this afternoon. My DD will be going back, she is very mindful of the fact that she only has a few years there and wants to make the most of it. Are you sending yours in?

[Ozgirl75]

@SnowsInWater they’re actually doing great, better than I expected. We’ve kept a level of school work going the whole time (mainly to give them some structure, there isn’t much else to do and I fully know other parents will be!) and it’s actually been good. My older one is a quick worker so he’s been able to go off on some tangents of his own, but we’ve also used the time to really get some stuff really ingrained like times tables, some grammar stuff, fractions etc.
They’ll be going back - I’m also really pleased with how school have dealt with everything but they’re ready to see friends etc now.

[bluetongue]

I’m in Adelaide and feel the mood has changed in the past few days.

I’ve been working in a city office throughout and the CBD was almost deserted for a few weeks but has been busier this week. With the low amount of cases here I think it’s appropriate. It’s not as though there’s no social distancing and it’s good that people can work out a way to live with this threat in a way that sustainable longer term.

I actually think we could trial lifting some restrictions here in South Australia before other states and we need to get our non-Covid medical services back to normal ASAP.

We had another day of 0 new cases here today with increased testing of pretty anyone who asks for it. Compare this with the testing in the UK we read about on Mumsnet.

[Skeletoninatutu]

Also in SA (so many of us!!). Thrilled schools will be back. I'm not concerned at all (within reason) - SA health have proved they won't hesitate to shut areas down (ala Barossa) and wide scale testing is great. Days of zeros or 1 & 2 cases (minimal community spread) is bloody brilliant.
I have a lot of confidence now in the states and Feds ability to handle any outbreaks now. We've bought them time to plan.

[janeskettle]

Sydney.

Nope.

Let's have a few weeks of zero cases before we start getting excited.

Singapore was looking good at one point too.

It worries me that kids returning to school won't be doing so from having only had home exposure over the prior two weeks.

[janeskettle]

But we'll lose everything we've gained if people start to get lax now

Preach it.

It's literally only been a few weeks.

[janeskettle]

Just so people sending their kids back to public schools know, there are no guarantees that any of the social distancing or enhanced hygiene measures will take place.

In NSW at least, all the health advice is about what schools 'can' do, not what they must do. Lots of promises made about keeping students and staff healthy, not a lot of possible follow through.

[Skeletoninatutu]

That's where parents get to decide on wether or not to send their kids in. As far as I'm aware no state is penalising those kids that are kept home and are actively giving families the choice. Not every kid goes to a 400+ school or is in classrooms of 28+.

[JazzyTheDog]

I agree what others have said about the covid tracking app, no way! I am probably a bit hypocritical about it though, as I think “what a great idea” in the context of Singapore but there’s no way in hell I’d trust our government with data, they will absolutely use it outside the purposes they’re saying it’s for.

Also as much as I dislike being restricted in my life choices right now, I don’t actually think we should have too many restrictions lifted for a while. It’s working and our death rate is very low, I’d rather keep it that way.

When does everyone think international travel will be on the cards again? I can see NZ and Australia being open to each other later this year but I cannot see widespread international travel even starting until early next year or maybe another 12 months.

[TheyDressedMeUpLikeThis]

If we are able to keep our numbers low we should wait until there is a treatment/vaccine before opening the doors all the way again. Until then only Australians/Kiwis and cargo (with crews either under quarantine or staying on their boats).

Hopefully we will be able to move freely between the states again within a couple of months.

[MySonIsAlsoNamedBort]

In Brisbane, still adhering to all the rules but not feeling anxious when I have to go to the shops etc anymore, and have gotten a couple of take away coffees from the cafe around the corner etc.
Hoping they won't lift restrictions too dramatically and too quickly though resulting in a bit spike. Can't get prematurely excited.

[differentnameforthis]

Adelaide - schools go back on Monday, but I am keeping mine off to see if we have an influx of cases. '

Schools were never officially shut here, all bar the last week for prep for online learning in T2, so it's not like they are allowed back, they were never not allowed there in the first place. However, in my experience lots of parent did keep kids home, and I am worried that we may hit a peak once kids start going into school in bigger numbers.

SA health dept, both my girls schools have said they cannot guarantee social distancing. So I think I'll be cautious a bit longer.

Let's have a few weeks of zero cases before we start getting excited. Exactly!!

[bluetongue]

Looks like I’m the only one who would download the app.

Do I love the idea? Of course not. If by downloading an app I can help get some restrictions lifted and get people back to work I’ll do it. Look at how many freedoms we’ve all given up already and how much the economy has suffered.

[Skeletoninatutu]

Not the only @bluetongue. I'm likely to download... not that my data would be much other than school drop off... home....home...school pick up....home....

[Ozgirl75]

I’ll probably download the app too, because although I totally agree with the fears about who sees the data, they will literally see me doing the school run, popping to the shops, going for a bush walk, maybe heading off for a kayak and if it means I can be told if I’ve come into contact with someone with the virus, and I can avoid spreading it by accident, I’m all for it.

[bluetongue]

The way I understand the app is it won’t show your location at all. It just records when you are in the vicinity of other people with the app for 15 minutes or more. Then if anyone with the app tests positive they can use that data to contact those at risk so they can get tested.

[Rainbowqueeen]

Feeling more relaxed but no plans to change behaviour
Once we get 2 weeks of no new cases at all I might start driving 5-10 mins for some different walks