Melbourne is back in Stage 4 lockdown.

[groovergirl]

Howdy all. I'm in Melbourne, and it's just been announced that we're back in Stage 4 lockdown from midnight. It's because of some coronavirus cases in a quarantine hotel at the airport.

We've done this before, and everyone was saying "You've got this, Melbourne!" and telling us how awesome we were. But we've been so awesome for so long, and we're all so tired of this. I think most Australians are prepared to do masks and practical precautions for the long term, but these sudden hits to work, school and social life are hard to bear. I couldn't see my family in Sydney this past Xmas because the border was closed.

Hand-hold, anyone? I'll be OK tomorrow. Just in despair now.

The bubble rules in Victoria were also much more restrictive than in England. They brought in a single person exception, but with very prescriptive rules. So my brother could technically go visit my sister, except he wasn't allowed to travel between certain hours because of curfew and my sister's husband couldn't be there but also wasn't allowed to be out the house not to be there!

There wasn't much empathy or extending a hand going on when we were told to 'educate ourselves' about the Melbourne lockdowns was there? Mean spiritedness - yes.

Where is the empathy about the people we have lost in the uk? The children who have been orphaned? The people dying in care homes by the dozen?

My god, this thread has irked me today.

Thing is, in the UK, individuals have been at risk of being isolated for 10/14 days (because it was changed) for a long time. Because covid is so prevalent in the community this is something a lot of people have been affected by, multiple times. Also chuck in random isolations for symptoms and quite honestly five days is nothing. It really is.

I get that people are still raw from their lockdown last year, but past the initial dismay/fear/anger it’s not a long time to wait out and recover from, especially when yours will end back to relative normality.

Also .. I totally get that Mumsnet is UK Based. But I do think, from the many, many posts I read each day (and the many news stories in our Australian media ripped from these forums), that it's pretty rank to suggest somebody can't come on and have a vent about a tough time looming as a person, woman, mother or any variation of the same because they don't live in Stowe or WW2E or whatever the frig London postcode you call it. It's not your situation, nope. But - as someone who's in Melbourne, heading back into a shitty lockdown, after the bloody hard yards we did just months ago - a little empathy wouldn't go astray.

Absolutely this.

I am shocked by some of the responses on this thread.
It's not a fucking misery competition.

People all over the world have been affected by this virus and it appears that some posters just want to stick their fingers in their ears and go "la, la, la, we only want to hear about the UK"

The world doesn't stop at the borders of your postcode.

If there is a MN rule that you can only posst if you live in the UK, please could somebody point me to it.

You might be surprised. There was much empathy here in Victoria for the horrors of the pandemic response in Britain, England specifically. And for what you have all been through.

People died in their dozens here, too. Not as many dozens, admittedly (don't forget, we don't have as many to lose either - there are only about 6m of us in Victoria in total). It's grim, and horrific.

You all have my utmost sympathy, the many millions of you.

Tyranny of distance - thank you.

@timeisnotaline

I’m in melbourne. It’s 5 days. It’s crappy but isn’t it a bit insensitive to choose to complain about this on a uk site? I know how much tougher it’s been on my friends there.

Exactly.

Five days, are you serious?

Greater Manchester has been in some form of lockdown since March 2020, with the exception of three weeks in July.

Also .. I totally get that Mumsnet is UK Based. But I do think, from the many, many posts I read each day (and the many news stories in our Australian media ripped from these forums), that it's pretty rank to suggest somebody can't come on and have a vent about a tough time looming as a person, woman, mother or any variation of the same because they don't live in Stowe or WW2E or whatever the frig London postcode you call it.

We can all have a tough time. Op didn't come on with mean spiritedness, but any UK person who knows someone in Melbourne (and that is many of us), heard from them already about their uniquely hard circumstance and even first time around felt a bit and to hear a complaint about a 5 day lockdown, when we are still in unmitigated shit, with kids at home and covid everywhere and huge numbers out of work, feels annoying. The meanest spirited comment on here, btw, feels like echt telling us to 'educate ourselves' about how hard Melbourne has had it.

People also wouldn't be that sympathetic if someone came on upset because their private tutor was ill and they were having to homeschool their kids for 5 days while working. We absolutely know why that would be hard. But I can also guarantee that there'd be a pile on from people who've been doing exactly that for so bloody long. If people need a sympathetic handhold, I'd suggest the many many Aussie forums.

I*f people need a sympathetic handhold, I'd suggest the many many Aussie forums.
*
To echo a PP ... that's me told.

I wonder just how long people are willing to do this for. I really do.

TyrannyOfDistance

“it's pretty rank to suggest somebody can't come on and have a vent about a tough time looming”

I’m sorry but I’m going to have to disagree with you there. The two situations are in no way comparable.

And I also fail to see what was so much more dreadful about your previous lockdown compared to the UKs already many more days of it, that made it so incredibly tough that you fear 5 more days of it.

So far, I’ve heard about an 8pm curfew, we were allowed garden centres open after 40 odd days, your single person bubbles were more restrictive.

That’s not to mention a solid year of all the other things that people have outlined very clearly for you ( not least hundreds of thousands of deaths) that are pushing this country over the edge.

If you are surprised at the “mean-spiritedness” and “lack of empathy” from people on this thread in the UK or other parts of Europe, it is because you are vastly underestimating the state we’re in right now (and will continue to go through for a very long time).

This thread brings to mind Ring Theory. Basically the more at the centre of a crisis you are, the more natural it is to seek comfort and grumble/ cry/ seek support - this is called "dumping out" and if you are further away you try to help those closer to the crisis - "comfort in". This short article explains it better than me:

www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/promoting-hope-preventing-suicide/201705/ring-theory-helps-us-bring-comfort-in

Basically OP is getting a negative response because whilst she perceived herself to be in the centre of the ring dumping out, she accidentally dumped out to a UK site where many, many of us perceive the UK to be further inside the "covid crisis" ring than Australia. Had she dumped out only to Australians, she might well have expected comfort in as Melbourne is currently the centre of Australia's "covid crisis" ring.
The reason it feels insensitive to some of us is because we feel we are being asked to "comfort out". OP to her credit has realised this and been very gracious.

I find this theory a really useful one to keep in mind as it often helps explain feelings that might otherwise be interpreted as ungenerous, mean spirited if whatever. It's normal if you are deeper in the 'ring' to find yourself unable to "comfort out". It doesnt mean you are horrible.

RosesforMama

Really interesting and useful way of thinking about it.

I agree the OP had been so lovely in her response and discussion.

Problem is Aussie politicians describe the uk strain as hyper-infectious.

It all goes to prove that zero covid is nigh on impossible to achieve unless you shut off from everything forever.

If you can escape with all the set up in quarantine hotels yes agree

It not you ;

RosesforMama that's such a good way of putting it.

On top of the thousands of deaths, and months upon months of lockdown or severe restrictions we also have a broken economy (9% contraction in GDP) with implications for us all in the future.

Read the room.

I think there's an element of the media reporting over here too. If they think we're all eating out and swanning off on holiday and don't know the restrictions we've been under most the time, especially for some parts of the UK. Or the death rates, or the repeated isolations where we can't leave the house for any reason. The whole Australian centric reporting means some australians might not realise they're not at the centre and are dumping in maybe.

The OP however has been very gracious. And of course it must be a shock. There must be the fear 5 days will descend into worse. But yes it's 5 days and on a board where most are mid lockdown, kids still out of school and with no idea when this will end.

I don’t think the reports from the UK has been shown in its entirety. Yes, Boris and his government utterly fucked up (see ‘eat out to help out’) but in between that, our lockdowns have been near on exactly the same as your lockdowns. If you delve into the rules on the government website, there was a travel restrictions. You could only go out to exercise once a day and for an hour. You couldn’t see anyone else. These were lifted for a few weeks in the summer then back into restrictions of not seeing people, social distancing and restrictions on holidays. Then back into a full lockdown in November for just ONE day to see people at Christmas - not entire holiday - just one day. Then back into a full lockdown. It’s been an entire year of constant restrictions.

You’re right, this isn’t a misery competition and with Covid no one wins, but there’s no point saying ‘we had it harder’ when actually they were pretty damn similar, and we’re still living with it a year later with no end in sight.

Also, I find it interesting how people in the UK are struggling now in the winter as they can’t go out into their gardens etc, whereas people like me in one bed tiny flats have done it all year with no outdoor space. I got predicted that would happen and it’s so angering to watch.

Wait, OP, you're saying that Australians aren't all happy with their Zero Covid lifestyle? How can that be...

There are a lot of MNers who thoroughly envy you and think everything there must be wonderful and the world's best way to handle covid.

Loving the Australia-splaining on this thread where people earnestly explain the UK restrictions and how light and easy they were to a predominantly UK audience... I've been following some of the restrictions in different countries quite closely (e.g. Belgium, because I have a very close friend who lives there) but I wouldn't start trying to explain them to their residents!

I'm an English resident explaining the English restrictions, no Australia-splaining here. For most of England the restrictions have not been as severe for as long as the first Victoria lockdown. That's before you get into all the childcare bubbles, support bubbles etc. that are allowed in England.

Yes they were stricter but DwarfQuasar there wasn’t really that much in it was there?

Shops didn’t open until June (80 -odd days) and hospitality didn’t open until July (105 days)

To most peoplthere wasn’t that much difference. That’s not even bringing in our month in November and the at least 63 days we’re doing now!!!

@RosesforMama thanks for the explanation of ring theory - not just this thread but I can see many situations I could apply that to.