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.

SparkysMagicPiano. This obviously isn't only for UK posters, but this thread has been full of Australian/NZ posters posting incorrect information about our lockdowns and claiming that people in Melbourne have somehow had a worse time with covid when UK posters feel that they definitely haven't.

I'm in SE UK, 30 mins out of London. We've had the equivalent of your tier 4 Melbourne lockdown for 6 months of the past year, apart from we've been allowed to get takeaways. When not in tier 4 we've had to wear masks anywhere indoors, only see up to six other people outdoors, and not have anyone from another household in our homes.

Maybe the UK is also getting incorrect information about NZ and Australia? It's been reported here that you completely go back to normal so no masks, distancing, school closures when not in tier 4 lockdown (unlike the UK). Is this correct?

I am sorry to say, but 5 days is nothing, as shit as it is. We have basically being in some sort of lockdown here in London since beginning of November and about 6 weeks of this last lockdown which looks like it will last until April or May. Plus we had a longer lockdown than Melbourne in our first lockdown. Australia needs to figure out how to manage low numbers of cases without having this short lockdowns which destroy the retail and hospitality sector and more importantly, continue to breed the fear in Australia that any cases are Covid are not acceptable. It isn’t sustainable to live like this because you will have Covid and once people are vaccinated, most people will hardly get sick let alone die. Scott Morrison needs to start leading and getting the community to start thinking longer term. And focus on vaccinations and opening the borders.

@CupOfTeaAlonePlease

Bless you. What a kind post. I am Australian but living in London and you are right, we have had it much much tougher than Australians. Melbourne had it tough last year but Australians got to enjoy Christmas and Easter last year and Australia Day. We have had nothing. My family are in WA and they have lived as normal except for a stupid 5 day lockdown a few weeks ago because their idiot Premier panicked over 1 case. However, it is just nice to hear some empathy from someone living in Australia. It actually means a lot. So thank you.

Parquette no it’s not correct, depending on which state you live in. Here in Melbourne we’ve continued with masks all the way through and distancing is still very much a thing- signs everywhere, sanitiser in shops before you go in, parents wear masks at schools, can’t go to many other states as borders are closed or you must do 2 weeks hotel quarantine on arrival/return. Many medical places as doing phone consults instead of face to face and workplaces are still mostly WFH. I’m still wary about where I go and avoid shops as much as I can.

But we are lucky in comparison and watching the devastation in the US, UK and many other parts of the world is utterly heartbreaking.

Yes, I guess the majority of posters are UK based, but I see many posts from people who don't live in the UK, and they are just as entitled to have an opinion as anyone else.

I think you will find they are only allowed an opinion as long as they don't dare to criticise anything the UK does, and quietly take all the criticism from the UK based posters about their own countries.

@Paquerette I think the experience of Australians is probably being generalized and simplified in international media.
While we have been so incredibly fortunate in that much of the limitations have been lifted I would say we are not living a fully normal life, more that the low level restrictions have become somewhat normalized. This is in no way meant to trivialize the situation in other countries or to say that we have it harder- my opinion is that we don't for the sake of clarity.

I'm in Sydney. Our CBD's are suffering as is hospitality, retail and tourism. Our kids are back at school and daycare but with constant temperature checks and a runny nose or slight temp is enough to have them sent home. This is followed by a covid test, isolation and then return with a drs clearance certificate (this may differ but is my personal experience).
DH and I have been working from home for almost a year, multi tasking with a preschooler frequently home from daycare due to the health criteria at the moment, and 10mo.
To go into the office we are required to book a spot to ensure we aren't over capacity. I have only seen a handful of workmates in person since March last year.
We weren't in the lockdown area for Christmas/New Years but we didn't know what we would be able to do until a couple of days before. Even so we were unable to gather with friends as we would have exceeded the numbers as we are all families with kids.
We are lucky to be in a more temperate climate but even our beaches and parks can be shut if the numbers are too high and people aren't distancing.
We swing between different numbers of people allowed to visit at home, or gather in public, depending on the circumstances on any given day.
We carry masks that are required or not dependent on what the latest update is.
Our hospital and health appointments are still subject to restrictions, again dictated by the daily situation.
This is in no way meant to irritate or anger anyone- just giving some perspective on what our "normal" is, reiterating that we do have an easier time currently and that it is closer to normal, and I'm also well aware that many people would give their eye teeth to be living under these conditions.
I have true respect for what everyone is going through in all of the countries suffering so badly with the fall out from covid, and the absolute exhaustion of constantly weighing up the situation to try and make the best decision on a daily, or even hourly basis.

Why do a lot of posters think we would get in-depth news about what’s going on in the Uk, when we have more important stories to be reported like this.

www.google.com.au/amp/s/7news.com.au/news/nt/nt-fishermen-find-wanted-fugitive-hiding-in-mangove-trees-above-croc-infested-waters-c-1897553.amp

@Australia77 for NSW we did not really get to enjoy Easter last year. We were not to travel and people were being fined for being out and about unnecessarily. We were limited to our immediate household- no gatherings, police were patrolling parks to check for people not exercising, our playgrounds were roped off.

@everythingthelighttouches

Furries

Tiers/internal borders is an important point, but context is key. Australia is the size of Europe!!

Is it not more comparable to going from U.K. to another European country to see family? ( which very many of my friends haven’t been able to do.

Also tiers?? What are you talking about?? You couldn’t go from Tier 4 to anywhere else?? Leicester??? Manchester?? I had to go through roadblocks to get to work in Leicester over the summer?

Some people may have broken the rules but for the vast majority they were stuck in their county/city.

Yes the size of the country is more akin to Europe but I’d say most people I know have family interstate while I doubt everyone in the UK has family abroad.

It’s the same as if you were born and grew up in Sheffield and decided to move to London for work opportunities and maybe an uncle and his family also upped sticks and moved to Bristol. The big difference is the distances involved and that we now need to fill in official paperwork to travel interstate and risk being quarantined or not being able to return for weeks.

I’m sorry you have to lockdown so hard for just a couple of cass but oh, what I wouldn’t give for 5 days of lockdown in glorious weather!

[quote Thedramasummer]Why do a lot of posters think we would get in-depth news about what’s going on in the Uk, when we have more important stories to be reported like this.

www.google.com.au/amp/s/7news.com.au/news/nt/nt-fishermen-find-wanted-fugitive-hiding-in-mangove-trees-above-croc-infested-waters-c-1897553.amp[/quote]
The issue is more that earlier in the threads a lot of posters were declaring that a major reason the UK was "doing badly" because we had very generous lockdowns and even during them we were all out breaking lockdown constantly, which view appeared to be borne out of reporting seen in Australia.

Meantime we were being told to educate ourselves on how very difficult the Melbourne lockdowns had been in comparison.

In fact there turned out to be very slender differences between the two.

You can do it OP!

Oh what I would give for lockdown to be over in 5 days and glorious weather!

@ChocOrange1

Sorry you are dreading lockdown but I think its very tone deaf to complain about it on this site. We have been in national lockdown for 6 weeks now, with another month AT LEAST to come. Some parts of the UK have been in lockdown for nearly a year with only 3 weeks off in the middle, and ALL parts of the UK have been under some level of restrictions since March last year. You've got 5 days lockdown, and then everything back to normal again. Boo hoo.

Unfortunately I agree.

We had the initial 90+ day lockdown, a brief break then the majority of the country was back into restrictions in September, a second lockdown in November and then another full third lockdown now for six weeks, which will probably go on past 8th March.

We have had more than 100,000 deaths.

[quote Thedramasummer]Why do a lot of posters think we would get in-depth news about what’s going on in the Uk, when we have more important stories to be reported like this.

www.google.com.au/amp/s/7news.com.au/news/nt/nt-fishermen-find-wanted-fugitive-hiding-in-mangove-trees-above-croc-infested-waters-c-1897553.amp[/quote]
Haha, thanks for lightening the mood!

Some of the other posters from Aus might need to research what's happening in the UK- in the awfulness competition- we definitely win!

@RosesforMama

I fairness, most people in Australia won’t be paying attention to what’s going on in the uk in any real detail.

There is always a post or 2 on the go about how people are breaking lockdown with no consequences being seen.

The educate yourselves post was in response to the OP being told harshly to get a grip it’s only 5 days and we have it worse.

I will say in that posters defence they always have to deal with a lot of shitty anti Aus type posts which probably influenced their harsh and blunt post.

How much Australian news do you get over there?

@Lovely1a2b3c

My story of the year and it was only a few days into the new year when it aired!

I still can’t understand this.

This is a uk site, devised and run in the UK by...British people. Sure, we welcome anyone to comment, but it’s a good idea to read the room.

In much the same way, I’d have thought twice about complaining that the embers of my wood burning stove burned a hole in my carpet last January. On an Australian site. When they were experiencing awful bushfires.

@CountessFrog

I still can’t understand this.

This is a uk site, devised and run in the UK by...British people. Sure, we welcome anyone to comment, but it’s a good idea to read the room.

In much the same way, I’d have thought twice about complaining that the embers of my wood burning stove burned a hole in my carpet last January. On an Australian site. When they were experiencing awful bushfires.

But there isn't really an equivalent here. I was originally in the UK and had used MN for years before I moved, and there are lots of us Aussie MNetters who don't use other sites. So it feels right for us to come on and share on MN. Just like lots of people - men and women - who aren't parents, come on here.

The title was pretty clear that it was about Melbourne. Unless we get a separate Australian section what else do we do? Not share at all?

Should there be a mumsnet announcement for allowed posts from outsiders? Maybe they should go back to their own message boards!

[quote Thedramasummer]@RosesforMama

I fairness, most people in Australia won’t be paying attention to what’s going on in the uk in any real detail.

There is always a post or 2 on the go about how people are breaking lockdown with no consequences being seen.

The educate yourselves post was in response to the OP being told harshly to get a grip it’s only 5 days and we have it worse.

I will say in that posters defence they always have to deal with a lot of shitty anti Aus type posts which probably influenced their harsh and blunt post.

How much Australian news do you get over there?[/quote]
I was deliberately getting onto BBC news to keep myself updated because we don't honestly get loads of news here. During our first lockdown we, quite fairly I think, were more focussed on ourselves in the news.

Weirdly though, BBC news website was pretty crap at giving a proper picture of what was going on, I couldn't even find out the number of cases on a daily basis. I had to google specific questions (covic cases in uk today, etc) to get proper updates. I really had to hunt to get a clearer picture of what was going on, so don't be surprised when we over here in Australia don't really know what is going on in the UK.

All my family are in the Uk so I’ve tried to keep myself updated on the news there and I’ve got my friends and families first hand accounts of how it’s affected them, but not everyone will have that or have the desire to seek out something that doesn’t directly affect them or anyone they know.

I am from Melbourne, live in UK. My family have complained solidly about Melbourne situation. Little interest outside of Australia. My family had covid ("hope you're ok! 😊"), known people die, have friends with long covid and looking at over 100k deaths. My kids have been at home for 9 months. My elderly neighbours have lived alone with little interaction for a large amount of the last 12 months.

I get it's tough and everything is relative but think it's hugely insensitive to complain about 13 cases and 5 days lockdown there.

Fair enough about little news coverage, but surely the average Australian would know the headline information that the UK is one of the worst affected countries in the world in terms of death rate even if they knew little else? (or perhaps not?)

That was to Thedramasummer

*my family had covid = meaning me, husband, children.