Dear Readers,
Starting from 14 September, Melburnians are a bit relieved from their lockdown, just a little bit.
For single households, you can have bubble buddies to visit you, but with masks on. You can have an extra hour outside for your exercise and meet one of your friends or with your family together. But this must be still within 5 km of your home. For parents, you can bring your kids to playgrounds outside and enjoy the outdoor fitness equipment. Public libraries will be open but available for click and collect service only. No matter how you still have to observe the 1.5m social distancing. Not the least, you can have another hour after 8 pm in the curfew which will last for another six weeks.
Victorians in the countryside will expect more relaxations in the coming days even though in some areas there had been no infection for more than 14 days. Let us wait and see what happens.
This happens all because of the invisible infectious coronavirus and our society has practically stopped to prevent its spread. In other parts of Australia, the society is progressing to a new Covid normal with caution. The primary focus of the federal government is now trying to kickstart our economy cautiously.
Survival packages from the federal government in the past six months have supported Australians to go through hardship. We understand that the government had grabbed vaccine deals which will probably be available by end of the year or early next year. A restart of our economy when the whole world is struggling becomes the new priority.
The government need to do more to help small businesses to rebuild. Small businesses have suffered and scared about the future. Success in igniting the hope inside the hearts of business owners becomes the key to this rebuilding process. Leaders in Australia should demonstrate their leadership by committing Australians, not just to fight Covid-19 virus, but also to rebuild a new world.
At this moment, we need visions but not division from our leaders. Unfortunately, in the last week, we have seen too much blaming rather than rebuilding.
May our leaders be blessed to lead sensibly!
Raymond Chow
Publisher, Blessing CALD