We flattened the curve! Now what?

THE Government acted, we did what we were told, and we flattened the curve. It wasn’t easy, we lost money, lost lifestyle, lost jobs … but boy, we flattened the curve. So what now?

The question is, if we did the job, when will something change?

The Government has now created an information vacuum, because Beyond The Curve, there is nothing to aim for, and nothing is changing yet as a result of our success.

FLAT

The public is now rightly asking: When will we start to ease restrictions and get back to business? Not necessarily when as a date, but what has to happen that will tell the experts we have done it?

Do we need to keep the curve flat for three months? No more deaths for a week, a month, six months? No more new cases for a month? No more critical cases? Total disappearance of any symptoms, anywhere?

Unless someone can come up with answers, the questions will not go away and there will be growing restlessness.

EGGING

The public knows that we had to deal with the curve to avoid more deaths and wider outbreaks. That has been well sold.

The graph has provided a fascinating visual aid, and we have watched it every day, motivated by its direction, egging each other on.

Spokespeople told us that we couldn’t get complacent, so we didn’t. We needed to keep our foot on the brake in case there is a second outbreak – so we have.

So what has to occur before we can gradually ease back into a normality, go to a restaurant, send the kids back to school, go to a park and read a book in the sun, take a yacht out for a sail (without having to buy a fishing licence to carry a rod)? What has to happen before we can get a life?

This is the communication vacuum in which we now sit and we pray someone can answer these questions, but given nobody has ever faced this before, perhaps nobody knows the answers.

Australia is showing amazing patience, but to stay motivated we need a new goal, and soon.PC