Samuel Pepys: August 8, 1665
… The streets mighty empty all the way now, even in London, which is a sad sight. And to Westminster hall, where talking, hearing very sad stories from Mrs Mumford among others, of Mrs. Mitchell’s son’s family. And poor Will that used to sell us ale at the Hall door – his wife and three children dead, all I think in a day. So home through the City again, wishing I may have taken no ill in going; but I will go, I think, no more thither.
August 9, 2020
Melbourne is in Stage Four lockdown; the rest of the state has returned to Stage Three. The virus escaped hotel quarantine, and then got into other workplaces, probably in both cases because casual staff were not properly trained in personal protection, or did not have access to appropriate PPE, and were working across multiple sites.
Most unhappily, it got into aged care homes. That was always one of my fears, knowing from my visiting experience how incredibly hard it is to stop an infection running rampant through an aged care facility once it gets in. We see it every winter with flu, which is why as a minister I always get a flu shot, and we see it whenever there is gastro. I have been checking the UnitingAgeWell website every day to see how they are coping. Staff members have tested positive, but so far it doesn’t look as though there has been any onsite transmission, and none of the residents have it. I’d like to think this is because UnitingAgeWell is a not-for-profit with all government grants used for the benefits of the residents rather than to fund the lavish lifestyles of its owners (which I guess would be all of us – members of the Uniting Church) but I’m aware how much luck has played a part in community transmission so I can’t make that claim.
