Postscript: Beyond Day 40

Post-Script to Social Isolation Journal: Afterthoughts following Day 40

I include my short form March records below to see how far we’ve come (records started 16th March, Journal from 22 March). At day 40 I forgot my final helpful advice for Donald Trump’s quest for a COVID-19 cure, to wit, take a dip in a bath of hydrochloric acid; as your skin peels off the virus retreats.

While our borders will not reopen for several months, domestic social intercourse is now sanctioned. Accordingly, Saturday night my wife and I had an impromptu evening meal and game of 500 with neighbours.

Australia is now embroiled, unnecessarily I feel, in a diplomatic disagreement with China. They are so sensitive over there, taking perceived criticism ever so personally. All we wanted to do was inquire into how the virus began so that we can learn enough to insure against it happening again. The same inquiry would be sought if the virus originated in a warehouse in Chicago, a market in Lima or a village in the Himalayas. As it came from Wuhan in China the communist party has taken umbrage. It is not impolite to investigate the origin and early uncontrolled spread of COVID-19. As defense analyst Stephen Kuper put it (Defence Connect 30 April, 2020): “Silence means consent. That now includes agreeing to stay mute about the origin of a disease that had killed thousands, impoverished millions, threatened billions and cost trillions.”

Twiggy Forrest, mining magnate and philanthropist, orchestrated a media conference to donate medical equipment and brought with him a high ranking Chinese government official. The conference was led by Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt. What seems to have been missed by the media is this was a gaffe, an indiscrete breach of official protocol, poor etiquette. A senior public servant would have been condemned, even dismissed for it, but Twiggy is private enterprise writ large and came magnanimously bearing gifts. In that setting the Minister had every right to suggest taking it outside if questions were to be addressed to the Chinese official.

 I look forward to the new normal, however re-configured.

The March in March since the Ides of March:

Date	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31
New	101	54	141	160	172	144	224	313	327	287	376	367	450	331	284	312