editorial Welcome to this week’s editorial, How goes your lockdown? Mayor Innes told15th ABC News (Thursday 26th 2021) in regards to the September 10th extension of the lockVol 16 September 2017 28 April December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 27th 2018 down that people "really are conscien ously doing the right thing so I think they are star ng to get sick to death of being locked down when there's no cases in our local area". “Sick to death” was probably the wrong thing to say when talking about Covid but we will let that go by along with her idea last week on Facebook to begin a conversa@on on poli@cians and bureaucrats reducing their wages for an interim period to help people in the hospitality and retail trade who are doing it par@cularly tough. The unfortunate spin on this is that Councillors had just voted themselves a 2% fee increase and had put up rates , water, sewer and fees and charges across the shire by an average 2%. But are we “sick to death” of the lockdowns? The general response The Beagle is hearing is that Eurobodalla residents celebrated the new rules that were finally set in place that prohibited open access into the Shire from the ACT and Greater Sydney. Once the Delta variant spread west the further restric@ons on travel were appreciated by locals who were jus@fiably fearful of just one case arriving in the Shire. The Mayor was correct in saying that we “really are conscien ously doing the right thing” however, by evidence, it is clear that many are not. Church goers, beach par@es, engagement par@es, office par@es, driving from Sydney to Bega to receive the Pfizer jab, abusing the holiday home loophole and ignoring the rules all together saying they don’t believe in Covid and it is all a hoax. So here we are in Lock Down for two more weeks hoping that our Eurobodalla protec@ve bubble isn’t burst. In the mean@me we are generally doing the right thing, being polite and respecIul of each other when we go out for food, and we remain hopeful that a new normal might return where we can resume lives and livelihoods that have been put on hold. It is encouraging to hear that our vaccina@on clinics are being well aJended. Many of us now have our Covid Cer@ficates and at some point we might actually be able to use them. Of interest is the growing discussion around their use in allowing access to stores, cafes, aircraK and even the workplace. One wonders what might become of the 20% unvaccinated when we reach 80%? I, for one, appreciate being locked down and locked out of a world that is going mad outside our Eurobodalla border. A Plea: If you have any Dine and Discover vouchers leK please use them now to support our local businesses. It cost you so liJle and it means the world to them. Un@l Next, lei beagle weekly : Vol 222 August 27th 2021
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