Melbourne is a Case Study in Navigating a Second Wave of Coronavirus
Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, grappling with a spiraling coronavirus outbreak in a country that once thought it had the pandemic beat, has now imposed some of the toughest restrictions in the world.
But as officials cast about for ways to break the chain of infections, the city has become a confounding matrix of hefty fines for disobedience, minor exceptions for everything from romantic partners to home building, and endless versions of the question: So, wait, can I ____?
Restaurant owners are wondering about food delivery after an 8 p.m. curfew began on Sunday night. Teenagers are asking if their boyfriends and girlfriends count as essential partners. Can animal shelter volunteers walk dogs at night? Are house cleaners essential for those struggling with their mental health? Can the Covid-tested exercise outside?
“This is such a weird, scary, bizarro time that we live in,” said Tessethia Von Tessle Roberts, 25, a student in Melbourne who admits to having hit a breaking point a few days ago, when her washing machine broke.
“Our health care workers are hustling around the clock to keep us alive,” she said.“Our politicians are as scared as we are, but they have to pretend like they have a better idea than we do of what’s going to happen next.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-lockdown-20-looks-like-harsher-rules-deeper-confusion/ar-BB17xYZo?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=NL_ENUS_D1_20200804_2_2
