Half Way Down Or Half Way To Go

Pan Pacific Hotel, Rm 1214 (Melbourne)

Monday 4 May 2020

Is the glass full, or is the glass half empty … ? 

While the contents of a glass, (or the elapsed time in detention for that matter), at the 50% level, might be a provable fact, as we all know, this popular saying represents a way of thinking; a mindset.  Are we an optimistic Tigger or are we a downcast, pessimistic Eeyore?

Well today, or at least at midnight tonight, I clock over the half way point in my 14 day quarantine exercise … Yey!!  

Today is also the day on which I received the regular “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mandatory Quarantine” newsletter – a bumper, 7-sided production today – full of up-to-date information for … “ … returned travellers nearing the end of their 14-day mandatory quarantine”

So there you have it.  It’s official.  I might be half way through by detention … but I’m … “nearing the end”, according to the latest official newsletter. 

Some of the things I need to know include –

“When will I be able to leave? – get the big one out of the way, right at the start! 

“What time is checkout”  – actually from 12:00pm on the day your detention notice expires – just a thought, have you ever checked out of a hotel at 12 midnight??!! – when it didn’t involve catching an international flight …

“What is a release notice?” – I need this to demonstrate I’ve done my time, so to speak.

Other important questions fall under the headings of … “Health Check” … “Start Planning Now” … “Restrictions”… “Mental Health” … “Transport” … you get the idea.

No mention of … “What if I want to stay longer?” … but I guess asking a question like that might fall under “Mental Health Check?!”

Before I forget, I should slip in an apology here to those in New Zealand who have been in the habit of reading this blog before they go to bed each night. I’ll blame it on the 2-hour time difference and the fact that when I was in New Zealand, I needed to upload each day’s post by around 11:00pm each night (mostly) – before I fell asleep. 

Now I’m in Australia, I’m maintaining the same habits, except when it’s 11:00pm here, it’s 1:00am the next day in New Zealand. Of course, whilst most feathered kiwis are just hitting their stride at 1:00am, most of the human kiwis are rightly tucked up in bed…  Maybe it needs to become a breakfast reading ritual. As we say in Vanuatu … Sori tumas

Speaking of New Zealand … I received an email from my ol’ Uni. flat-mate, Matt, today (Refer Picton to Akaroa leg and the co-owner of our university dinghy all those years ago). Anyway, Matt made the observation, from something he’d read, that was reflecting on the often-repeated phrase that “we are all in the same boat” when it comes to this pandemic “storm”, but in reality, that’s not really true.   

He went on to say how … we might all be going through the SAME pandemic storm, but we are each in different boats.  Which is such a powerful idea and vision.  Certainly one that I can relate to.  In fact anyone who’s travelled on a boat can relate to a situation where, when conditions turn a bit nasty, they might think … “Gee, I’m glad I’m on this BIG ship” … or conversely say, “I wish my boat was a little bigger”.  It all depends on your perspective, and the size of your boat I suppose.

Extending the analogy a little further … there is an obligation under the “Rules of the Sea” to render assistance where necessary, to those in distress, and I quote from the US Naval War College’s manual, titled, International Law Studies (not something I generally carry in my hand luggage) …

DUTY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE: Customary international law has long recognized the affirmative obligation of mariners to render assistance to persons in distress at sea to the extent they can do so without serious danger to their ship, crew, or passengers. This long-standing custom is codified in a number of international treaties adopted under the auspices of the IMO, as well as the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas14 and the 1982 UNCLOS.15

Applying the rules of the sea to the, “rules of the land”, it therefore follows that there is an obligation to help everyone in need during this particular coronavirus “storm”.

This might seem an obvious approach to take, but it seems in some places around the world, there’s a surprising attitude emerging that goes along the lines of … And I quote from an article by Greg Sheridan in The Australian last Saturday, titled … Abandon the old? ‘Not on my watch’ – Australia rightly rejects immoral talk of sacrificing the elderly …

“… there is a new idea abroad. How dare we spend so much money, and subject the economy to so much difficulty, to save lives predominantly of people aged over 60? Although this sentiment has not informed government policy, certainly in Australia, it has featured heavily, and in some strangely unlikely sources, in the virus debate. While the virus can kill anybody, it will kill people at higher rates the older they are. Why are we spending so much money to save old folks when young folks will inherit the economic difficulties?

In relation to the Australian context, and New Zealand as well, Sheridan goes on to write …

In an early meeting, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy was briefing Scott Morrison, Health Minister Greg Hunt and a few others on these issues, noting that some jurisdictions were operating a triage system that essentially ruled old people out of intensive care.

“That’s not happening here,”the Prime Minister said. “Not on my watch.”

“Not on my watch either!” Hunt emphatically agreed.

“I’m glad you said that,” Murphy replied, “because I didn’t want it to happen on my watch either.”

That meeting galvanised the determination to secure 7000 ventilators for when the virus might peak, to get enough intensive care beds.

Both Morrison and Hunt told me shortly afterwards that they were determined to fight for every life in Australia. When accused of overreacting to the virus, Morrison told a press conference: “Every Australian matters. It doesn’t matter whether they have just been born or are approaching the end of their lives — every Australian matters.”

Sheridan’s article uses the “Titanic-Abandon-Ship” scenario to illustrate his point.  It’s very powerful, and the cartoon (above) gets the message across well. 

But maybe you’re like me, and are still shocked by the idea that “the elderly” extends to cover those aged 60?!   I don’t know about that …?? 

Although, there must come a point when the doctor says, “Mr Latimer, your medical check-up is really good…” and then finishes the sentence off with: “… for a man of your age”  … DOH!!

I was looking again at my “Blog Site Stats” today, and number of “Views” for last Monday’s epistle titled … “Won’t Forget This Day in a Hurry” … are amazing. 

Given the average daily views are in the 20-odd range, Monday last week spiked at 145.  Certainly, an outlier statistical data point if ever there was one.  And the countries represented in the views include Australia and New Zealand of course, but also the UK, Canada, USA and Bangladesh. Just thought I’d share that with you.

Smooth seas, fair breeze and Half Way Down Or Half Way To Go

Rob Latimer