As someone who works in retail, I already deal with some completely ridiculous situations everyday, but since the COVID-19 pandemic has established a firm grip on the world, these situations have been dialled up to eleven.
Since march I’ve heard nothing but complaints about having to stay home, or keep your distance and wearing masks or even saying the virus is a hoax, and it’s given me the impression that while this country is certainly able to comply with the ever-changing rules of COVID, there is a certain reluctance in doing so.
Admittedly, I am probably a little biased coming from a household that has been on high alert since March, as my Mother is extremely immunocompromised (more on that here), so to us wearing a mask in public and practicing social distancing as well avoiding hotspots is not even a topic of debate.
What I don’t understand is the government’s choice to recommend different strategies to help curb the spread of COVID such as wearing masks in public instead of enforcing them as a new rule. To me, it comes across as a half-assed attempt at controlling the pandemic. As we all know, masks are annoying to wear, but if it is going to help get rid of this virus then I think it is reasonable to expect everyone to wear one in public. I also think that having a concrete set rules will help everyone be on the same page in fighting COVID as a lot of people are still unclear on things like wearing a mask. One of the biggest comments I get while wearing a mask at work is “are they forcing you to wear that?”, or “do we have to wear them [masks] as well?”.
Now I know some people cannot wear masks due to health concerns and I am not going to contest that, but what I will contest is the necessity to be out in public. If you cannot wear a mask then should you really be leaving the house, especially in hotspots such as Sydney? I think that if a health condition is stopping you from wearing a mask then it should stop you from leaving the house. It sounds harsh, but staying home until either you are able to wear a mask or COVID-19 isn’t as serious as it is now is a much better alternative to contracting COVID-19.
I think the biggest message we should all be reminded of is that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate, it cannot be controlled by any medication yet, no essential oils or prayers will send it packing. The only way we can control and reduce the cases of COVID-19 is to be smart and stay away from each other, stay home when we aren’t feeling well, and to treat everyone as a potential carrier. If we cannot see the severity of this virus, then we cannot see a future without COVID-19, and that is something that I think a lot of people will agree with.