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Here in Hobart, we have to wear face masks for the first time.
We’ve been in a snap 3 day lockdown over the weekend. Tasmanian has been covid free since June last year, with no cases in the community.
Recent risk of transmission from a positive case in hotel quarantine resulted in this lockdown. As there have been no new cases, restrictions eased this evening. Except for mask wearing.
The weekend “stay at home” order allowed exercise within 5 km of home. I’m fortunate that this coastal path is just 200 steps from our front door.
Do you wear a face mask when you leave your home?
RuthsArc 
Glad that the lockdown has eased tonight Ruth – it certainly is a bit of a shock when it happens. We have had 3 snap lockdowns here in Perth this year so got used to wearing masks for a while but fingers crossed we have been ok since the end of June. I still always carry one with me just in case a snap lockdown is announced! Lucky you have such a beautiful spot to walk – what a gorgeous place for a walk 🙂
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Hi Rosemary. These short lockdowns seem to do the job. I think masks will be in our future for a while and I also carry one and have a few in my car. WA and Tas are in a similar position of concern when internal borders finally open up.
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Yes the short sharp lockdowns do seem to work Ruth but once we open our borders it will be difficult to prevent outbreaks. WA will probably be the last state or territory to open up. We won’t be doing anything before the vaccination rate hits about 85% of the eligible population. Very hard to predict what will happen going forward …..
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People are nervous here about opening our border. 90% vaccination rate for us. But, so many people are missing family with the current border restrictions. As well as the economic impact, especially tourism. We’ll see.
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I can understand the nervousness Ruth – we are the same here. We also know that there will more more restrictions than there are now when the hard border controls are finally relaxed – we will just have to see too what eventuates. We need to get our vaccination rates up higher before reopening – likewise our government would prefer 90% of eligible adults and I think at the very minimum 85%.
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Lucky you having such a wonderful place to walk so close to home. We still wear a mask when we go inside a supermarket and the library, but most people no longer do so, especially younger folk, and in a beach café we went to last week only the staff wore masks. The thing is that wearing a mask doesn’t really stop you from catching Covid, it only helps prevent the spread if you are infected. I guess we all just have to get used to it being in circulation, like the common cold and flu.
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I wondered how many people are still wearing masks in the UK. Everyone has their own level of comfort and safety measures. We will all have to get used to living with the virus, but it feels like we are behind the curve now in Australia, although catching up with the national vaccination rate in over 16 year olds hitting 70% today. Tasmanian went into lockdown for 1 positive case while I see UK daily case numbers are over 40,000.
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Great to see you have a nice place to walk near your home. Yes, we are doing the mask thing here. It’s not compulsory, but particularly they like people to put them on when out and about doing grocery shopping. Our retail sector is still not open so we aren’t shopping at malls and such like. Still, I put one on as soon as I step out of the car when there is a sense of coming across people. Good to also be double vaccinated now too.
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Glad you are double jabbed, Den. Face masks do give a sense of protection. I’m not enjoying wearing one all day in the office this week though.
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Mass panic over one case, but prevention better than cure? We habitually wear masks in supermarkets and shops. It does come as a surprise when there’s an outbreak near you. It’s something that happens to ‘other people’. But some of us could have carried the virus and not even know. I think it’s time to stop treating it like the Black Plague.
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It’ll will have to become like the flu, I think. I know several people in the UK who had covid last year, some unwell for over a week. Here it does seem like something for “other people”. Strange how our minds work.
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🤔💕
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We are still in full on mask wearing here in Ontario, Canada & have been for the duration of the pandemic. Looking so forward to the day when we can once again rid ourselves of this practice!
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Thanks for your comment Lyn. It is interesting to hear what is happening in other countries. IS it consistent across Canada or do you also have different expectations in difference states? It varies a lot across Australia.
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It definitely varies across the country. Our more densely populated provinces & areas have mandatory masking in place but it is by no means consistent.
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Such strange times.
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We are really hoping to get to Tassie next month, so hope all is under control
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Hope so too. Border rules still change at short notice so hope you are able to visit. Where are you going?
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We are going to an art retreat at Launceston, really looking forward to it
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Enjoy 🙂
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