Elizabeth Street, Melbourne 7:45pm.

I went for a walk just before curfew. *This is this something I thought I’d never say*

I’ve found it interesting watching the reaction to this new destruction in the face of a deadly out of control virus on social media.

It is making people question labels they could easily once apply to themselves, like “libertarian” or views on the state keeping right out of individual lives. I question these things myself. But how can all liberties be equal?

Are all the small activities of human interaction which maybe satisfying, fulfilling, boring or otherwise disappointing the same as dying alone in a nursing home or the horror of working in a healthcare system overwhelmed? Aren’t restrictions on human physical interaction...

such small, if difficult, sacrifices compared to the sacrifice our healthcare workers make ever day when they leave their homes? How can hanging out with friend be measured again one life, let alone many?

It seems the “liberties” we are asked to give up are so small in comparison and to complain so selfish.

I can’t work out if I am just paying more attention, as there is always the sound of emergency service vehicles in the city, but I can’t help thinking there have been more.

And the helicopter lands more often on the hospital roof. It could be the numbers of dying every day & the numbers in ICU distorting what I’m hearing. But I fear this is just how the late arriving coronavirus wave sounds from outside hospital & aged care buildings.

As I walked the last 30 minutes before curfew many things were happening. The lines outside supermarkets and the head down hurrying with shopping bags homes was winding down. Something weird was also happening as 8pm got closer, lots of people seemed to be relocating houses.

Several people were pushing huge suitcases and were weighted down with garbage bags hurrying down empty side streets. One person was even transporting a whole lounge. Maybe they were lovers who had forgotten to go home until now.

Or maybe the curfew announcement is the last straw and people with longer relationships have been given final marching orders as the witching hour approaches.

One can only speculate.

Close to 8pm the streets emptied of cars and now there is just an occasional empty tram and lots and lots of food delivery riders. There appears to be two companies, “Easi” all in black and yellow and Deliveroo, hiding their name to avoid minimum wages, black with acqua.

The bikes go faster and faster, speeding up and the streets empty of cars. As I got closer to home, I see them zipping by not even pausing at intersections now they have the streets to themselves.