Diary Entries

It was a normal Friday afternoon when I was sitting in the classroom doing my Religion lesson. Then one of our teachers came into the classroom. He was telling us that the government had been telling all parents to keep their children at home for the safety of their families. You are probably wondering why we had to stay home. There was this massive killing virus going around. It was called "Corona Virus" also known as COVID 19. Soon after we were told to stay home, the government made up the decision to close down all cafes, pubs, clubs, hairdressers, and more. The only places that were open were shopping centers, chemists, and hospitals. All people were isolated from everyone for several weeks. I was in Year 7. All the children had to go online and do there classwork on the computer. This time was very stressful. I found it so much easier to have a teacher standing in front of me explaining all the tasks to me. 8 weeks later we were allowed to go back to school. Only a few schools opened up, and I was lucky enough to have mine open back up. There are still many cases of COVID 19 going around. But our teachers are always telling us that school is the safest place to be as it was only built recently and we only have our grade here, year 7. But if there were more classes there would be higher chances of someone catching it. Now thinking about it I am so grateful that I am in a safe environment. I know I will be safe here. I can't wait until this horrible disaster settles down so I can get back to living a normal life with not so much chaos around me. 2020

Learning online was a bit of a challenge. You felt pressured every day since school work came at you at felt work it consumed you but when we finally came to school again you were reassured by the amazing teachers that support you, give you great advice to improve your learning and to help you become a better person and do better things in life that even if it is something small. But Learning online has some pro's too it makes you learn new skills like- when I felt pressured it helped me too manage my time better and to not procrastinate! These are skills that you notice if you go to school. I also improved my technology skills since I used my laptop a lot for some of my subjects. Things I did while I was learning online was face timing friends/ family which really helped me socially since it was really hard not seeing them every day, I spent quality time with family since they are always at work or I am at my after school activities, played with my pets, caught up on work and I watched Netflix because who doesn't like Netflix these days?

Everyday during quarantine I did my school work and finished at eleven o clock. After my work was done I went to the park every day to improve my soccer skills and quickness. Some days I went over to my cousins house to play basketball, soccer and swim in their pool. I enjoy learning at home because I have more freetime and finish my work early.

The earth takes a breath and as the virus spreads there's nothing but death I hear the cries of anger and I hear the yells of pain this pandemic has no gain but the trees face the sun and the animals still hear the gun what if hiding is better for everyone

Although I have seen all of the negative aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic (the job losses, increase in domestic violence and of course the deaths of so many) it does seem to me that this could be a time for the world (and the Earth) to reset. The first positive news which I heard in relation to coronavirus was how clear the Venice canals had become after Italy’s lockdown where numerous boats were no longer polluting the waterway. I was amazed at how quickly the environment had returned to a former state with organisms arriving in vast numbers (including a giant influx of jellyfish). And it wasn’t just Venice which was receiving unexpected animal visitors. My Instagram was soon flooded with images of goats, monkeys, deer, foxes, buffalo and wild boar roaming streets all around the world from Wales to New Delhi. It seemed that nature was taking back the cities. Then images of air pollution reduction started to emerge. The Himalayas were seen from India for the first time in decades and satellite imagery showed the vast reduction in pollution around Europe and China. Finally, the Earth was given a brief moment to breath and I saw what our lives could look like if we seriously tackled pollution and climate change - a brief glimmer of hope for what could be our shared future.

What have I done since lockdown began? No ping pong, no croquet, no singing, no dance! What’s a girl go’nna do to fill the expanse of time stretching forward for maybe six months till this virulent virus loses its punch. Number one is to zoom, to stay in contact with mates, to ensure that we don’t react adversely to such isolating restrictions and keep our mood up, away from depression. This screen mode’s essential to keep us amused But when we try singing together and fused a cacophony of noise, not much hope for “in sync”! It sounds like we’ve spent a few days on the drink. The next thing is walking each day, round the bay because most of my games we’re forbidden to play. It’s so tempting to put too much food on the plate and important to try and maintain the same weight. But golf is a yes, so it’s great to get out on the course when it’s fine and swing, without doubt. The game is adjusted but works all the same and stops all of us golf nuts from going insane New activities I’m finding, like trying to blend a mix of materials to restore their lost splendour by sewing In patchwork, arranging position to make up some covers for dining chair cushions. Then something which comes right out of thin air are verses and rhymes to be written down there of this moment in time, so unprecedented we hope in our lifetime to be not repeated.

My name is Yameena Mubarak and I am 12. I go to St George Girls High School in Kogarah, and I'm studying in year 7. When we were told not to go to school, I first was kind of excited, but then when I actually got into it I started feeling really bored and lonely since none of my fun and bubbly friends were around me. The teachers started piling extra homework on us, thinking that we'd have more time on our hands, but really we don't! I miss my teachers physically teaching me, because my parents weren't really born for teaching me! Since Australia is doing a good job in containing the virus, NSW is easing their restriction and students will gradually start going to school once a week. I'm really excited to start seeing my friends again, because it's much easier than facetiming them everyday. I'd rather be seeing my friends everyday rather than dealing with my annoying siblings. Quarantine has also taught me a lot of things, like I found a passion for cooking, during quarantine I baked cakes, pies and so many other yummy foods! It's been months since I've stepped out of my house and I can't wait to start seeing my friends, it's been an overwhelming and interesting experience, but I truly can't wait for this to be over!

A change of pace, and a quiet day at the practice. Time to catch up on the results, letters, and check in on the phone with my regulars. It's nice that Medicare now pays for these services. A smattering of patients. Some uncertain bleeding. She's a well woman by my socially distanced eyeball test - though she probably can't see my eyeballs so easily. Glove and gown and the exam confirms she'll be fine. Later, handing me the signed urine form, her finger brushes over my washed un-gloved fingertip. Ridged, spongy, warm sensations all so distinct in the fraction of a second. She's not so used to monitoring every object in sight, touched, untouched, dirty end of the counter, clean side of the trolley. I surprise myself in that moment finding I'm not annoyed but attuned to my fingertip, now contaminated. How awful. How awesome. It's been an age since I touched skin without gloves, and so I'm left not only reassuring her that the urine test tells us the miracle of life is not a differential we need to consider today, but reassuring myself that it's still there, right at my fingertip.

I'm feeling very happy tonight, even while I'm still self isolating at home. My local choir, Kala Rava, has just finished our fortnightly online Zoom meeting for this evening. It's more fun when we can get together physically at the local hall, but we aren't allowed to gather in person, so at the start of the "lockdown" Marie our choir leader organised for us to meet online every 2 weeks. I really look forward to catching up with my choir friends and seeing their faces. Even though it's only 1.25 hours of singing and connecting with others it really makes a difference to my mood. I'm happy when I can sing with the choir. It's important to stay connected during these isolating times, know that everyone else is still there and it gives me something to look forward to. I feel very happy and grateful to have these other people in my life and I look forward to seeing them all again in person - hopefully not too far off. After the singing is over, it's time to reflect upon how important it is to have music and singing in my life and to have friends to enjoy it with. The Zoom technology is great. Sitting in front of my laptop computer I can add a backdrop of one of my own photos and then the camera in the laptop shows me in front of my photo. I change the photo each week and enjoy seeing other people's photos. We can all see each other while we listen to the music and sing along. It's different singing this way but definitely better than not meeting at all.

As a health professional working in a hospital setting this pandemic stuff has been full on! First of all... I just want to say thank you to everyone for doing the social isolation (SI) thing, you really saved us. This period of SI has given us a chance to be prepared. We have planned for COVID, practiced our donning and doffing, refreshed our critical care skills, counted our masks and respirators... and now feel better prepared to face COVID. A big thank you to the community who have really supported us and made us feel like heroes. In reality we think the community are the heroes, they have done it tough at home, lost jobs and home schooled their kids. At least we have been able to go to work. If we stick together we can beat it.