Week 2 - Wednesday 30 March 2022 - Reasonably Covid Normal

Welcome to the new weekly blog.  I trust that the withdrawal from the daily blog hasn't been too difficult for you and I realise that your daily life is the poorer for it's absence.

Life goes on, although the covid virus is still a big part of our lives it is not front and centre as it has been for the last couple of years.  Lots of people are wearing masks, even when they don't have to, we are still checking in with QR codes and having our vaccination status checked in cafes, restaurants, hotels etc.  Although I have noticed that many venues are not policing the QR code check in and the vaccination status of their patrons.

Obviously and unfortunately people are still being infected and dying because of, or with the virus.

I have been pretty busy with the Shrine.  We have lost a fair number of volunteers through the two years of the pandemic which, as things get back to normal, is putting some pressure on the education staff and the remaining volunteers.  

Every Sunday afternoon the Shrine holds a Last Post ceremony where a veteran or a serving member of the armed forces lays wreath at the eternal flame on the forecourt of the Shrine.  A piper pipes, a bugler bugles and flags are lowered etc. Each week a volunteer has the opportunity to participate in the ceremony and last week I was that volunteer.  During the service I got to carry the wreath onto the forecourt and formally pass it onto the wreath layer.  It was a nice service in the late afternoon sunshine.

If you want to have a look at the Last Post ceremony follow this link  Last Post Service Sunday 27 March 2022 - YouTube I make my first appearance at 5.40 minutes, again 9.50 and 10.30.  After that performance I am surprised I wasn't invited to the academy awards.

I chose Sunday 27/3 as it was 104 years ago on 28/3 that my Grandfather was wounded on the Western front in TGW and 80 years ago that my Father was serving on Timor when the Japanese landed during WW2.  So it was a nice time to reflect on their service and the service of other family members in both wars.

Of course we have Anzac Day looming which will mean a busy time for all involved. I have volunteered for a double shift on Anzac Day, morning and afternoon but not for the dawn service, far too early for me although I might attend a local dawn service.

My U3A Maritime & Military History group is back up and running with face to face sessions each fortnight.  I am presenting this Friday and will be talking about the Shrine using the Shrine outreach program presentation plus some extra bits of my own added in, gotta make it last for two hours.

On top of all that I have a two day conference run by Military History & Heritage Vic on the weekend of 9 & 10 April.

Can anybody see a bit of a theme in my interests?

As stated above, although the virus isn't always front and centre in our minds at the moment is it still with us and daily infections are actually increasing although hospitalisations and deaths are remaining reasonably steady.

In the last 24 hours Victoria recorded 11,749 new infections which is an increase over the 9,000 or so reported a week ago.  Hospital admissions are up slightly at 280 (256), ICU down at 18 (24) and ventilator patients steady at 5 (5).  Last week's daily figure in brackets.

Victorian deaths appear to be steady at 7 in the last 24 hours.

Although the infection numbers are up the hospitalisation numbers and deaths haven't gone up proportionally.  It would appear that lots of people getting infected are not getting seriously ill, hopefully this is as a result of 95% of the population being double vaxxed although triple vaxxing is only at 62%.

In the last 24 hours NSW reported 25,000 new daily infections with 1,300 covid patients in hospital and 15 deaths in the last 24 hours.  Looks like things might be getting a little out of control in NSW.

Speaking of doing extra shifts at the Shrine I have just been asked to go in early tomorrow for two two school tours.  I will be up for an OBE or MBE the way this is going.

Gotta go now and do some work on my U3A presentation.

        Corona Virus Weekly Stats – From 22 March 2022 – Week 1 Reasonably Covid Normal

D	Aus Infected	Aus Increase Daily	Aus 1st Dose Vacc	Vic Infected	Vic Increase Daily	NSW Increase Daily	*Aus Active Infection	NSW Active Infection	Vic Active Infection	Aus 2nd Dose Vacc
22/03	3,975,559	32,379	96.7%	1,195,239	9,594	9,594	387,622	211,527	52,983	94.9%
30/03	4,436,572	50,082	96.8%	1,271,494	11,749	25,235	479,116	258,112	58,488	95.1%
06/04

Corona Virus Daily Stats Hospitalisation Etc – From 22 March 2022 – Week 1 Reasonably Covid Normal
Date	Aus New Infection Daily	Aus Hospital	Aus ICU	Aus Ventilate	Vic New Infection Daily	Vic Hospital	Vic ICU	Vic Ventilate	AUS Daily Deaths	Vic Daily Deaths
22/03	32,379	2,090	93	21	9,594	256	24	5	26	7
30/03	50,082	2,446	100	21	11,749	280	18	5	28	7
06/04