Give them a break

Sunrise at Terrigal this morning (courtesy Julie)

Last week, I was going to to blog about my suspicion that the death of a 30-y-o man at Blackwater in remote Queensland had incorrectly been ascribed to COVID-19 (Queensland has had only 7 COVID-19 deaths).  Ultimately, I didn't write the post because I couldn't find anything online to support my suspicions.  The reasons for being suspicious were that it was the only case identified after much testing in the area, that you would expect that a remote location medical facility might not be as familiar with how to conduct the test, and that the tests are not perfect.

Sunrise at Terrigal this morning (courtesy Julie)

A post-mortem has shown the man likely did not have COVID-19, and locals are vociferously criticising the Queensland government and the medical authorities.  I listened to a local politician on the radio this morning berating the authorities for causing such upset and concern in the Blackwater community and to the bereaved family.

I'm sure the authorities have learned some lessons from this case, but like the Ruby Princess affair in New South Wales when thousands of passengers, many of them carrying the COVID-19 virus, were permitted to disembark in Sydney, some patience and common sense needs to be applied.  The people charged with managing these events are being confronted with unprecedented situations and are subject to intense pressure to make big decisions quickly.  Even with the smartest people and the best intentions, mistakes are going to be made, and it is unfair to heap criticism and scorn on those decision-makers.

I walked and jogged 4km this morning, with less discomfort in the right hip flexor than yesterday, so am feeling a little more optimistic.