ON Saturday morning, a mate of mine and I rode the Fernleigh track as we have done on a regular basis for almost 10 years and yes, on a road bike.
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I had never, in all that time, seen it as busy as it was on Saturday, with leisure cyclists, dog walkers, families with small children, joggers, the elderly, a man with a horse and even a ginger cat enjoying the fresh air. Obviously, a large part of the population trying to get their social distancing in a healthy and active way.
Despite all this, there remained the road cyclists screaming along this public track as if they were in the Tour de France. All of them male, none of them with the slightest courtesy of a bell or a 'oi' to make you aware of their presence, just a testosterone-fuelled urgency to go as fast as they possibly can for a purpose I don't fully understand.
Boys, a word of advice; if you want to go that fast on a public trail that is bustling with activity, could I recommend some commonsense and go ride on a road? The roads, during these times of COVID-19, are largely empty, so go for your life and we'll see you on the Champs Elysee.
Antony Bennett, Bar Beach
SALUTING ALL HEROES
SATURDAY'S Newcastle Herald paid tribute to our extraordinary health workers; doctors, nurses, support staff - who are confronting the coronavirus pandemic head on ("Our heroes", Herald, 28/3). Yes, they are heroes. My wife's best friend is a doctor specialising in thoracic cancer and spends much of her days siphoning fluid from bronchial passages, where the Coronavirus would reside. Yes, they are all heroes.
But let's not forget the first responders, the ambos and paramedics who turn up to every incident, with limited personal protection, not knowing whether the people they are going to help are affected by coronavirus - leaving aside the personal dangers they already face much more frequently from violent, drug-affected people.
Then there are the police, who go about their daily challenges with virtually no protection against the virus and who are now called upon to actually enforce isolation requirements - in other words to confront people who are affected by COVID-19. These people, doing what they always do, are also heroes. Let's not forget that. In our recognition of the heroism of our health specialists, let's not forget the gatekeepers.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
DOCTOR KNOWS BEST
I READ with interest Dr David Nicholson's comments ('Doctor slams elective surgery', Herald, 28/3) and I note he seems to be at variance with that Trump fellow in America who has declared that the coronavirus is not as bad as it seems and that in America it will be all over by Easter. But what would David Nicholson know - he is only a doctor (sarcasm intended).
Seriously, having been a patient of David Nicholson, I hold him in high esteem and he is to be applauded for the stand he is taking.
Further, we have people like Dave McTaggart, of Edgeworth, (Short Takes, 28/3) calling self-isolation a "farce". Where did he get his medical degree?
My attitude is, the sooner we have a total national lock-down, the better. It can only help to shorten the bad times ahead.
Bill Snow, Stockton
MAKE SHORE SHIPS ARE SAFE
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has issued a strong statement that no-one is permitted to disembark off ships in Australian ports who are not Australian residents.
This being the case, does this ruling apply to all the crew members on board bulk/freight ships entering our ports every day from overseas countries, and if they did would they be placed in quarantine for 14 days?
In Newcastle alone there would be at least three ships entering each day. Will this apply to the pilot who interacts with the crew on the bridge and the customs personnel who carry out routine checks aboard these vessels? If yes, then someone needs to inform all those who come in contact with all these possibly COVID-19 exposed personnel now.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
HELP NEEDED FOR ISOLATED
THE major plank of this government for almost 10 years has been stopping the boats, but when it really counted they let in the Ruby Princess and its shipload of sick passengers (''PM playing cruise ship blame game, says Labor', Herald 24/3). Not only did the Border Force and NSW Health organisations let it in, my understanding is they did no temperature tests or virus checks.
Surely they were aware that cruise ships are a petri dish for rapid incubation of viruses. I believe the cruise line company also needs to be held to account. It is the same company's ship that Japan ordered to quarantine its passengers for 14 days before disembarking. It must have been aware of the possible need to do so here.
Arrivals at airports are finally being temperature tested, but how long has it taken to get some safeguards in place? Even with the temperature testing now taking place, there appears to be no one enforcing the simple social distancing requirements.
Travellers returning from overseas will most likely be returning to empty refrigerators and sparse pantries. What plans are in place to help these people restock with essentials for the mandatory 14-day isolation period? Sadly there appears to be none. Does that mean these people will now break isolation to be able to eat?
Paul Sutcliffe, Fern Bay
PLAYERS' PINCH IS LESSER
AFTER reading that NRL and Knights players may have to take pay cuts and also how devastated they are while being at peak physical fitness being told that they can't play NRL ('Dollars and sense', Herald 26/3) I had to write this.
Here is a reality check for some of these players: some of you earn more in a year than some workers earn in 10 years, some even more than some would in a lifetime. Please don't give me the line that you have a limited time playing. If that's the case, when you retire at 30 get a normal job like everyone else on a basic wage. Try working in hospitality, an industry that has already seen penalty rates cut and now many workers are told they have no job at all.
I believe a lot of small clubs, pubs and businesses will never open again. At least footballers will more than likely have something to go back to when this is over. Footballers are also lucky they don't have to take days to get on to Centrelink only to be told you will be called back, and maybe still have to wait several weeks for a payment. Can you even understand the anxiety and stress these people and their families are going through?
Some of these workers will lose everything including their homes, cars and maybe never work again. So please, NRL players, don't stress about losing some of your inflated pay packet and not being able to play what is just a game.
Stephen Millett, Shortland
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
HOW sad that we have people that don't care about everyone else, with a lot of people walking along Bathers Way shoulder to shoulder. It's a pity there weren't police on the scene to finethese idiots. A sad reflection on a small percentage of our society.
Terrence Chedzey, Glendale
A BIG thank you to all the selfish people on Bathers Way in Newcastle that have put their families, friends and elderly people in danger from this terrible virus. Where were the police enforcing the rules set by the government and council closing down this blatant disregard of health authority's advice? Well done you idiots.
Alan Higgins, Newcastle West
CAN anyone tell me what the go is with these people going to Merewether for coffee and cake in their thousands and not giving two hoots about the consequences. How many people could get infections from just one person, you idiots?
Ken Stead, Lambton
What sort of idiots live around Newcastle? To see the amount of people flaunting the laws at Merewether is sickening. Don't they have a brain? Apparently not.
Ian Healey, Waratah
FUTURE: who is going to be offering the help? Do we know who will need the most help apart from ourselves? Present: next time you consider venturing out consider this; do I really need to? It is pretty simple at the moment.
Vic Davies, Tighes Hill
IN these times everybody must keep their distance and wash their hands. The basis for the first is obvious. One infected person can potentially transmit the virus to 2.5 people. But why is washing hands critical apart from it being basic hygiene. Can somebody explain in terms a child could understand what role soap plays and what role the water plays?
Ken Thornton, Rathmines
ONE simple thing which can help us all is when walking anywhere just keep to the left, whether it be on footpaths or aisles in shops. Be careful when overtaking slower pedestrians. Simple etiquette.
Peter Beach, Cooks Hill
ON occasions during my time spent in PNG I had to make use of banana leaves, so initially I found the panic buying of toilet paper to be very funny. But we are now at a point where the actions of hoarders are endangering people's lives. Every time a person visits the supermarkets for the sole purpose of buying toilet paper they risk coming into contact with someone who has COVID-19. Please stop and think.
David McTaggart, Edgeworth
BRAD "Hazard" is a hypocrite. He or Gladys, or both, need to go when this is over. They both are responsible for letting people off the cruise ship that has caused most of the infected. Resign as your actions are responsible.