Puzzle pieces need to come together

Ifanything good has emerged from the pandemic we’ve endured in 2020 – and it takes a seriously deep dig to find it – it would be society gaining a clearer understanding of the different pieces of the jigsaw that make up everyday life.

These socio-economic pieces, large and small, have invariably surfaced as governments, trying to navigate their way through the crisis, have introduced, eased, introduced and eased again, public restrictions.

With all the revelations about the impact of COVID-19, we must surely now have a greater appreciation for the fascinating mix that makes our communities tick.

The big-picture story we’ve constantly seen has been all about the dangers of the virus and how mainstream business and the economy responsible for our overall vitality has been hit hard.

This has included a need to maintain professional football and other sports, which, in being able to continue, have provided important distraction for many.

But we have noticed that many often unsung but no less critical pastimes and background industries, in being unable to continue and fragile, have come to the surface.

As we tentatively edge back towards some sense of normality, people in sectors still in lockdown for a couple of months and watching others regaining freedoms, remain upset and frustrated.

We can’t help but feel for our dance studios, that like for much of the performing arts community generally, continue to sit in limbo, unable to teach children face-to-face.

We also feel for private gymnasium operators sweating on a chance to reopen their doors.

Having an environment safe enough for general community activities to resume indoors appears to be one of the key final stages in State Government plans to reopen the state.

There seemed to be a general sense of take-it-on-the-chin community understanding in a broad-broom approach to locking down parts of the community to get on top of this ‘bug’. The government was right in declaring that it needed a hard-line approach to tackle the virus. It is obviously working.

But this is cold comfort for people who are now seeing an easing of restrictions allowing others but not them to emerge from the pandemic.

All they are seeing is contradictions and for them it is all, understandably, wearing thin.

We can only hope that new COVID-19 cases continue a downward trend and we can all soon share in a return to greater freedoms.