Respect rules and more freedom will follow

PEOPLE are starting to emerge from their houses with more confidence these days but it is important we still respect social distancing and adhere to the rules if the freedoms are going to continue.

One of the heartbreaking things for me and my team to see has been the loneliness and isolation for some of our vulnerable patients over the past few weeks and there is now some hope that they can start to reconnect.

There is no doubt that the strict regulations and hard work of the public health teams in Australia have been effective.

You only need to look at the ongoing cases and deaths in the US and the UK to see how bad things could have been had we not acted so soon.

We have clearly prioritised the safety of our vulnerable and elderly population over many of our individual freedoms because it is the right thing to do.

The situation we find ourselves in now is one of hope and optimism.

The idea of a picnic or 50km drive has never been so exciting.

In the next few months we may be able to travel more freely across the state and even the country so we can feel confident planning Australianbased holidays sometime this year.

The key to seeing an ongoing relaxation of rules is that we adhere to the current ones. The new freedoms still require great responsibility and if we all do our bit to stay socially distanced, we can enjoy ourselves and relax this weekend, confident that we are doing so safely.

An extra safety step would be to download the COVIDSAFE app and activate it so if you do happen to be exposed to the virus while out and about, you will find out quickly.

My vulnerable patients are now venturing out with more confidence, coming back to our clinics for their chronic wounds, heart and lung conditions, and blood pressure checks.

They are adapting to takeaway coffees instead of their long lunches but at least they are out and about seeing familiar faces and engaging with the community. We must see these patients to keep them healthy.

We are still very much the lucky country and we should be proud. Please continue to respect and follow the rules so that we can remain so.