Our politicians and their advisors get no kudos for taking risks. They err on the side of caution. The risk of deaths from COVID-19 is immediate and visible. What is not seen[1] is the emotional, health and prosperity costs borne by those who have lost their jobs and their businesses, or are suffering from their lack of interaction with family, friends and workmates. It is time to return to work and play and socialising. For the past few weeks, I have been observing the excellent infographic on COVID-19 from the Australian Government Department of Health. As of 25 May, Australia had recorded 7118 cases, of whom 102 had died and 6,532 had recovered. Most of the deaths were people over 70 yea
One of the delights of the English language is that its extensive vocabulary facilitates nuance. The recent overuse of the word “unprecedented” is to be deplored. Today I illustrate with a little help from Peter Mark Roget. Hasn't the last six months been amazing? Whilst you could not say that the bushfires which devastated Australia were without warning, the extent of the damage was unforeseen. It was surprising that the Prime Minister chose to holiday in Hawaii at that time. Just as it was unusual not to appoint his deputy while he was away. How unaccountable was that? Then came the shocking news of the freakish coronavirus. Equivocal reports suggested that it originated in Wuhan, China be
