Keep your focus!

As the app is taken up, I have noticed an alarming shift in conversation and behaviour. "We need everyone to download the app to stay safe" or "The sooner we all have the app, the sooner we get back to normal". As restrictions ease (and the dubious decision to go back to schools is implemented - discussion for another post), I've noticed a lack of  social distancing in the streets.

The app doesn't work that way. You still get infected, you still go to ICU or not as you would have before the app. It just means you get pulled out of circulation and quarantined earlier (hopefully). However, as Singapore had the app for a month and is now in a 2 month lockdown (longer than ours has been), it is evidently not fool proof.

All the app does is assist manual tracing. The human team need to interpret the data. That's it. You are no safer than you were before the app, until the virus is eradicated completely. The app does help achieve that goal.

Download the app but (1) as restrictions ease, keep a manual diary of who you were with and where you were (as the app won't pick up everyone). (2) Keep social distancing properly (that is literally the only thing that keeps you safe). (3) Continue to wash your hands and sanitise like a mad thing whenever you go out or as soon as you enter the home.

The app actually requires you to take extra care because it appears a lot of people are now taking less.

If our numbers are correct (I am still dubious given global data), then we have been really lucky. Let's not have to lock down again in a month because we were stupid. Jacinda Adhern gave a great speech where she said Covid19 was like a bushfire, and while the blaze was out, there were still embers around that could flare up at any time. Remember you are walking through the embers and you need to be vigilant.

On the positive, I am hoping the mass testing in Victoria gives us adequate data to see if it's safe to open schools (and what the real rate of COVID19 is with the asymptomatic people -and if , for us, the reports of 25%-over50% are correct).

Stay safe. Keep social distancing.

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