6 minute read
A Minute with Synnott
A SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH KAREN DICK WHO GOT CORONAVIRUS WHILE IN LOCKDOWN IN A PERTH HOTEL AFTER A MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE.
WAS IT A SHOCK, AFTER YOUR BOAT TRIP AROUND EUROPE, TO GO INTO LOCKDOWN IN A PERTH HOTEL AND GET COVID-19?
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I’m not entirely sure where I got COVID-19 Tony, whether on the ship, plane or hotel. There were 300+ people on the flight back from two different ships. A lady we had close contact with on the ship tested positive the day after we arrived back to Perth, so that’s why we asked to be tested. She, unfortunately died from COVID-19. I tested positive after having spent five days at the hotel and Kevin’s results weren’t clear, so he was moved out of my room and re-tested the next day, which came back negative. That’s probably the worst part of it all, being isolated on your own.
YOU WERE WITH YOUR PARTNER KEVIN, YOU GOT COVID, AND YOU SHARED THE ROOM WITH KEVIN, HE WAS CLEAR AND FREE. WHY, IN YOUR MIND?
We were locked down on the ship for five days, then flight home and five days in the same hotel room so I have no idea how Kevin didn’t contract it from me. It seems impossible, unless I was a false positive.
WHAT WAS THE MAIN SYMPTOMS YOU FOUND OF THE CORONAVIRUS?
The main symptoms I had were a bad cough and sore head, but I put the sore head down due to a lack of fresh air in the hotel. There were a lot of people on the ship with a cough.
YOU SOON GOT OVER THIS, AND WAS SENT HOME, WERE YOU ABLE TO WORK FROM HOME?
I got out the day before Kevin. I was cleared to go and fit for work. My office were all working from home at that point so I was able to work from home the following week.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOME LOCKDOWN, AS A LEGAL SECRETARY AND HOW MANY HOURS A DAY SPENT WORKING?
I loved working from home once I got used to it, working 7.5 hours as if I was in the office. I still work from home on Mondays and the rest of the week in the office. It’s great!
HOW DID YOU MANAGE FOODWISE, WITH KEVIN ALSO IN LOCKDOWN, AFTER HE RETURNED HOME?
Kevin came home the day after me and we had been well looked after by our family and friends who had left essentials at our house – great friends we have!
WHAT A RELIEF TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND ABOUT AFTER YOUR LOCKDOWN. CAFÉ, HOTEL OR MEET FRIENDS? WHICH ONE FIRST?
We were actually lucky with the lockdown as we really only had 1–2 weeks at home and were able to get out and about soon after. David and Gabby visited us (social distancing of course) but when everything opened with 10 odd people we went to a restaurant and bar… had to be smart and work out what time people went out since only 20 people per place!
HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED IN ANYWAY OR DID YOU FIND OUT HOW VULNERABLE WE HUMANS ARE TO PANDEMICS?
My life hasn’t changed in any way whatsoever. We have been fantastic here in WA, the rest of the world has been absolutely horrendous, but probably due to the eejits running their countries – didn’t lockdown quick enough or at all in the beginning.
DO YOU THINK WE AS A PEOPLE WILL EVER GET BACK TO LIFE, AS WE WERE, OR WILL WE BE MORE CAUTIOUS?
I think we will get back to a ‘Normal life’, we just about have it in WA now except for travelling.
I can’t wait to be able to go overseas again.
GETTING BACK TO YOU, HAVE YOU ANY FEARS OF CRUISING OR A SECOND PANDEMIC OR ANYTHING WORSE?
That was my first cruise and had it gone according to plan, it would have been fantastic. It was still lovely even though we couldn’t get off anywhere due to COVID. It was still good fun until the lockdown which was five days before we were due to get off anyway. A lady had been taken off at Crete and we had found out the next day she was positive for COVID-19. The five day lockdown wasn’t too bad as we had a balcony cabin so we were able to get fresh air. We also spent St Patrick’s Say cruising the Suez canal, which was pretty special.
HOW DO YOU THINK OUR PRIME MINISTER HAS DONE, LOCKING THE BORDERS, BUSES, TRAINS, CAFES, HOTELS, SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASKS WOULD YOU VOTE HIM IN NEXT TIME? YOUR THOUGHTS?
I think that our Premier has been the absolute best during the pandemic and that’s why we are living a very normal life in WA. He stuck to his way of handling it and didn’t allow himself to be influenced/ bullied by others. If I’m honest, I don’t think we even need an election… Mark McGowan will win it hands down. That’s my opinion though, but I’m about 99.9% sure he will win.
WHAT ADVICE HAVE YOU GOT FOR THE AGED PEOPLE, WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE?
To the aged people, stay safe and most importantly, follow instructions.
TONY SYNNOTT
THE IRISH RACE
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centuries of colonisation we had become an agricultural market garden to feed Britain and its Colonies. The Industrial Revolution was never allowed to reach us and apart from some areas in the Northern part of the Country there was no industrial base in the South of the Country at this time. However, with a strong innovative spirit that launched and developed projects like Ardnacrusha, Shannon Airport, Bord na Mona and the attraction of a Multinational Industrial base we have achieved a great deal in the past 80 years, and we should be very proud of this. Yes, we were certainly restrained during the colonial period but if we journey upstream a bit in time we will find an Irish people with a great economic and cultural tradition that has helped the advance of civilisation in a global context. In the Monastic period we travelled extensively throughout Europe, providing the people in these areas with learning and religion. Newgrange was constructed over 5000 years ago, at the same time as the Egyptian pyramids, by an Irish race that had a knowledge of trigonometry. We also produced intricate and priceless works such as the Book of Kells, the Ardagh Chalice and knowledge of navigation may have seen St. Brendan reach Newfoundland as early as the 6th century. We have also produced literary giants such as Swift, Yeats, Shaw, Wilde, Joyce and Heaney that are now globally respected. Not bad for a small island country at the edge of Europe. There will be little downsides from time to time, but if we formulate an economic policy that develops value add and innovation over volume manufacturing and that also embraces the agricultural, fishing and leisure industry, our future is guaranteed to be very bright and long lasting. As a nation of less than 5 million people we have hosted the European Presidency representing a landmass of over 450 million people. This should not surprise us, we will never be a huge player but we can certainly be a very effective smaller one.
