Thinking Allowed: Advantages of landlocked island states

When we came back to Australia we came back to Canberra for practical reasons. However, it turns out that Canberra has another strong advantage in times of pandemics. This small landlocked capitol has its own set of covid defenses. No international flights land here so there is much less risk of virus leaking out into the community. The city is spread out with green barriers between neighborhoods and ample lawns between houses helping prevent the spread of disease between neigbourhoods and neighbours. No curfew is needed as everyone is in their houses by around 7pm anyhow. Canberra is not enroute to anything so unless you are visiting you aren't passing through. We aren't so much of a tourist destination. Not many people take public transportation as it is a car centric city. Children wear wide brimmed sun hats in the school yard which keep them further apart. Basically, being a slightly boring inland government town is an advantage during a pandemic. Currently, seven Australian cities and nearly half the countries population are in lockdown as there has been a recent leak into the community of covid. It is by no means a desperate situation, with some of the cities going into lockdown after 4 cases. But, I guess the fast and intense reaction, and the whole actual island thing, is the reason we have mostly hugged and kissed our way through the pandemic. Somehow each small crises seems to coincide with school holidays adding a sense of drama and farce to the situation as people embark on a cancellation frenzy.

Here in Canberra we have so far been immune to the recent covid dramas (well there was still the cancellation frenzy as state borders closed). Out of a sense of solidarity, and state edict, we are all wearing masks in public places, but otherwise, so long as we dont travel red zones we are free to live our lives. So I took the girls down to the coast. It was a decision I felt a little guilty about as so many others are stuck in their houses. But, it was lovely. The sun was shining, the ocean glittery, and the roads empty. We read books, played games, dug holes in the sand, jumped on the jumping pillow, ate, walked on boardwalks, and felt fortunate. Aurora read three novels in two days, Sophia did a lot of cartwheels, Tova went down the waterslide 20 times in a row and decided she would become a dark shadow, and Zadie played tennis for the first time. Can't say it's that hard to be stuck on this island.