Parthiv and Leena Mehta, both in their late fifties, arrived in Melbourne on 19th March 2020, just a day before the closure of international borders in Australia.
It was their first-ever visit to the land down under to see their daughter and son-in-law and had a full itinerary planned.
But, two months on, the only trips that the Mehtas have made are to the local Coles and Woolies stores nearby.
“What was supposed to be a lovely family vacation has now turned into a case of constant worry and panic,” says Leena.
“I wanted to explore the country, but we’ve been stuck home due to the (Covid-19) pandemic. I really hope we get to visit some local places over the weekend now.”
Parthiv says friends in India often call him asking if he has visited any new places in Australia.
Social distancing information signs at a Myer department store, which was recently shut due to an outbreak of coronavirus in Sydney, Friday, May 22, 2020. Source: AAP
"I have a hard time explaining to them the rules here, and that we have had to stay home.”
Rob Petrovski also has a similar story to tell.
As an IT service support specialist working for an Australian publication, Rob has had to work from home during the lockdown.
“Growing-up as a part of a socially relaxed Australian society, the new restrictions can be mentally challenging and draining as many relationships are built upon physical interaction & group social events."
He also points towards a potential problem.
"Life grows a little more frustrating every day as written communication is not as useful in critical scenarios.
"Messages can become overly detailed when sharing updates between colleagues, yet frequently results in inefficient multitasking - a skill that many of us have utilised whilst working from inside the office.
He says that unfortunately, these multiple chat sessions have added another set of smaller daily tasks on top of our already stressful workloads.
Hand Sanitiser seen at the door as cinema goers queue up at the 'Skyline Drive' Drive-In Cinema in Blacktown, Sydney, Thursday, May 28, 2020. Source: AAP
"As much as remaining emotionally in check can be difficult during some situations, moving forward, taking the time 'to talk it out' should continue to one of our fundamentals of social interaction - we should all continue to help each other."
Physical and mental fatigue
A common trait between them is physical and mental fatigue. And it is not just them, a lot of us are experiencing fatigue.
Dipak Jilka is a psychotherapist from Sydney. He says the constant reminder to stay at home, to not touch one's face, to keep washing hands and to maintain social distancing every time one steps out of the house, is taking it toll.
“Before the pandemic, we all had a routine in our life. We were accustomed to it. But now, due to the lockdown and the social distancing, we have to break that routine and follow a new set of rules.
"This is not only overwhelming but also taxing for some of us.”
It's currently advised that people maintain 1.5 metres distance between each other. Source: AAP
'Preparing a new normal' after Covid-19
He emphasises the importance of preparing a new routine now.
“We have to work on preparing a new normal for us. Prepare a new schedule and stick to it. And gradually, we will be able to forget our old normal and adapt to the new normal that we are building for ourselves.”
And for those of us who are working from home, it's important to not stay glued to our laptops all day he says.
“If you have a 9 to 5 work shift, make sure that you are working for exactly those many hours. Over-working will further add to your fatigue. The same goes for watching TV and Netflix too. Watch it for a few hours, not all day long.”
As states and territories continue to ease restrictions, some experts warn that doesn't mean we don't have to follow the rules of social - or physical - distancing any more.
People are being encouraged to return to work in WA from May 18, with cafes and restaurants allowed up to 20 patrons. Source: AAP
“We are in the midst of an unprecedented event in our lifetimes," says Professor Raina MacIntyre, who heads the Biosecurity Research Program at the Kirby Institute in Sydney.
The objective is to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 in Australia and to survive.
"As we lift restrictions and increase the mixing of people, the risk of transmission will increase.
"Fatigue is a luxury for good times. This is a matter of life and death, and if we want freedom to resume normal activities, there has to be some mitigation measures to reduce the risk as we start mixing together more.
"We have very few options available to us - they include physical distancing and face masks.”
ઓસ્ટ્રેલિયામાં લોકોએ એકબીજાથી ઓછામાં ઓછું 1.5 મીટરનું અંતર જાળવવું જોઇએ સમૂહમાં ભેગા થવા વિશે તમારા રાજ્યોની સરકારે નક્કી કરેલા પ્રતિબંધો તપાસો.
Source: SBS
કોરોનાવાઇરસનો ટેસ્ટ સમગ્ર ઓસ્ટ્રેલિયામાં ઉપલબ્ધ છે જો તમને એમ લાગે કે તમને શરદી અને તાવના લક્ષણો છે તો, ડોક્ટરને ફોન કરો, અથવા નેશનલ કોરોનાવાઇરસ હેલ્થ ઇન્ફર્મેશન હોટલાઇનનો 180002080 પર સંપર્ક કરો.
કેન્દ્રીય સરકાર દ્વારા રજૂ કરવામાં આવેલી કોરોનાવાઇરસ ટ્રેસિંગ એપ COVIDSafe તમારા ફોનના એપ સ્ટોરમાંથી ડાઉનલોડ કરી શકાય છે.
SBS ઓસ્ટ્રેલિયાના વિવિધ સમુદાયોને કોરોનાવાઇરસ વિશેની તમામ માહિતી આપવા માટે કટિબદ્ધ છે. સમાચાર અને માહિતી www.sbs.com.au/coronavirus પર 63 ભાષામાં ઉપલબ્ધ છે.
