A lot of people have been out of work or not working as much during lockdown.
We wonder how people are going with this. Are some enjoying lockdown? Most people are probably eager for lockdown to end, so things can return to normal. But will they be eager to return to work?
In some workplaces that have remained in operation, staff have been knocking back shifts so they can claim payments from the government. This has caused a bit of division, as you can imagine, with some people working for less money than others are getting for not working.
We heard of one workplace that was an exposure site. Those working at the time had to get tested and isolate. Two of these workers had been waiting several days for their test results. They couldn't return to work until they received a negative result.
Worker 1: "Have you got your result?
Workers 2: "Nope. Have you?"
Worker 1: "Nope"
Worker 2: "The race is on"
Worker 1: "I hope you win."
Poetic Licence
We were chatting to Dr David Durrheim last week. He's Hunter New England Health's big kahuna for all things COVID-19.
As he answered our questions, he happened to use the phrase "immunity in the community".
We told David that sounded like a good lyric for a song to promote vaccination.
"Oh dear. You can patent that one," David quipped.
Mask Sign
Valentine's Susan Johnson sent us a photo of the school noticeboard at Charlestown South Public School.
The masked sign, she said, had attracted "unprecedented comment from the community".
"I thought it might give your readers a smile too! We need a smile in these difficult times," she said.
Nice one, Susan.
Mask Tree
This from Paul Scott: "Someone set up a mask tree in Wickham next to the shared park, with a sign inviting people to take one if they don't have one".
Nice idea, except when it rains.
Video Ezy
The Memewhile in Newcastle Facebook page has been feeling a bit nostalgic.
"Netflix is definitely convenient but Video Ezy was an experience, looking through all the aisles for a movie and picking up snacks while you were there. What a time to be alive!" a post on the page said.
"Anyone ever get hit up with the fee for not rewinding their VHS tapes?"
In reply, one punter recalled "staggering around looking for a video you know you will pass out in front of, while you are waiting for your pizza to be cooked across the road after a Sunday arvo in the pub. Now that was a time to be alive".
