We've all had them - days when you wish you could hit alt-control-delete and just start again. That was John Barilaro's Wednesday - and he wasn't alone.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison's decision yesterday to compare the nation's lockdown strategy to an animated movie featuring a family trying to survive the Stone Age received "global recognition".
The Washington Post politely - and accurately - headlined its article: Australia's prime minister compares coronavirus exit strategy to 'The Croods' movie.
And if that wasn't enough, The Post included the PM's additional movie reference: "We have to break this cycle" of states going in and out of lockdown, he said, adding, "This groundhog day has to end."
But that might not have been as significant as Mr Barilaro's double-barrelled blast at his own feet.
The ABC has reported the Deputy Premier compared funeral attendees in the tiny NSW town of Wilcannia to the 16 people found and fined for a party that infected "about 50 people" in Sydney last week.
"300-plus people attended a funeral in Wilcannia, illegally you could argue. Illegally," Mr Barilaro said. "And we're now paying the price of that outbreak, and whatever resources you could've prepared for I don't think you could've ever prepared for such an outcome."
Thing is ... NSW Police said the gathering at Wilcannia "complied with public health orders at the time".
Then today Mr Barilaro backed that up with an unedifying comment linking COVID traces detected in sewage at Merimbula to Canberrans who have fled down to the NSW south coast. You can read about that exchange below.
As NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard continued to insist the hospital system was coping just fine, Victoria made the decision to recruit 350 overseas doctors and nurses. The majority will start working by October.
Australia will go from one to four dedicated quarantine facilities with facilities to be built in Western Australia and Queensland - but not until part-way through 2022. And that's fast-tracked.
There's nothing slow about the action being taken in Western Australia. Among a raft of changes from midnight, New Zealand will be subject to a hard border which denies entry to non-exempt travellers. There are changes for Queenslanders and South Aussies headed to WA, too, as the state's health department continues to manage 20 infected crew members aboard the MV Ken Hou cargo ship docked at Fremantle Port.
Meanwhile in non-COVID-related news, the global shock at the death of The Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts is best summed up by singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading: "Why am I crying ? Because Charlie Watts has died. Who knew that any of the Rolling Stones musicians would ever leave this earth."
Who indeed.
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THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
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Focus on health care, not just vax rates, say doctors
- 'Does John know something about the poo?': The cross-border Covid sewage stoush
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Outbreak of young people continued, as vaccine bookings 'extraordinary'
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Unpacking COVID rules: exercise and outdoor recreation in regional NSW
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Another spike: NSW records 919 new COVID cases
- MPs flag extension to regional lockdown as COVID cases grow
- Aussie cyclists win gold on opening day of Paralympics
- Class action launched over SA bushfire
