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So 'Freedom Day' is upon us... yay?
I'd be lying if I said I was jumping for joy.
Yes, I'm happy to be getting back some sense of normalcy, but as a Fairfield resident I still have my reservations
Fairfield was one of Sydney's infamous 'LGAs of concern', so we faced tougher lockdown restrictions than just about anyone else.
I was lucky enough to work from home (when I was working), so I didn't have to worry about the mandatory testing to leave the area for work - but my closest friends did, and I heard it was horrible and took valuable time out of their days.
We also endured the completely pointless 9pm-5am curfew and added police presence. It was hard to not to have an 'us and them' mentality during the worst of it.
But my LGA has done a great job of heading out and getting double-vaxxed, which I'm incredibly grateful for.
Still, there's upwards of 150 new COVID cases in my health district just about every day. It's a concern.
Selfishly, I'm over the moon that my beloved cinemas will be reopening soon.
As someone who, pre-lockdown, visited the cinema at least once a week, this extended break has been trying to say the least.
Microwave popcorn just doesn't have the same effect as the buttery, warm, aromatic delicacy at Hoyts, and the watered down Coke No Sugar in an overpriced movie tie-in collector cup is the stuff of my dreams.
Watching Disney's blockbuster releases from my bed can in no way stand in for the big screen experience.
In that respect, I'm so ready for Freedom Day.
And I will look forward to heading out to restaurants and pubs for a feed again.
But I'm dreading the awkward conversations that will need to happen in order for that to occur.
I'm sure most people have a family member or two who hasn't yet gotten the jab, because they're either too nervous about leaving the house, or... well, they rhyme with 'shanty-taxers'.
If I'm quite honest, I haven't even figured out how to produce my proof of double vaccination.
I got halfway along - I downloaded the Medicare Express Plus app and popped in my MyGov details. But then I learned I hadn't linked my Medicare to my MyGov account.
So I tried to do that. But apparently I'm missing some sort of box that needs to be ticked and I haven't been able to achieve it yet. That's gone in the too hard basket for now.
I would be very surprised if there aren't scores of others feeling the same. If that's you, check out our guide here.
With Freedom Day finally here, I'm not excited to head into a shopping centre or catch a show. I'm still apprehensive.
I dread contracting the virus and accidentally spreading it to someone who is unvaccinated, partly vaccinated or double-vaxxed with underlying health conditions. It still feels like a very distinct possibility.
I don't know if this is heightened because I live in one of the worst affected localities in Sydney - one that my friends outside the area don't want to venture into even without restrictions - or just because I'm a homebody who hates crowds.
Time will tell if we've opened up too early.
Happy 'Freedom Day' to those who will celebrate.
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