Now back in Melbourne post-lockdown, I finally get to taste freedom out of the COVID-infested camp in PNG and it's been great! I'm slowly getting my strength back now that I've regained full regular access to the gym after months of relying only on exercise bands for my weights training. Back home we're free because we've reached the 90% vaccination milestone but with the Omicron strain, I'm pretty sure 14-day quarantine will be back up and running soon now that positive cases with that strain have been detected in Australia. It's perhaps the most depressing groundhog day ever but I guess that's the new normal.
Although there's "freedom" to travel to and from Singapore right now without quarantine, it's precisely this constant uncertainty that's preventing myself and many others from travelling. We all know that the best defence to date is still vaccination but alas PNG is stuck way below the 10% mark. Hence, it's of no surprise that there are constant positive cases that require close contacts to be isolated and this severely impacts operations.
As key production personnel, we're crucial to the business as my particular facility is the one that makes money for the company. You'd think that we'd be given priority in basic stuff like meals right? But no, every time there's a lockdown, we're isolated from everyone else as we're not allowed to mingle with the rest in the mess (and gym for that matter) and get given really atrocious packed meals which always come late. And if any person in my team gets infected, the company will lock in the production bubble and we're to continue working till someone gets really ill!
I've heard stories of how badly positive cases have been treated (i.e. neglected) on site which calls into question how the duty of care owed to us by the company would be given should we unfortunately need it in those circumstances. The contact-tracing devices given to us not only don't get replaced when they become faulty (as they didn't stock enough of it), many were assigned to the wrong people and as a result the entire camp was locked down and manual door-to-door swabbing had to be done for every single resident, including myself. It was pure craziness.
To make matters worse, the company in doing the right thing by ending the employment all anti-vaxxers (judging by this article which also gives an interesting insight into why vaccine-hesitation is so intense in PNG, there would be a LOT terminated), has created a shortage of staff. Although hiring is taking place, there would be a lag and many would have to do overtime (we call it overcycle) which will make the late overcycle payment issues that were already plaguing the company messier.
Hiring amidst emergency conditions are never good because you'd just absorb non-quality "strays" into the organisation. The effects will not be apparent immediately but poor hiring is sure to haunt us further down the road. All in all, conditions on site are quite adverse and people are getting increasingly unhappy and they've already went on strike once! If the next strike happens, all PNG facilities will very likely be shut down.
The company's roadmap back to normal will be announced shortly which includes the scrapping of quarantine in PNG i.e. rotations will gradually be shortened. However, judging by how terrible things are right now which will be MUCH worsened by Omicron, I really don't think this roadmap (however long it takes) can be successfully executed. Let's see how things unfold in the next few weeks while I enjoy my break which includes a healthy mix of catching up with friends, gaming, song-writing, and of course good old fun (if you know what I mean)!
This month's musical post is something I wrote a few weeks ago on my off day in PNG and it's about how we all need to unite to use the vaccine to fight against the deadly virus that changed the entire world. It's also a tribute to all our healthcare workers without which the planet would have gone extinct by now. It's the first time I've written in both English and Chinese within a single piece each with the same tune and meaning. As I write a lot, I need to try new things to keep it fresh. Also, the melody was written in one sitting without any fine-tuning which was yet another challenge I gave myself for this composition. Hope you like it.
[在掌握里 / Crushing It]
脱掉口罩深深呼吸
闻闻风中的气息
差一点点就忘记
自由是什么东西
永远保持亲密距离
对寂寞产生了抗体
不让自己被它侵袭
人与人之间的联系
化成无形的空气
就连简单的拥抱
肩膀的依靠都遥不可及
你还有多少意志力
坚强多久不放弃
精疲力尽的心灵让它休息
Take a minute let yourself breathe
Take it off and face the breeze
Let it remind us
How the feeling is to be free
I've built up an immunity
Against loneliness and misery
Distancing from everybody
Seems like a faded memory
When we were skin to skin
I want a hug and kiss
It's so simple yet not at all easy
Please give me the energy
And arms to wage a war on this
Old and tired body
Needs a good rest so let me go back to sleep
朝朝暮暮 辛辛苦苦 忙忙碌碌
没有一分钟能卸下防疫繁重的包袱
你我不能认输
要继续振作 继续沉着地
脚踏一步就算一步
反反复复 起起伏伏 进进出出
隔离封锁不住炙热的火焰日渐麻木
但却不被屈服
绝不能退缩 不能示弱
不让病毒摆布
别放弃 一切都在掌握里
别忘记 疫苗里蕴藏的奇迹
We will win
Don't you give in
Crushing it with the vaccine
Day after day, night after night, we're working
Not gonna stop, 'cos that's how it'll try to break in
If you don't wanna be shut-in
Let's roll our sleeves up
Time to get tough
And make quarantine a has-been
In and out and out and in, shit's stuck on repeat
Keep up the fight within
'Cos you're a lean and mean machine
But we gotta be in unity
We're well on the road to victory
COVID-19 make it history
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