A local doctor, with access to layers of protective clothing, masks, gloves, sanitiser, etc, has even bemoaned her fear of contracting this virulent disease. Again, rightly so.

But my real concern is for supermarket staff who turn up for work every day with little more than cheap, plastic gloves and floor crosses (often ignored by snarky shoppers) to protect them.

At the very least, they should be provided with P2 masks and given regular breaks to recover and reset from the many shoppers who seem to ignore government regulations, hurl abuse at them and present them with filthy bags at their checkouts.

The steady stream of shoppers at Lavington Woolworths does not seem to have lessened much, with many possibly back from visits "home" - another potential risk.

If there is ever a valid reason to reintroduce single use plastic bags, this is surely it.

No mention of China's inglorious role in this worldwide debacle is appropriate at this time, but I must register my horror to learn that authorities there have reopened those filthy wet markets, the origin of COVID-19, as well as SARS and avian flu and who knows what else?

The potential for further outbreaks of serious disease in these circumstances seems inevitable.

Hopefully, world leaders can (and must) mitigate further risks from Chinese practices such as wet markets, even if the gods of world trade and profits take a hit.

The World Health Organisation has proven to be a biased, totally inadequate toothless tiger in this avoidable tragedy.

Meanwhile, spare a thought for our supermarket workers, who probably share the doctor's fears, and are also at the forefront of this unprecedented, worldwide emergency.

Not all heroes wear scrubs. And please stay home.

I refer to the recent Border Mail article "MP wants Government's pandemic health response reviewed".

Thank you Dr Helen Haines because all we need in these extraordinarily challenging times is another bureaucratic committee, another fabricated reason for a talkfest and more "engagement without substance" by those politicians who otherwise hold no material influence.

Not in living memory have we been in such uncharted territory and urgent, decisive actions (however imperfect) are required by government not the Machiavellian machinations of ineffectual (cross-bench) politicians with relevance deprivation syndrome.

I went to the supermarket yesterday and it was teeming with people.

I went to my takeaway in Corowa and I was the only one there.

By this logic, buying food from a takeaway is safer than buying from a supermarket.

We have to support our local takeaways, there's such a great food scene on the Border.

A world without our great takeaways and cafes is too much for me to bear.