YOUR SAY: Border Mail letters to the editor

It is encouraging to see restrictions easing. As our small community has sought to play its part in reigning in the spread of coronavirus, we have observed firsthand the emotional pain and suffering experienced by our residents and their families as they have been forced to stay apart.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Now that we are seeing some reprieve it is vital that we work together to maintain it. In order to keep the easing of restrictions on track we would like to send a message to all seniors and their families within our community that may need to travel to Melbourne for health reasons. Please keep in mind when you are in Melbourne that the hospital staff are under enormous pressure and it is just a fact that some of them have no idea where Albury and Wodonga are.

Melbourne residents continue to live in lockdown and the staff around you have so much on their plate that they will not always be aware of the COVID border conditions and restrictions that remain in place here to keep our vulnerable local population safe.

You may not receive an explicit directive from the hospital to self-isolate when you return to our community, but it is vital that you do so. We can't wait for you to return home but we ask that when you do, please go straight home and go into 14 days of isolation. Please don't make a quick trip to the supermarket on the way home, or go to the bank or to Bunnings.

We know country people are independent and don't like asking for help. But this is one of those times when help is necessary and available. The supermarkets are all delivering, many of the pharmacies are delivering. Our local business community is amazing and they want to support you. Just ring them and see how they can help you.

How will the Victorian government recoup the cost of these restrictions? I couldn't believe what I think I saw on Sunday, but my guess would be by having a speed camera car parked on the Lincoln Causeway on a quiet morning, the first weekend of the lifting of stage-three restrictions on the Border.

I suspect proudly catching people doing less than 10kms over the ridiculously unnecessarily slow 40km/h limit that stretches on for a very long distance, starting on the freeway way back to Melrose Drive, kilometres away from the checkpoints, with hardly a car in sight.

With everything a COVID-free northern Victoria has had to endure for the last eight weeks, is this the pat on the back and a "job well done" we deserve or just another kick in the guts on top of everything else?

The ludicrous distance of the 40km/h zone has made it difficult for most drivers to maintain the limit exactly for the entire duration, especially when traffic flow is light, so is this just a cheap shot at revenue raising? With the government being discerning about who does and who doesn't receive a fine for COVID spreading and protesting in the city, this is absolute desperation on the part of police here. Very disappointed in local law enforcement on the weekend.