Dear Colleagues,
I have been lucky to be in an 'essential industry' running my Redfern addiction medical practice thru the pandemic lock-downs. Furthermore, living in Bowral half the week has meant that I have had the great privilege of seeing the seasons change with spectacular wattles in August then the magnolias, tulips, pear, apple and finally the double pink Japanese cherry blossoms this week.
During some spare time I have returned to the Bard and re-read As You Like It, Merchant and Romeo & Juliet. The latter has plague references and like Boccaccio's Decameron has many parallels with our modern world of Covid-19. I found no joy whatever in Shakespeare while at Cranbrook despite studying one play each year for 6 years (who remembers which 6? And was it in Perkins room 10 for some of us?). What wonder that I flunked first level English! I now dote on every word in the plays I have read and seen. "All the world's a stage ..." "My kingdom for a horse!" "A plague on both your houses!" "Hath not a Jew eyes?" "By her fine foot, straight leg and quivering thigh, And the demesnes that there adjacent lie"
We have had 6 Covid cases in our clinic patients with all the medical and logistical difficulties involved. Only one ended up in hospital (briefly). Every week has been a learning curve. Now we have 92% of our patients vaccinated and things seem more stable for the NSW opening up on 11th October 2021. I have been doing house calls to the Redfern tower blocks during the 'hot' periods but again, things seem to have settled as targeted testing and vax services have been used along with GPs and pharmacies as elsewhere with great effect.
Best wishes to all colleagues/alumni. It has been suggested that we try to have a reunion dinner EARLY in 2022, possibly February. It will all depend on progress of the pandemic playing out.
Andrew Byrne .. Mob 0490408477
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