Effective on the midnight of Tuesday, July 7, the borders between New South Wales and Victoria were closed. This was a consensus decision made after the discussion by the two Premiers and the Prime Minister following the spike of confirmed cases of people in ten suburbs in Melbourne.
The Australian Filipina spoke to Versie Tamblyn, a community leader in Melbourne to obtain a local's perspective on the situation. Versie is from Northcote just north of the city. Her suburb is now in lockdown as a part of the Greater Melbourne Metropolitan areas.
From what you know, how is the COVID-19 situation in Melbourne?
There are also currently 75 cases and possibly more linked to the nine public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington areas. On top of that is the 102 cases of infection recorded at Al-Taqwa College in Truganina.
Originally there were ten suburbs identified for a lockdown. The continuing rise in numbers of COVID19 cases has forced the Victorian government to do a lockdown of the Greater Melbourne Metropolitan areas. It encompasses 31 local government areas or municipalities plus the Mitchell Shire. Victoria has recorded the largest number of new cases in a single day, 191 in total on the 7th of July.
What is your view of how the Victorian government is handling the situation?
It has been said that the Victorian Premier, Mr Daniel Andrews in his effort to stamp out the virus has subjected the most vulnerable ones in Melbourne with a dystopian system of control.
However, I feel that the degree of unpredictability of COVID19 coupled with the sense of complacency of the people, tougher measures on coronavirus lockdown have to be enforced.
The government is doing a great job during this challenging time.
What do you think needs to be done to prevent more community transmission?
We are facing the second wave this time so everyone should work together to stop the spread of the virus by following the government directives.
Stay at home unless you have to go to work or you have to do shopping for essential things like food or medication or you need to have a medical treatment or check-ups. Try not to visit people especially the older ones and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Practice good hygiene at all times by washing your hands or sanitising them. Another way to stop the spread is physical distancing. So the more space between you and others, the harder it is for the virus to spread.
Using masks and gloves would help protect people especially if you are in a crowded place and can not keep the 1.5 metres distancing.
Enforce testing especially for those who are in quarantine and those identified as infected to have regular checks. And for those who break their quarantine should be penalised.
What is your overall comment on how the Fil-Aus community has been handling the covid-19 situation there?
The second wave has brought us new sets of challenges, tougher and full of uncertainty. There are those members of the Australian-Filipino community who are coping well and doing their part to combat this virus.
We also have a number of our “kababayans” who are on student visa. They are facing a tough time because there is no work for them and they are exposed to all types of exploitations. We have residents who lost their jobs as well.
This is the time to be more empathetic, more understanding and to give a helping hand.
What is your message to the Fil-Aus community with regard to the COVID-19 situation?
I feel that suddenly we have been lifted into a new time, a new way of living with so much uncertainties. There is a grave psychosocial impact or consequences of COVID19. There are high levels of anxiety and panic, depression, anger, confusion and financial stress.
Spirituality becomes a strong and stable anchor during this unpredictable and challenging time. Strong faith gives us the energy to help us to live one day at a time.
Stay connected and support each other. It is important to keep connected as a community. Keep connected with your family, friends, colleagues through the phones, email and social media. Masses are going on around the world so join them whenever you can. Join meditation and prayer groups,
Listen to spiritual music and exercise or walk outside if you can. Perhaps this is the time to do that spring cleaning and de-cluttering.
I feel that this is a golden time to engage in things we have not been able to do before because of the busyness of life. I have been doing a lot of meditation, self-reflection and introspection, going within to do the internal changes that I have to do.
Stay informed. Seek information from reputable sources. There is the Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 and various organisations that are available out there. Keep connected.
Tell us About Versie Tamblyn
Australia has been home for the last forty years. The family has lived an itinerant Expats life , living from one country to another for quite a number of years but managed to keep Sydney as our home base for over twenty years.
In 2004 we came back to Melbourne after having a very active and healthy lifestyle in the resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado, USA. I felt then that it was time to have a more stable life with all the things happening to the family.
Since coming back to Australia I felt a strong pull towards the path of spirituality. Perhaps it’s the call of that time, my call. So I joined the Pastoral Centre Volunteer Group and the Liturgical Ministry at St Francis’ Church in Melbourne, Victoria. I have been actively involved in the different groups of the church including the Kumali Coree Choir and the Filipino Mass.
I am the current president of the Eucharistic Fraternity, an aggregate of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation and a spiritual group which has operated at St Francis’ Church in Melbourne for the last 77 years. The Blessed Sacrament Congregation is the same congregation that is running Santa Cruz Church in Manila, Philippines. I am also practicing Rajah Yoga meditation being a member of the Brahma Kumaris.
I actively participate in promoting the Filipino cultural heritage through dance. I am a member of both the Hiyas Dance Company (under Ludy Dellamas) and Kultura Dance Company.
Important causes drive me to take an active role either as a supporter or as an instigator, like the Super Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan in 2013. We conducted the very first fundraising appeal at St Francis’ Church in Melbourne where we raised thousands of dollars to send help to the Philippines.
I believe in life long learning and keeping the mind active so I have been a perpetual student and obtained a number of degrees like teaching, Information Management, Nursing, Travel and Tourism. Those fields have played a great role in the different lines of work I have had over the years.
My parents are a union of north and south with my mother coming from San Miguel, Bulacan and my father from Bacolod, Negros Occidental. I am the second child with an older sister and two younger brothers. London, England was home for a number of years before coming to Australia in 1980.
I have three beautiful children, Trewyn, Bronwyn and Jacquelyn, all grown-up and carving their own lives.
I have had 42 years of adventurous married life.