Day Twenty-four; Disturbed by cyclists

Once again I woke to a wet and windy morning, which failed to encourage any sort of outside activity. So instead, I solved the Friday Guardian cryptic over a leisurely breakfast. Then retreated to the book I am reading via the Kindle app on my iPad; Lamentation. A Shardlake novel by CJ Sansom. Nø 6 in the series. I read the first five some years ago. Still enjoyable reading. 

Recently restored my access to all four journals to which I subscribe (two by virtue of being a member of two Colleges). Before lunch I took a break from the 16th Century and read an analysis of doses of antipsychotic drugs, which reinforced my antipathy towards big doses. 

More reading after lunch, before taking my daily walk. Once again along the Arch Hill Walkway. Heard and saw Tui, but all either high in the trees, or behind a multiplicity of branches and twigs. Spotted the flitting about of Tauhou; ditto. Circled up to Great North Road, and thence to Grey Lynn shopping centre and the PO Box (a few letters to collect) and then homeward along Great North Road.

Which is where a group of Tarapunga (red-billed gulls) suddenly landed in a large puddle at a street corner. I got a photo with a straggler arriving, and then suddenly they launched away again as three cyclists came along having their daily approved exercise. Looked to be parents with one young miss. The Tarapunga weren't interested in staying. And I continued onward to home.

New Zealand's number of newly diagnosed cases remains low (13 in the 24 hours to midday today). It looks to be probable that new cases will continue to be diagnosed at about this rate. While showing the success of the stringent lockdown, it doesn't indicate that we have succeeded in stamping it out. Yet.

There are serious consequences for our society from stopping all but essential activities in public. There is opposition emerging as the decision to extend or relax approaches. A self selected group of academics are saying that lockdown wasn't necessary and should stop even if there are more deaths. They even gave the monetary value of a life as part of their argument. 

And a young man (who has been given name suppression) has lodged a Habeas Corpus case with the High Court, arguing that he has been arbitrarily detained by the Government.

All the people I saw on my walk this afternoon smiled, thanked me for standing off the walkway as they went past or gave other acknowledgement because they accept that we are in this together, and hoping it works.