The Informer: Clarity, compassion in short supply 18 months into COVID pandemic

Victorians were after clarity on what is meant by the essential worker permits - particularly as they come in to effect at the stroke of midnight tonight.

The situation was made even more difficult for people with children in childcare, as centres are only open for children of authorised workers if they cannot work from home or if no supervision is available at home, or for vulnerable children.

It is the first time regional Victoria has had authorised worker permits and restricted access to childcare, despite metropolitan Melbourne operating with these measures during the second half of last year.

In NSW, and across much of the nation, the head scratching involved kids as well - but this time about vaccination.

The national immunisation advisory group is considering whether to recommend vaccinations for children aged 12 to 15. The discussion takes an even more timely prominence given the stats in Victoria and NSW right now.

Victorian COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said of the 494 active cases in that state, 212 were under 19 years of age - the majority of them aged under 10. In NSW, more than 2500 people under 20 have tested positive since the start of August.

Meanwhile in the ACT two people can expect fines after becoming lost on a 12km hike over the weekend.

Not only did the pair get lost in bushland, they failed to convince police they could complete the hike in the one hour's exercise time now permitted. In fact, it took Search and Rescue and SES workers nearly four hours to track them down.

And here's another from the Operation Stay at Home collection. This one comes from the largely Indigenous remote NSW town of Brewarrina, and NITV News.

Rikka Shillingsworth, who doesn't drive, last Thursday walked the 2.5km trip to the store twice to pick up her groceries. Both times they weren't ready for collection.

On the third attempt her cousin gave her a lift to the shops to get the groceries - all two boxes and three bags of them. She was met by two police officers when she returned home. They searched her house.

The following day they returned and gave Ms Shillingsworth, and her cousin, $1000 fines.

Ms Shillingsworth said it didn't take into consideration the realities of living in a tiny community: "It isn't fair, especially when people live two kilometres outside of the actual township and a further two kilometres from the shop. People have no cars."

The woman who delivered masks and sanitisers among the community as well as organised food deliveries earlier in this month, is worried for Elders.

"We lean on our community to help us, to get us through these times, and unfortunately the sad thing is that we can't have any communication whatsoever with any family member, any Elder in our community and children."

It's Monday, yes, but perhaps it's also just another day in a year of proving the maxim that one size doesn't always fit all.

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