Sigh.

It’s 2020 all over again as my daughter received word this morning that her graduation ceremony in Wellington this coming weekend has been cancelled because the Great Chinese Lung Rot Pandemic has struck again. Or more precisely because of the now standard reaction of our government with a lockdown that has been extended into the week.

Last year this happened to my son’s graduation – twice. We were finally able to nail it near the end of the year.

And as is often the case the decision to cancel was not in the hands of the university but the government building where the ceremony was going to be held.

So, cancelled flights, hotel bookings etc, and with no certainty of when they can be reinstated although the end of July is under discussion. But who knows if that gets blown up then?

Gosh I really miss that whole “Two Weeks To Flatten The Curve”. It held a note of optimism, whereas this looks like it’s never going to end. So let’s also repeat a couple of items. First from The Swedish View on COVID-19:

Getting out of the lockdowns will be the big challenge since the question is around which restrictions can be lifted, followed by watching for upticks in cases and deaths at each stage, with increases met by what? Reinstating the restriction?

Second is a South Park piece. I already put this up some months ago but it’s worth repeating: just replace the word “bailout” with “lockdown”.

Meantime, here’s Led Zeppelin in all their youthful glory on a Danish TV channel in 1969: