Unfortunately my next wandering has been postponed. I was scheduled to fly to Sydney, Australia two weeks from now, but after careful consideration my trip has been postponed.

We were already being asked to evaluate upcoming trips to see if they were critical and to also avoid any large meetings.

I of course have been monitoring travel risk and things had been looking OK. However, yesterday when I checked the news I started to see some startling articles about the area of Sydney I would be in.

I would have been staying at the Meriton by Macquarie Centre in North Ryde.

The first article was about a doctor at a hospital only about three miles away who had contracted COVID-19 and had seen patients while contagious. Next was an article about an old age home just a little more than a half mile away where a care giver had tested positive.

In the day since one patient of the old age home has passed away and another has tested positive.

I would have also been just across from Macquarie University where a day care center has been shut down because of exposure to the virus.

Also a lecturer from the university contracted the virus on a trip to Iran. However, he had not been on campus since his return.

The shopping centre is also a major transportation hub with buses coming from all over the area.

During my trips to Sydney most of my meals are taken at the centre and there would be a elevated risk of community exposure. Even though I stay in a serviced apartment and could cook my meals there, I would still have to go shopping.

I have seen videos from stores that I know well with people stocking up on essentials in case they need to isolate themselves at home.

There are videos of empty shelves and people with overloaded carts full of just toilet paper. It was so bad that they have put limits in place as to how many rolls of toilet paper people can buy.

With all of this going on the decision was easily made that I will postpone my trip to Australia until later in the year.

Please keep my friends and colleagues in the Macquarie area in your prayers as they go through this stressful time.

Steven