Spring has sprung, but not us. Another fortnight of lockdown porridge and no promise of getting out even then for good behaviour. It’s “Seven Days” with IAN MEIKLE.

CHIEF Minister Andrew Barr is no poker player. He grimly approached the covid press-conference lectern, gave us the daily blah-blah new cases, blah-blah infectious in the community, blah-blah hospitalisations, then came the news we could see on his face: we’re staying locked down until September 17.

First the congratulatory spin about bending the curve and, critically, getting the effective reproduction rate under one, then the inevitable “however”… and the rest is living history or hell, depending on how you’re coping. 

Heaven help the homeschooling parents and grandparents. The shock was that there was to be no face-to-face schooling for the rest of this term and no guidance to term four until the first week of the school holidays.

ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman conceded that this stage of the lockdown was “harder than the beginning” and promised, honest injun’, the decision (hers) hadn’t been taken lightly. And what’s with her clubby, cosy references to Mr Barr as “The Chief”? 

Next-door NSW’s lockdown extension to September 10 came as no real surprise as the member for Monaro and NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro confirmed the inevitable. Though lethargy had me distractedly wondering what’s with the buccaneer’s beard and whether fully vaccinated people in the ACT could now picnic over the border, although as of now it seems – vaccinated or not – we can in groups of five here.

This is the same state pollie who the day before suggested covid traces in Merimbula’s wastewater could be traced perhaps to naughty Canberrans fleeing to the coast. An incredulous Chief Minister Andrew Barr scoffed, musing about what John was relying on that could differentiate Canberra poo from anyone else’s. Now, that would be worth seeing. On second thoughts, perhaps not. 

READER Mareeta Grundy stirred me from my torpor with a grumpy missive asking if I was interested in how the ACT COVID-19 vaccination helpline was working for the consumer; s’pose so. 

She is apoplectic that, after having had two babies and all her medical checkups in the ACT over the past 25 years, she went online to book for a covid vaccination. 

“The system had no record of me nor my Medicare number so I was directed to call the ACT COVID-19 vaccination line,” she says.

“I was facing, wait for it, a four to five-hour wait in a telephone queue. And before you wonder about a call back, I tried that, too.”

Twenty hours later and still waiting to hear, she wrote: “I imagine this is a real problem for hundreds trying to book a COVID-19 vaccination. What a disgrace. That’s not service, that’s mismanagement.”

But maybe it’s worth the struggle, Mareeta; according to an ABC tracker, the ACT is leading the states in the race to vaccinate with an estimated 70 per cent of eligible, over 16s in Canberra predicted to be fully vaccinated by October 2 and 80 per cent by October 14 (Queensland won’t get there until December 16).

SO given all that, the doleful, small-minded jump from blowflies to ants came easily as I became transfixed at the shocking news from the Invasive Species Council that an investigation into Australian online sale of ants (who knew?) has what the council calls a “disturbing global trade that offers up some of the world’s most terrifying and dangerous ants as pets, including red imported fire ants, yellow crazy ants and Australia’s own bull ants and jack jumpers.”

The investigating biologist Tim Low put it this way: “Countries across the world, including Australia, are spending tens of millions of dollars every year battling red imported fire ants and yellow crazy ants, so the thought that people can buy these invasive species online is terrifying. 

“Australia has made it illegal to import ants into the country and yet is happy to let traders mail potentially invasive Australian ants overseas.

“Australia is spending over $750 million just to eradicate red fire ants. It is unconscionable we permit the export of our own problem ants and burden other countries with eradication costs.”

Not exactly in the covid eradication league for costs, but we’re all paying for it… as we buzz around in circles. 

Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” news and interview program, 2CC, 9am-noon.