Apparently those in the community, such as the elderly and disabled, are expected to be able to walk for however long it takes, usually well over an hour, without sitting down for a few minutes.

This covers a sizable section of the population whose business perhaps they can't afford to lose, either now or when things are back to normal.

I suggest other readers identify other shopping centres which are age and disabled unfriendly.

I usually shop at Gungahlin where there are still seats available without putting people at greater risk of infection in these difficult times.

Don Sephton's advice ("NSW the real threat", Letters, April 3) for South Coast residents to shift their coronavirus paranoia from ACT to NSW visitors is mistaken.

On Friday's tally they should resist coughs and cuddles from both jurisdictions. True, NSW has a much higher tally with 2298 cases compared to the ACT's 87. But when expressed as cases per 100,000 then the numbers become 32 and 24.

The ACT has the second highest concentration in Australia.

US presidents have, at least in my lifetime, self-assumed the mantle of "leader of the free world" (by which they mean, of course, those parts of the world that the US approves of).

If there were ever such a thing and if any US president ever qualified, there can be no doubt that it hasn't been so for a long time.

But if "the free world" actually needs a leader, I nominate Jacinda Ardern.

M R Douglas' (Letters, April 1) is right to take aim at your cartoonist, David Pope, for his vilification of the prime minister.

His efforts have become predictable and boring.

I am yet to see a cartoon lambasting a Greens or Labor politician but I keep hearing some ridiculous comments from that side of politics. Are they immune from Pope's poison pen?

Adding to the was columnist Nicholas Stuart's recent criticism of Morrison's stated intention of going to see his beloved Sharks play.

There was no such criticism of Opposition leader Anthony Albanese's intention to do exactly the same thing in support of his beloved Rabbitohs.

The ALP has dodged a bullet by losing the last election. If they had won and were spending anything like the Coalition's promises to date ($360 billion so far) imagine the screams about inter-generational debt which would be thrown at them by the Coalition and the Murdoch stable.

The whole rickety fabric of "low tax, small government, social Darwinism, market rules" capitalism has fallen apart.

The final nail will be when the Coalition withdraws its support for the dividend imputation rort and increases taxes to get the debt back under control.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (Thus passes the glory of the world).

I want to celebrate Canberra and the Canberra community in coronavirus times.

I keep hearing of groups dreaming up new ways of keeping in contact with each other and want to share one of these experiences with you.

Our group, the National Gallery of Australia Guides 2012 study group has shifted our social interaction to a digital place.

We regularly email to share our stories and have set up a social media page for our art activities.

There are even the old technology phone calls. In the last week or so we've been sharing stories of our walks and gardens. They have been uplifting.

Most of the decisions taken by authorities in response to the pandemic have been good ones.

But the ANU has taken a very silly one which has the potential to have a serious impact on the health of a small group of older people on the NSW South Coast.

Eleven years ago the ANU very kindly allocated a large space for the establishment of the Murramarang Community Garden on its campus at Kioloa.

It has subsequently proved to be a singular life saver for some members, providing them with all of their produce and exercise, without the need for a 70 kilometre round trip to purchase supermarket fruit and vegetables.

The ANU has now closed the campus and access to the garden, despite the fact that the campus has been empty for several months and the garden has separate access at least a kilometre from the nearest building.

We have appealed this decision, offering rostered access to maintain the gardens and to harvest produce. It's a small issue for a big university, but a very big one for our ageing and vulnerable people.

You have to applaud ASIC for so boldly breaking its proud tradition of exclusively going after soft targets.

When it is done with sternly laying down the law to real estate agents for reminding to tenants what assets they have to draw on we can be confident it will resume its merciless crusade against corporate rorts.

And ever more so in the post-pandemic economic meltdown, no doubt, when finally big business will no longer be treated with kid gloves.

I have some questions for the experts:

1. Some people have the virus and show no symptoms; are they infectious/contagious while showing no symptoms?

2. I have read that people are infectious/contagious a couple of days before the symptoms show. Is this true?

3. If the answer to either of the above is 'yes', what is the point of only testing people who show symptoms?

Surely we should be testing everyone, again and again, if we genuinely hope to ID and isolate anyone who might spread the virus through the community.

Are we just not talking about this cause it might "frighten the masses"?

If the coronavirus gains a hold in Papua New Guinea, then Australia, as a good neighbour, will be obliged to assist their health services in meeting the challenge.

The situation will be further complicated by endemic tuberculosis and malaria throughout the South West Pacific.

The question arises as to the support that Australia can offer given its limited capacity to manufacture the personal protection items and other equipment required to counter the pandemic.

For example, the last time I enquired (a very long time ago) we lacked the capacity to manufacture mosquito netting as we had, post-Vietnam War, sold all our knitting machines to overseas interests.

Maybe it is time the Defence Department re-examined the concept of industrial mobilisation. A bulky file no doubt can be found in Defence archives.

Why has Fyshwick Market management made no efforts yet to restrict the number of people (cars) entering the central car park space? Individual stalls are, in most cases, doing an excellent job, but what is the point of a full car park that undermines physical distance restrictions?

I see there is a request by management to object to the proposed Aldi store proposed for near the markets. Ironically, Aldi in my experience in Queanbeyan took on physical spatial recommendations early and seriously.

Gary Mack (Letters, April 3) must be daft if he thinks that a Labor government introducing a $130 billion "JobKeeper" package would be called "rank socialism". With their track record on spending it would have been at least $200 billion.

If Eddie wants to keep the Collingwood members' fees all he has to do is make them fill in a handwritten withdrawal form with all their details correctly spelt.

The authorities told us that there was no need for a run on toilet paper, because there was plenty of supply. Well, where is it?

A rare pleasure to know there is a 1944 edition Oxford English Dictionary in Holt ("Grammar Nazis wrong", Letters, April 3). In O'Connor I can signalise only the two volume 1993 edition Shorter Oxford English Dictionary.

I applaud the initiative of our talented David Pope in contributing to the South Coast bushfire relief by putting together those wonderful posters. They have been produced in the old-fashioned style of yesteryear, some depicting the brutality of the recent fires. It is a pity I don't understand the majority of his daily cartoons.

Is peak shortage over? Spotted on the shelves of Woolies, Conder, mid-morning on Friday. Toilet rolls. And two brands at that.

I am 76 with lung problems. I live alone. I am trying to stay at home. Neither Woolworths nor Coles will home-deliver to me via so-called "priority assistance". Why?

Full credit to P&O Cruises for their optimism, offering an eight-day cruise with a one-dollar deposit and $200 of on-board credit. Under the current circumstances, they have two chances of enticing potential passengers: Buckley's and none.

The Pope's irreverent portrayal of Scott and Josh on their mission from God worshipping in the chapel of St Kevin of Queensland throws new light on the chorus sung from the same hymn sheet (Editorial cartoon, April 1).

On the 20th anniversary of Insanity Streak, Tony Lopes thanks readers for "putting up with my silliness". Nay, Tony, thank you. Before doing the sudoku, the first thing is to look at Insanity Streak to put a smile on my face.

I know some people are concerned the government is spending like there's no tomorrow. The reality is that if they don't there won't be. Keep it up.

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