Isn't this gathering of neighbours, whether social distancing directives are adhered to or not, against the spirit, if not the letter, of the new regimen?

On Tuesday night the PM, when announcing enhanced restrictions, urged people not to gather outside.

He said "If you are gathering together in a group ... outside in a group, that's not OK".

I would urge Melissa Hingee to abandon "Café Eildon" as it is clearly against the spirit, if not the letter, of the new restrictions. If this endeavour, no matter how much it is considered worthwhile, is continued, we run the risk of even tighter sanctions.

That possibility should be avoided if at all possible.

Because of coronavirus Australia is experiencing a shortage of masks, gowns, ventilators, hospital beds, liquid soap, hand sanitiser, tissues, toilet paper (why?), and paper towels.

On the bright side, because we're self isolating, and not travelling or using our cars so often, we're not depleting our terribly low (well under recommended and legislated levels) of petrol and diesel fuel reserves.

I remember, 50 years ago as a "baby public servant", going out to what is now the University of Canberra to learn about the dangers of incremental decision making.

That is making a series of small decisions in succession, each building on the last. The danger is you risk "incrementalising yourself into a hole".

I was also taught about the dangers of "groupthink".

That is where groups develop their own thought processes and assumptions and fail to validate them adequately. They then become isolated from reality.

I wonder why these long lost lessons have come back to me at this time?

The clear message from Steve Evans's report "When will COVID-19 plague all be over?", March 27, p2) is that the Morrison government must immediately give some clear and non-negotiable directions to Australians on measures to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Mr Morrison should swallow his male pride and follow the lead of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

If Australians were to follow the path indicated by Professor Mikhail Prokopenko and his Sydney University team, and outlined in Mr Evans' report, we may be able to conquer COVID-19 in three months.

This would require the entire population following tough, unambiguous, and consistent rules on social distancing and voluntary, or involuntary if necessary, isolation.

The cost of taking either path would be considerable.

However, it seems to me that the cost of the hard, three-month, path would be considerably less - especially in terms of the survival of small and medium-sized businesses and the welfare of casual or temporary workers - than letting the problem drag out for six months or more as flagged by our Prime Minister.

Mr Morrison must give firm, clear and consistent directions on COVID-19 as soon as possible.

I wish to pay tribute to Peter Dunn AO, the co-ordinator of the bushfire relief effort at Conjola.

He took time out to drive to Cooma recently to talk to a public meeting about "lessons from the fires". He held everyone in rapt attention as he described how his community endured, first, fires on three sides and then, a month later, damaging floods.

The members of the Conjola community still badly need to put their arms around one another and recover, but now, coronavirus demands they don't congregate in groups.

It takes man and women of great strength of character to endure all this. Peter Dunn already has an AO but his holding his local community together needs to be recognised by the broader community.

I am sure there are other heroes from this Black Summer and beyond, but Peter Dunn is certainly one of them.

The economic interventions we are witnessing around the world are creating greater havoc than the coronavirus itself.

The lock-downs threaten the world's economy. We are living in a world in which the political leadership has lost its collective mind.

Without freedom of movement, productive jobs, incentives, savings and price discovery, little will remain for the citizen other than to comply with government mandates, edicts and regulations.

The world we have have known is over and the new world order that will replace it will be one of total control.

The authoritarians and the general public prefer to call it "patriotism".

Rather than a vaccine against coronavirus we need one against politicians, bureaucrats and central bankers.

The latest promotional video of light rail Stage 2a (Civic to Lake Burley Griffin) doesn't show the associated tram-funding property development along Commonwealth Avenue, and into West Basin.

It will ruin the important open-space character of the precinct, as well as the vistas to and from City Hill and environs.

If and when that expensive, disruptive, and heritage/environment destroying tram line goes further south, there'll be more "land-value-capture" property development desecration in the National Triangle itself.

Better to go via Acton, an elegant new yacht-friendly tram/bike/pedestrian bridge, and Flynn Drive.

I've been watching the re-stocking of goods like toilet paper, pasta, and even biscuits. I noticed one interesting thing. Most of the brands that are being restocked are Australian.

I suspect the huge shortages of, say, toilet paper on the shelves aren't as much to do with everyone suddenly buying massive quantities but rather that Kleenex, a subsidiary of USA-based Kimberley-Clark, has been sourcing most of its product from overseas.

Quilton, an Australian brand, is manufactured locally.

The same goes for Arnotts and Nabisco in biscuits.

Once those international supply chains are cut we see the real dependence of Australian supermarket chains on cheap imports.

I hope this will bring home to some of our shoppers the importance of buying Australian and supporting Australian brands over cheap overseas products where the profits go off-shore.

If hoarding toilet paper is thought to be selfish, what about hoarding property? One federal MP is said to own 10 properties. One of our local MLAs owns four.

Such cashed-up buyers usually out-bid owner occupiers seeking the same property (but without government assistance such as negative gearing). The property hoarder then profiteers, in many cases, by renting back to those who would prefer to be buying property for themselves.

When will this government ditch its political ideology and scrap the Public Service efficiency dividend so that Australians (including conservatives) can receive the level of support they need at this time?

Most importantly, when will they send some money (economic stimulus?) to the ABC which, once again this year, is providing outstanding information to all of us?

For weeks we have witnessed our federal and state political leaders stumble along attempting to confront the coronavirus. Now, partly through their ineffective, step-by-step measures, we are suffering a virtual lock down with all the inherent consequences of job loss, no income and restricted liberties.

Much of this was somewhat avoidable had significant, effective steps been taken weeks earlier. Now many of us are facing six months of severe hardship.

Why aren't our politicians sharing in this pain?

For years federal government has sent boat people to places like Nauru and Manus Island to isolate them.

Now the governments have allowed infected people in when they should have closed our borders months ago.

This is why the number of infections has increased rapidly in the past few days. It is now too late to shut the stable door.

I note some insurers are declining to cover doctors (and presumably other medical workers), who take out new policies, for COVID-19. I suggest the medical fraternity respond by choosing not to treat insurance company executives for the duration of the pandemic.

Most criticism of our leaders boils down to their failure to predict the unpredictable. There really are "known unknowns", and "unknown unknowns" too. More sympathy for those making the hard calls is needed. We can do without the carping and nitpicking.

Imagine what it must be like to have built your entire political reputation on stopping the boats and then failing to stop the one boat that actually mattered.

Just stop the boats!

Choose a course: Morrison 101 - "Chaos Theory and Application". Multiple versions. First year lecturer with trust issues. And/or: Dr Norman Swan 101 - "Sense and Sensibility". Physician, journalist and broadcaster. For many years the host of ABC RN's The Health Report. Zero trust issues. Both courses streaming live.

Some blue stockings in academia are arguing for national restrictions on alcohol sales to remove the risk of outbreaks of violence. My understanding of the national character leads me to believe such a ban would have the opposite effect to that intended.

Given the debate over supply of essential and non essential goods and services, it defies logic that cigarettes are choking up the supply chain. This is an opportunity for people to kick the gaspers and keep us all safer.

After eight weeks of the virus I think it is time for the federal Health Minister to say which type of mask is the most effective in the judgement of medical authorities in Australia and overseas.

There is much discussion about how COVID-19 will affect landlords and tenants. The ACT government should reduce the quarterly land tax and rates notices to provide relief to all real estate participants.

How do we curtail the spread of the virus if international boat and plane passengers are able to roam all over the countryside until they get home to "self isolation?"

Vale Cataldos Hair Salon which is closing its doors after the latest restrictions imposed to further curb COVID-19. Thanks for 50 plus years of great, old world, service and award winning hair styling.

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attachment. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

Keep your letter to 250 or fewer words. References to The Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).

To send a letter via the online form, click or touch here.