February 1
Judy Ingram just wants to give her sister a hug.
She wants to be able to invite friends over
and be able to celebrate Christmas with her
family, go to weddings and celebrate birthdays
in-person.
But instead the St Albans resident has been
stuck in her house for 700 days.
Judy went into voluntary lockdown in 2020
when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit. With
cases still high and no end in sight, Judy has
remained at home ever since.
“It’s coming up two years,” she said. “March
1 is two years.
“They told me it would be three months,
then October and then I could see my family
for Christmas.
“Then they said Easter. Now they haven’t
given me a get out of jail date yet.”
Judy admits at times it’s been hard and
she feels sorry for herself. She’s then quick to
remember it could be worse.
She said there were thousands of other
people in the same situation, many of whom
live alone. She’s comforted that she’s got her
husband, Ian, at home.
Ian, who at times during the two years had
been able to go out into the community for
small trips, is staying at home too.
“My immune system is too low to get the
vaccine the doctors have said,” she said.
“Ian can’t get vaccinated either. If he gets a
reaction [like the flu] he could give it to me.
Even a mild case of the flu normally gives me
pneumonia.
“I’m so cautious with this vaccine.”
Since the start of the pandemic, Judy’s
visitors have been limited. She saw her sister
three times last year and gets care services to
help with some of the day-to-day stuff.
Judy said even for her sister to visit is not
straightforward.
“Wendy has to go and get tested before she
comes,” she says of her sister.
“Once she is tested, she has to isolate or she
drives straight down.
“She doesn’t stay the night. She either stays
at a motel or and drives straight back home.
I’m still not able to cuddle her.”
Judy said in recent times, things had been
made difficult, with growing case numbers
meaning care services can’t attend the house.
The cleaner hasn’t been in six weeks, the
physiotherapist and other support staff have
had to cancel appointments, sometimes on
the day.
“This time around it is really affecting
everybody providing house support for us,”
she said.
While she’s been in lockdown, Judy has
continued her work with the Brimbank
community register and the Friends of
Maribyrnong Valley.
She knows while the lockdown has been
tough, there’s no alternative.
“COVID will actually kill me, even in a
mild form.
“There is no end in sight until the doctor
will finally allow me to get vaccinated.
“I don’t want to go to the pub or anything, I
just want to be able to have people over.”
