By Sandra Davey
A local consequence of the cleanliness guidelines is that the area has run out of hand sanitiser. To alleviate this situation the good folk at Lord Byron Distillery, who usually make rum, vodka and limoncello, have created a hand sanitiser.
They have just received the required government approvals to create the hand sanitiser alongside their distilled drinks at the distillery. Brian Restall from the distillery says ‘It is a different product to what we already are approved to create and therefore it took time to obtain the required approvals’. He wants locals to know that ‘we’ve got your back – a little – here’ with the immediate release of a hand sanitiser to alleviate the current shortage.
‘We are providing it at cost, without profit. The price is $2 per bottle, and it can be collected from the cellar door; unit 7, 4 Banksia Drive. We are limiting sales to one bottle per customer – any bar or restaurant can also contact us too’.
While major Sydney beaches have been closed, Byron Shire’s local beaches have been frequented, perhaps a little too frequently, under the circumstances. With perfect weather, locals and visitors have been drawn to the beaches of the Shire, where, unlike Sydney, it’s easy to maintain physical distancing with kilometres of sparsely populated sand.
Being at the beach is also a great way to get vitamin D, which the body produces naturally when it’s directly exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D helps facilitate the healthy function of the immune system, and according to research, it helps reduce your likelihood of developing influenza.
Meanwhile local foodstuff retailers have reported unprecedented demand for goods. Managers across the board have said that demand has been many times greater than their usual busiest days (Christmas Eve), which they usually prepare for months ahead, and farmers’ markets have seen a marked increase in early shoppers.
People have been unnecessarily anxious about a shortage of food. The country is not running out of food – this has been reiterated repeatedly by farming and retail authorities. Australia produces many times more food than it consumes; a whopping 60 per cent is exported. The current deficit in products on shelves is due to the erroneous, anxious buying behaviour of individuals, and the store’s inability to be able to transport enough stock, in a short time, from massive warehouses owing to the unprecedented demand.
There is a sorrowful video out there of an elderly gentleman who has gone to the supermarket. He says ‘I am 87, so I decided it was best to self isolate’: the video shows him wandering along empty shelves. ‘I couldn’t get anything I needed… people please consider others and don’t bulk buy.’ See it at poppajoe@grandadjoe1933.
‘Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage’ said Anais Nin. Byron Shire has traditionally been a population of strong-spirited and independent-thinking people, wouldn’t it be more fitting if we acted in a decidedly admirable way? A way that we could look back on, as a community, when all this has passed, as a time that generated great compassion, appreciation of others, and tremendous self-respect? Kudos to Lord Byron Distillery who are working for the good of our whole community by producing this hand sanitiser.
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