As we watch, read and listen to news reports, we can’t help but feel the pain and frustrations of Victorians with this second wave lock down.

But truth be known, this could happen in any state. And it’s not entirely off the cards. Which leads me to think of the 2004 romantic comedy movie, 50 First Dates, with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler.

In the movie Henry (Sandler) falls for Lucy (Barrymore), a beautiful local art teacher who suffers from short term memory loss as a result of a car accident.

Each day Henry attempts new crazy, but heartfelt, antics to try to win Lucy’s heart. Much to the disgust of Lucy’s father, brother and pretty much all the locals.

The moral to the story is with each new day Henry learns from the previous day and doesn’t repeat any attempts at Lucy’s love that didn’t work.

Spoiler alert: in true rom-com style, the guy gets the girl. But it’s still a great movie to watch for yourself if you haven’t already.

How does this affect us in strata buildings?

Like Henry, we can learn from our previous experience. We know we can help control the spread of this virus by:

• practising good respiratory etiquette (coughing or sneezing into your elbow)
• washing our hands with cleanser for 20 seconds
• keeping physical distance of 1.5 metres away from others
• staying home if we are feeling unwell
• getting tested if we have any symptoms
• if you test positive, you must follow the strict guidelines from health officials
• following the rules set by the Government regarding restrictions
• following the rules of your building including its facilities

Building maintenance must continue

All strata owners have a duty of care to ensure their property is a safe environment that doesn’t pose a potential risk to the health and safety of neighbours and anyone who visits.

This duty of care extends to contractors or employees to ensure safe workplaces for people carrying out essential maintenance.

With many people still working from home, the need for essential services at properties such as sanitising and disinfectant cleaning, garbage disposal services and plumbing has never been more important.

Now is definitely the time to keep up with frequent high-grade cleaning services in common areas and high-touch surfaces.

To help stop the spread:

• Avoid the use of common areas or shared facilities, as these are areas highly susceptible to germs and viruses.
• When using a communal laundry room, wash your hands before and after using the facility. Ensure you use detergent and a hot water wash, and using the dryer is recommended. Remember to maintain social distancing.
• Arrange for parcel deliveries to be left at the front door of your apartment or the lobby area, where necessary. Use gloves to take receipt of packages and dispose of the packaging immediately.
• Stay up to date with information from the Australian Government and your public health authority. Restrictions around what facilities people can use are changing quickly and you don’t want to put yourself or others at risk.

Should you have any queries regarding the reopening of strata facilities, or any concerns, please contact your Community Manager for further details.