In Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film Contagion, Gwyneth Paltrow dies from a mysterious virus she contracted in Hong Kong. Soon, the virus spreads globally, leading to worldwide panic. Kate Winslet plays Dr Erin Mears, a scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America. At one point during her attempts to battle a highly believable viral epidemic, a colleague called Dave gets tired of all the fuss and endless handwashing.
“My wife makes me take my clothes off in the garage,” Dave whines. “Then she leaves out a bucket of warm water and soap. And then she douses everything in hand sanitiser after I leave. I mean, she’s overreacting, right?”
Erin turns to Dave with that 2000-mile stare and says, “Not really. And stop touching your face, Dave.”
At alert level 3, should we all be like Dave, forced to shiver naked outside the front door while our beloveds shove our clothes into a bin liner with a metal prong? Or is that the fast track to obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the second article of our COVID safety series, Dr Robin Griffiths advises rigorous hygiene at level 3 as the risk of infection heightens in our courtrooms, chambers, and community. Read his article here (log in first).
There is more to entertain you with: top reads and visits to the museums of Europe. There is also an updated economic outlook report from ANZ Private and good advice about making the most of cancelled travel arrangements from Fine Travel. For all you baby Zoomers, there are also great tips for starting to use Zoom.
JANZ is mostly about unity and care for judges and their families. There are some 250 judges now and JANZ encourages you to get to know your brothers and sisters in the law. In our first “Te mohio ki a koe — Getting to Know You” series we feature Jill Moss. A fellow Victoria Law School chum from the ’70s, Judge Moss has been praised for her humanity, her empathy, and her ability to communicate with all those who come before her in the court.
I hope you and yours are well. E tata runga, e roa raro – as we prepare for this long journey ahead.
Nga mihi
Gerard Winter, JANZ president