COVID resurgence is nothing to sing about

PEOPLE love to sing, according to the facilitator of the Wonthaggi Sing for Fun group, Jacqui Paulson, but over the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has really started to bite again.

After two years of cancelled rehearsals and the occasional rehearsal outside when the weather was right, the local signing group thought they were back up and running early this year.

But the rise in COVID numbers locally, and the need to stay safe has forced the cancellation of both rehearsals and performances.

“We were booked to go to the Gippsland Accapella Festival at Tyers on Saturday, August 13, but we had to pull the plug on that and a week later, the organisers cancelled it anyway,” said Jacqui.

“At our last singing day, at the Dalyston Hall, we had 30 come along for rehearsal and we’ve got 120 on our mailing list, so people really love to sing, but it’s just been so difficult these last few years.

“You can’t sing in masks and it’s hard to get venues where the audience is far enough away to make it safe to perform.

“And there’s also the issue of staying away when you’re sick. You have to stay away, not just until you feel better, but until you don’t have symptoms.

“We’ve been able to do some instrumental events and we’ve got a ‘music mayhem’ coming up at the Wonthaggi Library in September but we may have to wait to start singing again.”

Few activities spread COVID-19 as effectively as singing.

And since the Skagit Valley Chorale in northwest Washington state experienced one of the first and most famous super-spreader events in the world, at a rehearsal on March 10, 2020, everyone knows about singing and COVID.

This was well before vaccines, mind you, but of the 61 people who came out to rehearse, within a few weeks, 52 were diagnosed with COVID-19, several people were hospitalized, and two of the choir members died.

The choir has since been the subject of a hate mail campaign and have had trouble getting back together.

The local Wonthaggi Sing for Fun group has been more circumspect.

“We’ve basically had to call things off again for a while but we’re looking forward to being able to sing at the Wonthaggi Carols by Candlelight,” said Jacqui.

“At least we can rehearse outdoors for that, as we have done in the past couple of years and the event itself is outdoors as well.”

The Department of Health recorded 298 COVID-related deaths in Victoria in the past week.