Victim-blaming and the great unmasked

Here’s the intro to this week’s newsletter, reproduced here because someone has replied to it:

If you’re wondering how the virus is still spreading while we are locked down in our homes (and locked out of clubs, pubs and restaurants), consider this true tale from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
A masseuse is operating her registered therapeutic services from her apartment in an upmarket block. She is a dedicated and tireless professional, judging by the fact that her work seems to go on late into the night.
Her next-door neighbours, however, are increasingly alarmed at the number of clients who wait for their appointments in the corridor between their front doors, often ignoring the legal requirement to wear masks while on common property.
A couple of times one of the neighbours, leaving or entering their home, has asked the loitering clients to mask-up, copping various forms of abuse when they did so.
Then last week, the police rolled up. The masseuse had complained about her clients being harassed as this was damaging her business.  The cops told the neighbour that they had no right to ask people to put masks on, despite the fact that it’s the LAW that you must wear a mask on common property.
But hey, as we know, the rules don’t apply to people who live by the beach, where masking up is considered to be almost as stupid as getting vaccinated.
And well done, NSW police, for upholding our God-given right to infect each other with whatever’s going around.  By the way, if you were hoping this story would have a happy ending, there isn’t one.