A number of public events have just been cancelled or postponed in my native Melbourne, Australia. Among them are the international comedy festival, the Formula One Grand Prix, the Download Music Festival and the Melbourne Fashion Festival. A climate change rally I was planning to attend was axed an hour before it was supposed to kick off, while a 15k run for which I’d signed up in late March was also jettisoned. The firm I work for in my day job is currently weighing the possibility that all employees will have to work from home until further notice—this after already sending me home to work remotely with a head cold earlier in the week.
My life, like the lives of literally billions of others around the globe, has been impacted by COVID-19. Personal and professional engagements have been put on ice, with precautions—regularly washing one’s hands with soap and hot water, implementing social distancing—being drilled into me by my employer, my social circle, the government and my family. Like many people, I’ve been alarmed by the pandemic and the prospect of navigating the next few weeks and months, but I’ve found comfort in the swiftness and vigilance of cautionary measures.
It’s utterly bizarre to me to observe the Ultimate Fighting Championship move forward with staged events, even while its counterparts—Bellator MMA and One Championship among them—have followed the example set by nearly every other major American sports league by pulling the plug on upcoming shows.
You can read the rest of this article at Sherdog.com.
Jacob Debets 