Diary: Living with a pandemic 18 (Tuesday 31 March 2020)

Self-Isolation. . .

. . . means limiting your contact with others.

Normally that phrase applies to someone who has symptoms of Covid-19 or is close to someone who does. It is called MANDATORY SELF-ISOLATION and it means you HAVE TO STAY AT HOME for 14 days.

Most of us won’t be in that situation, but we will and should, keep ourselves at a physical distance from others – for as long as this crisis persists.

When you are retired, it is perhaps a bit easier as you are used to not going to work and are involved with activities or hobbies that you generally do alone. What trips we have made to the outside world have mainly been only to get groceries. I will say that our local Safeway has been great at providing a special time in the morning before regular opening hours for seniors like us to shop. And they have kept their shelves reasonably full. It seems the rush for toilet paper and other goods has abated somewhat.

We have been staying home for most of the month of March, partly I will admit because winter refuses to give up its grasp on this area, making going outside less attractive. It also means, unfortunately, that there have not been many days when it was comfortable sitting on the patio.

We have heard from many friends and family around the world of their similar plight. The ones we worry most about, of course, are our children and grandchildren. They are maintaining their lives, also at home for the most part, in Vancouver, British Columbia (Vancouver Coastal Health Region – 472 cases), Chilliwack (Fraser Health Region – 323 cases) and Amsterdam (500 cases).

Here in Calgary, there are 442 confirmed cases – not a lot considering a population of 1.6 million, but you never know who you might be in contact with who has been in contact with who has been in contact with someone who might have the virus. So, we are careful! Even on the same floor within our condo complex we all take pains to keep our physical distance.

Meanwhile, in our isolation, friends continue to send us notes, cartoons and videos to brighten our days. This one, The Broadway Coronavirus Medley is well worth watching.

Stay well, stay safe and WASH YOUR HANDS!

Diary: Living with a pandemic 17 (Monday 30 March 2020)

Monday Mirthiness

As I said in previous posts, you have to keep a sense of humour. The cartoons, memes and musical videos are now arriving daily by email from friends and relatives. They really do keep up the spirits. Some of the best ones revolve around – you guessed it – toilet paper. That product will probably go down as the defining item of this disaster.

Here are a few that made us smile.

• Cornonavirus: Keep six feet apart; no hugging; no kissing; no social interaction - like being married but with a cough!
• Due to the lockdown, there will be an increase of children born in 2021. They will be called "Coronials." In 2033 they will be known as "Quaranteens."
• The toilet paper "crisis" confirms we have more assholes than we thought.
• A store employee was asked where someone could find nuts. He replied they were in the toilet paper aisle.
• In Germany they are getting through the crisis by stocking up on sausage and cheese. This is called the Wurst Käse scenario.

And give a listen here to Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. as he laments the coronavirus outbreak.

With apologies to all.There is nothing funny about serious illness or death from this virus. But when we are forced to stay home and away from others, we do need to stay sane. Humour, whether dark or otherwise helps us cope.

Stay well, stay safe and WASH YOUR HANDS!

Diary: Living with a pandemic 16 (Sunday 29 March 2020)

One thing about washing your hands so often is that they get dry and chaffed. It reminds me of when our puppies were very small. It was a very cold winter and they had to do their business on a puppy pad indoors for quite a while. That meant changing the liner and washing your hands frequently.

Now, of course, I can take the dogs outside (It’s still cold here!), but I have to wash my hands as soon as I get home, as well as at many other times during the day. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!

Many friends are now sending along cartoons and videos to entertain each other. Some are cute, some are risqué, some provoke a belly laugh, others a groan. All are appreciated, because the regular news is not funny.

You need to keep a smile handy these days, don't you? So far, we have managed to stay sane here together. The biggest problem is finding something on TV that is not a news program about the disaster. Our current favourite is The Repair Shop in its 6^th season streaming on BBC (two seasons available on Netflix).

Confirmed cases of Covid-19 are still on the rise in Canada, but there appears to be a levelling off in sight. As of this date, 202,458 people have been tested and 5,652 cases have been confirmed (149.2 cases per million population). Thankfully only 61 people have died.

Many friends are taking the time to correspond these days. All over the world people have time to sit back and think about happier times and make plans for the future as well. I am sure they will be happy too.

Diary: Living with a pandemic 15 (Saturday 28 March 2020)

We are hearing lots about staying safe these days. Mostly it has to do with physical distancing but keeping things clean is also very high on the list. Good hygiene and making sure groceries are clean are equally important. Here is one video, made by Dr. Jeffrey VanWingen, MD that may be of interest.

Normally we do not go out a great deal anyway, but regular visits to the local pub, lunch with friends, occasional shopping for more than groceries. These days we are much more conscious of the need to stay put, though. The risk of contracting Covid-19 is very low where we live, but you cannot predict where it might be or who might pass it along. So, you tend to shy away from going anywhere there might be a lot of people.

Linda went out to Shopper Drugs on Thursday, very early in the morning to take advantage of a time when only seniors could shop. Interestingly, she only met one other couple in the store, who happened to be neighbours in our condo building.

Our next foray will be to Costco for meat and other bulk supplies. It is getting so that we are thinking further in advance with respect to meals and trying to buy enough for a week or two, to save from having to shop more often.

Yesterday, both the provincial Alberta and federal governments announced more incentive and financial assistance plans.

Alberta put in place assistance to businesses in the tourism industry, renters and landlords, property taxes, utility payments and other levies.

The federal government announced further support for Canadian businesses, promising additional details in the days to come. Friday’s announcements included, among other things, a 75 percent wage subsidy for qualifying businesses, now catching up to some European countries.

Alberta added some restrictions, prohibiting people from gathering in groups of more than 15 people in both indoor and outdoor spaces. There are now laws in place, with significant penalties regarding the necessity for self-isolation for anyone coming into the province.

While the fiscal measures are welcome and necessary, we are going to face an unprecedented economic situation in Canada – and I am sure in the rest of the world – in recovering and rebuilding in the future months and years.

The world now has over 600,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with the United States leading the way with over 104,000. We hope there might be a slight suggestion that the numbers are starting to level but we are weeks away from seeing the end of this disaster.

Just have to keep a positive (oops, not that kind of positive) attitude…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 14 (Thursday 26 March 2020)

Cases continue to rise in number in every country outside of China. Unfortunately, most of them did not clamp down hard on travel and group prohibitions soon enough and may end up with much higher infection and death rates per capita.

News reports right now are filled with:

·         New rules regarding self-isolation and physical distancing

·         Hospitals getting ready to receive more patients, including finding more equipment and supplies to cope with the numbers

·         Governments putting together financial aid for individuals and businesses

Many people are wondering about testing. In Alberta, Canada, where we live, as of March 25^th, there have been 419 cases confirmed (61 in the last day) of which 33 are a result of community transmission, that is they are not related or can be traced to people who have returned from outside the country, or people who have been in contact with those travellers. Currently, 20 individuals have been hospitalized, of whom 8 are in intensive care.

While these numbers are small, they represent only a small segment of those who may have contracted Covid-19 as testing has been restricted to only those who have shown serious symptoms. Anyone with mild symptoms are being advised to stay home and will not be tested. We may never know the true numbers of infected persons as most people who contract the disease will have only mild symptoms and will stay home until they are well.

Everyone – well, at least almost everyone with any sense – recognizes that this virus is transmitted from person to person in close contact with each other. So, we have moved past requesting people to stay apart or away from other groups if they are out and are making such gatherings illegal with fines imposed for those who do not follow the rules.

Anyone returning from outside the province is being told they must quarantine themselves for 14 days, again with penalties imposed if they do not. We in Canada are much later than other countries in mandating this action. Hopefully it will still work to slow the spread of the virus.

Families with children are, of course, challenged to provide entertainment, but the message is still STAY HOME and do what you need to do to STAY HEALTHY. Following is some of the advice from our provincial Chief Medial Office of Health (Dr. Deena Hinshaw):

“As new cases arise, I know that some Albertans may be feeling tired of the constant barrage of information, and they may be wondering what more they can do. The answer is simple: we must all do everything possible to follow all public health recommendations in place. All of us have a role – and a responsibility – to stop the spread, and there are actions that all of us can take. These extend to our homes, our families and our traditions. For example:

·         Limit sharing of open food, even between family members.

·         Don’t share snacks, like a family popcorn bowl, open candy, nuts or other snacks like this.

·         Limit the availability of a communal fruit bowl.

·         Don’t share cups, drinks or utensils, and have one person as the designated person to serve all others so that a serving utensil is handled by only one person.

·         Wash your hands, disinfect surfaces often, include this in your daily household routine and make it part of the new normal for your children also.

·         Now is not the time to plan any travel, even to other cities or provinces, or to attend large family gatherings or dinners.

We must maintain social-distancing practices – even when we are together with family. Now is not the time to visit grandparents for Sunday dinner. Now is not the time to host or attend a potluck with friends. Now is not the time to plan for a family reunion. This is the time to stay home and work together to limit the spread.

Please practice good hygiene and keep two metres between you and others.”

What more can be said?

Diary: Living with a pandemic 13 (Wednesday 25 March 2020)

Shopping for groceries very early in the morning is a little different. Staff are busy restocking shelves, so you don’t know if the empty spots will be filled later in the day or whether some items just won’t arrive.

On my most recent trip, arriving at the store at 7:00 am yesterday (this time period was set aside for seniors), there were few shoppers. That is not unusual as many older people probably take awhile to get going in the morning and prefer not to rise or leave home too early. I did notice that most of us were men, curiously. Did we all get what we were supposed to? I know I missed a couple of items.

On this trip, everyone was keeping their distance – as they have been advised to do. More than that, several seemed wary of even acknowledging their fellow shoppers. Except for one couple who kept apologizing for not moving faster down the aisle. I told them not to be concerned as none of us were in any rush.

This is all a new experience, both the shopping so early, and alone, and the circumstances that are moving us to change our shopping habits. The seniors’ hour is being met with different responses depending on the story and the area of the city. Some place report larger numbers of shoppers with lineups outside. Some people have said the shelves are not as full as during other parts of the day since staff are busy in the morning restocking.

While I found some items in short supply at 7:00 am, they were not that much different that I had found in previous visits. My suspicion is that people are just buying more than they would normally do, thus restocking could not keep up as they had in the past. I also did not experience any large number of shopper so that must be a function of the size of the store and the area of the city.

Since we cannot pop out to our local, favourite pub for lunch or dinner these days, we will be shopping more. So, for the time being we’ll have to get used to new times and different selections of available items.

I hope we don’t have to get used to a new Covidhug!

Love is the first and last thing on our minds…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 12 (Tuesday 24 March 2020)

Very rapidly, mostly because of the insistence of a few ignorant people, formal restrictive measures are being instituted. There is a (hopefully) small group that seems to think they cannot catch Covid-19, at least if they are out-of-doors. In their persistence to gather in large groups in parks, on beaches, in cafes (that remain open in some areas) and elsewhere, they defy the proper and intelligent conduct of maintaining physical distancing (no longer being referred to a social distancing).

At this point, we are losing track of how many people have actually contracted the Covid-19 virus. We do know that, worldwide, the numbers are still growing very quickly. There is not much use in quoting numbers published in newspapers or on website as full testing is not being done anywhere. In many places even those with mild symptoms, who may or may not be in self-isolation, are not being counted. We can be sure the real number is much larger than reports indicate. All the more reason to keep a physical distance from others!

The World Health Organization says the rate of infection is accelerating. Countries around the world are enacting more rules to restrict movement and contact between people. Over 1.4 billion people are now living under lockdown.

The numbers affecting certain age groups is a little different than I had thought, according to a summary published today in our newspaper. The most confirmed cases appear to be in the 50-59-year old age group, with very large numbers in the 20-29, 30-39 and 60-69 groups. We don’t yet know where the most deaths may occur, but the graph suggests anyone can become ill with the disease.

One hears on TV and reads in the newspapers question from people about what are the symptoms of the disease? I found this list online of what are the typical symptoms and their prevalence:

            Fever                           87.9%

            Dry cough                   67.7%

            Fatigue                        38.1%

            Sputum production     33.4%

            Loss of smell               30-66%

            Shortness of breath     18.6%

            Sore throat                  13.9%

            Headache                    13.6%

            Chills                           11.4%

            Nausea or vomiting     5.0%

            Nasal congestion         4.8%

            Diarrhoea                    3.7%

            Coughing up blood     0.9%

            Congestion of eyes      0.8%

OK, I admit it, I have become a wine gum stockpiler! Not admitting to full-blown hoarding yet. Well, when you are home almost all the time, and depend on TV for most of your entertainment, you need comfort food. In my grocery shopping trip this morning I thought I would pick up a couple of bags of candy. And then I came across a separate display with all kinds of bags of Maynard wine gums. I couldn’t resist and now we should have a week’s supply.

And the beat goes on…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 11 (Monday 23 March 2020)

Thank goodness for Facetime, Skype and other telecommunications methods. We can keep in touch with family members on a regular basis even when we cannot be with them. We talk with at least one of our children daily. Trips to see them or have them come see us have been cancelled so we have to depend on electronic means only now.

To date (22 March 2020) 175 countries (up 4 in 24 hours) have reported 358,274 cases (up 49,659); 15,431 people have died (up 2,360); and 100,645 have recovered (up 4,811). Canada has 1,472 reported confirmed or presumptive cases (up 141). We also have 18 people reported as recovered but unfortunately 20 deaths now. Testing in Canada has been done on 91,788 people.

Yesterday we were able to Facetime our son and his family who are living in the Netherlands at present. Like us they are restricted in their movements. School work is done online. Streets and parks are mostly empty and there are limits to the size of groups. Groceries are ordered online, too and delivered to the front door. Most of my son’s co-workers work from home but he still has to go to the office for some things. How long that will last is not known as the rules keep getting tightened.

The real point is we can talk to them and see them in real time and, short of a hug, at least feel the love and bonds between us. That’s very important, especially for seniors like us. We are

I get a lot of emails in a day. Most are related to the genealogical work I do: societies, bloggers, database companies, lists of other family history researchers, etc. Then there are the many vendor emails: grocery stores and household item retailers. Banks, financial institutions and professionals send their newsletters and updates.

The point is, all of them recently have been telling us what they are doing during this pandemic, from reducing hours of operation to closing their office to the public to letting us know what their employees are doing to assist us and keep us and themselves safe. Everyone is talking about this important event and providing valuable advice.

We are being encouraged to shop online where possible, although some products are becoming difficult to get there as well. A lot of the (presumed) shortages are due to people stocking up more than they would normally do, even though our supply chain is undisturbed. Some stores get their products at different times as well so what may be low in one store is available down the street.

We strive never to lose our sense of humour. It may be the only thing that saves our sanity in a few months. The following was received from a Scottish friend (author unknown):

Hiv ye iver seen sic a state o the place,

Fowk gan aboot we draars oer their face.

Gloves on hands an gel on bare skin,

Seein Boris [Justin? Donald?] at ivery turn, I wish I wiz blin.

Tae start it wiz China, the boy guzzled a bat,

Christ they dinna even dee at in Auchnagatt.

Aye, they tried sare tae stem the spread,

But the buggers yoked instead o bidin in bed.

Aroon the globe it’s geen nae stoppin fur air,

Peer craiters in Italy hiv teen it affa sare.

Ben Europe an farrer, jist awye yiv fowk,

It’s worse than ye thocht, its nae a joke.

A wik ago, rumours o nae fitba, awa ye get,

Fa can enjoy a wikend withoot a wee bet.

Obviously nae immune tae international strife,

It certainly pits focus on fits important in life.

No, it’s nae flown past, it’s landed richt here,

Dee fit yer telt, bide in, feet up, hae a beer.

Ca canny we the shoppin , nae bog roll fights,

Dis naebdy ken i thing disna gee ye the *****.

Be sensible, be kind, dinna involve we hype,

Keep yer sel tae yer sell, nae a hoarding gype.

Mak sure ye bide in if yer nae affa weel,

An aye keep an een on ony aul cheel.

Oor nurses and docs hiv aye hid my trust,

Invest in oor NHS, nivver so muckle a must.

Igither we must listen but apart we must bide,

So dee fit yer telt, an the storm we will ride.

Every country seems to have its hoarders. And every country has a number of people who think they are immune and can continue to populate the beaches, sports fields, cafes and other areas. I wonder if they think about whether they might contract the virus and carry it home to their parents of grandparents but never show symptoms themselves. A new term has now been devised for these people: Covidiots!

La-dee-da-dee-dee, La-dee-da-dee-da…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 10 (Sunday 22 March 2020)

Canada, Mexico and the United States have closed their borders to each other, except for essential travel – that is, goods moving back and forth that are necessary for the citizens of each country. Outside of a few days after the 9/11 tragedy in 2001, we have never seen the longest, undefended border shut down.

To date (22 March 2020) 171 countries (up 2 in 24 hours) have reported 308,615 cases (up 26,220); 13,071 people have died (up 1,249); and 95,834 have recovered (up 2,645). Canada has 1,331 reported confirmed or presumptive cases (up 246). We also have 16 people reported as recovered but unfortunately 21 deaths now.

Almost all provinces in Canada have now declared states of emergency, resulting in the closing of school, daycares, bars and restaurants and restricting gatherings of more than 50 people. We are slowly realizing this could go on for months as cases continue to rise in number.

One thing people do not always see, or perhaps realize is that the numbers of cases or deaths being published may not reflect the number of tests done. For example, in Canada, to date, there have been over 54,761 tests administered and 1,281 cases confirmed. The means 2.3% of those tested had the virus. But the tests have so far been done mostly on people who have arrived back in the country from regions where the virus was prevalent, those who showed significant symptoms of the disease or those who were in direct contact with either of the above. Testing may be broadened as we go along. Deaths represent 1.6% of confirmed cases.

Both positive tests and deaths are very low percentages which indicates our social distancing and other rigorous restrictions on gatherings is probably working. At the very least we should be able to slow down the rate of infection growth.

To fill many of those evening hours, since there is no hockey to watch these days, we are discovering what TV channels have movies worth seeing. On Demand, Netflix, Crave and other sites are getting a workout as well. So is Kobo as our reading has picked up.

For now, the best advice for those who can is, Stay Home! Watch this video.

We still move to a rhythm just like this…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 9 (Saturday 21 March 2020)

We are taking precautions in our home. I have mentioned before that we don’t go out much. Grocery shopping yesterday was the first trip I made this week, outside of walking dogs several times a day. I picked a shopping time when the numbers of customers would be low which meant that the risk would also be low.

To date (21 March 2020) 169 countries (up 10 in 24 hours) have reported 282,395 cases (up 26,666); 11,822 people have died (up 1,327); and 93,189 have recovered (up 3,271). Canada has 1,085 reported confirmed or presumptive cases (up 213). We also have 11 people reported as recovered but unfortunately 13 deaths now.

After I arrived home from the grocery store, my wife threw all the clothes I had worn, along with my jacket, into the wash. We are not going to take chances that a molecule of the virus might be brought home. I kept a package of sanitary wipes in my pocket while I was out. That was a good thing as the grocery store, in spite of their advertising, did not have much in the way of protection available yet.

Many neighbours in our condo complex are stepping up to offer help to those who may be self-isolating or not up to running the errands they usually do. That is gratifying to see. I suspect it is widespread through the community although we may not hear of it all that often.

On the advice of health officials and others, we in our condo building are posting a notice to have all deliveries left at the front door rather than allow delivery people into the building. I do not doubt that these workers are diligent in their handling of packages and would not spread the virus intentionally, but better to be safe than sorry. Many of us here are seniors.

I came across some interesting statistics about the virus and how different countries have fared on this website. The basic data is here. We are lucky here in Canada so far and I hope we stay that way.

Wait till you have reached the age Blah Blah…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 8 (Friday 20 March 2020)

I was going to shop for groceries this morning at 7:00 am, the regular opening time for Safeway. But they changed the store hours to 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Luckily, though, the first hour is for seniors.

To date (20 March 2020) 159 countries (up 2 in 24 hours) have reported 255,729 cases (up 30,477); 10,495 people have died (up 1,219); and 89,918 have recovered (up 4,092). Canada has 872 reported confirmed or presumptive cases (up 145). We also have 11 people reported as recovered but unfortunately 12 deaths now.

A curiosity from history: March 20, 1645 was presumed by many learned people at the University of Paris at the time to have been the date that the Black Death was created from what they called “a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius, occurring on the 20th of March 1345.″ Just so you know.

The grocery store I visited this morning had not got the memo yet. They had actually opened at 7:00 am, but this is probably the last day. From tomorrow it will be 8:00 am. The shoppers were mostly seniors and they were not very many. Customers had lots of room to move around each other. Some shelves were low on a few items, but overall there was lots of selection, especially in the produce department. Staff were busy restocking shelves, so I am hoping my regular cereal will be plentiful again soon.

Covid-19 case numbers are still rising. Government and health officials continue to remind people to do the things that will keep them safe. Everyone should pay attention.

We still need a song to sing uh, huh…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 7 (Thursday 19 March 2020)

The pandemic is still with us. You cannot turn on the TV without endless newscasts from every area about new cases, new policies, new restrictions, etc.

But there are some good things happening out there, too. Neighbours are helping neighbours – with shopping and calling or emailing to enquire about how people are doing.

Today 157 countries (up 6 in 24 hours) have reported 225,252 cases (up 20,552); 9,276 people have died (up 1,006); and 85,826 have recovered (up 2,958). Canada has 727 reported confirmed or presumptive cases (up 129).

What is happening in many communities is that people are stepping up to help. In our local newspaper, columnist Licia Corbella comments on some of the groups organizing to assist “the elderly, the immune suppressed, young mothers or anyone else who needs help.”

Caremongering has become a new word in our vocabulary. New Facebook groups were first set up to help vulnerable people in Toronto and it has turned quickly into a movement spanning not only the country but the world. As reported by the BBC news in Washington, DC, “More than 35 Facebook groups have been set up in 72 hours to serve communities in places including Ottawa, Halifax and Annapolis County in Nova Scotia, with more than 30,000 members between them. People are joining the groups to offer help to others within their communities, particularly those who are more at risk of health complications related to coronavirus. The pandemic has led to acts of kindness around the world, from delivering soup to the elderly in the UK to an exercise class held for quarantined residents on their balconies in Spain.” See more here and here and here

In Calgary we have the YYC Covid-19 Volunteers Facebook page where requests for help and offers to assist can be posted. At the time of writing this, there are over 11,000 members. See more here.

A woman in Cornwall, England, designed a #ViralKindness postcard form that she delivered around her neighbourhood aimed at those who were self-isolating. It has since gone viral with groups and individuals adopting and using it worldwide. You can print a copy of the handout here.

Grocery and drug stores are now offering special times for seniors and those with health challenges to come and shop, avoiding the large crowds.

The 8,000-member Canadian Federation of Medical Students has been doing everything from babysitting children of health-care workers to manning the phones at 811 call centres

Social media is likely to expand during these times as many of us will be hanging around the house rather than out and about.

We still want to hear a brand new thing uh, huh…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 6 (Wednesday 18 March 2020)

In our home province of Alberta, Canada, the government had declared a state of public health emergency which gives sweeping powers to control gatherings of people, operations of certain businesses and spending money. These new rules are meant to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus and protect public health in the wake of several new cases having been confirmed this week. These are in line with what other provinces and cities in Canada have done or are considering.

The decisions are being guided by the recommendations of the province’s Chief Medical Office of Health, who stated yesterday that “this is our new normal.”

Today 151 countries (up 4 in 24 hours) have reported 204,700 cases (up 16,903); 8,270 people have died (up 771); and 82,868 have recovered (up 2,020). Canada has 598 reported cases (up 157).

The recent restrictions will be on top of the closure of schools, childcare facilities and some public venues. Among the new rules are:

·         Groups of 50 or more people are banned. Existing events where such gatherings are expected are to be cancelled immediately.

·         Citizens are also banned from public places like casinos, bingo halls, theatres, children’s play centres, recreation centres and arenas, science centres, museums and art galleries, community centres, fitness facilities, and entertainment facilities like movie theatres.

·         Weddings and funerals of more than 50 people should be cancelled, as should concerts and religious gatherings.

·         Sit-down restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, food courts and other food-serving facilities, including those with a minors-allowed liquor license, are limited to 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 50 people.

·         The ban does not apply to health care facilities, grocery stores, airports, the Alberta legislature, and other essential services.

·         Elective surgeries are being cancelled or postponed. Hospitals are gearing up for the expected rise of cases over the next few weeks.

·         Dentists are being told to restrict their treatments to emergencies only.

If we want that pizza or burger from the local pub it will have to be ordered for take-out. Mind you, that is what we have been thinking about doing anyway. For the time being we are altering our lifestyle by arranging to shop for groceries (and wine) early in the day and foregoing what had become part of our routine of eating out a few times a week.

Today we are still trying to follow our routine, although we are not out and about much. It’s still snowy and cold and here we are past the middle of March. Mother Nature is really testing us this year. At 5:00 in the morning, I am out with my dogs on their first walk. They don’t seem to mind the cold, at least for a few minutes. The streets are deserted at this time of day. We hope they don’t stay this way for an extended time.

Reading the newspaper in the morning (yes, I still have a print copy delivered) is not as much fun. And it’s not quite a big as in past days and months. The sports section did not take long to get through – it was only three pages this morning. Report headers are noticeably similar these days, too, all reflecting the Covid-19 situation.

History has turned the page, uh huh…

Diary: Living with a pandemic 5 (Tuesday 17 March 2020)

Our country has now closed its borders to non-citizens and non-permanent residents, with a few exceptions. As well, international flights will only be permitted to land at four airports across the country where disembarking passengers will be subject to screening.

We are truly into new restrictions and regulations aimed at halting or slowing the spared of the Covid-19 virus. Every day we see new developments and, unfortunately new cases.

Today 147 countries (up 4 in 24 hours) have reported 188,297 cases (up 16,336); 7,499 people have died (up 845); and 80,848 have recovered (up 3,075). Canada has 441 reported cases (up 99).

More retailers are closing their doors. At least for the foreseeable future. They want to limit exposure of their customers but, I am sure, also their staff. It’s not surprising but it will be devastating to people who work in those establishments. There is no reasonable option, though. Before long, it could happen that only grocery stores and pharmacies may be in operation.

This is St. Patrick’s Day. But all parades have been cancelled. Many people may not know that the first parade was not in Ireland, but in a Spanish colony at St. Augustine, now part of Florida. The first such celebration was in 1601, so that is a long-standing tradition to be broken now.

Likely there will be fewer bars open to offer green beer either. I wonder if liquor stores will stay open along with those necessary grocery stores.

Children will be home from school in most areas now. My daughter-in-law offers this handy guide for non-screen activities to keep them busy if the schools do not send home lessons to pursue. Our grandchildren are now “e-learning” which means taking classes or at least having lessons sent to them via the Internet. No doubt these kinds of programs will continue to be developed after the current pandemic is over, opening many new avenues for education.

Politicians everywhere are taking it in the ear. The pundits (mostly press) are demanding answers to questions like: What are you going to do about this, or that? Why did you not do these things sooner? How do you know this plan or that plan is going to work? How come these people get to still come across our border but those can not?

These may be valid questions. As I indicated in an earlier post, though, there is no roadmap for this kind of event. But could we be in trouble by trusting those in charge who mostly have not shown themselves capable of many other aspects of governing and spending tax dollars?

Good thing we have many quality people in our health services agencies. We are going to need these professionals in Canada as we are just seeing the beginning of the major part of the outbreak here as this graph shows.

La de da de de, la de da de da. . .