Quarantine Chronicles: Day 1 official
Well, here I am, sitting in my flat in Barcelona, typing on my wife's computer because I took mine into the apple store to be repaired last Wednesday and they told me "It'll be ready in a week, we need to order a new keyboard." Yeah, it's looking increasingly like I will be without my computer for quite some time. I was anticipating a lockdown, but didn't expect it to come this fast. I guess it's a good thing though, we will be where Italy is very soon.
So here's the deal: We are only allowed to leave our house for a very few specific reasons, and we are encouraged not to leave if at all possible. The reasons are to get groceries, go to the pharmacy or urgent medical care, get a newspaper, walk the dog, or if you are in an essential service then go to work. The roads in and out of the city and I believe the country have been locked down with police given the power to stop and search all vehicles. You must present a verifiable and valid reason for travelling. Police were seen yesterday ticketing people who are not following quarantine procedure and I've heard the fine will be €500-€2,000. They really want people to stay home.
If we do go out to buy food or one of the other allowed things, we aren't allowed to go together. One person at a time only. Police are monitoring grocery stores and limiting access. One person through the door at a time, and a maximum number in the store per time. You must keep a 1 meter perimeter from others at all times while in the store.
This is speculation but I'm pretty sure I heard a military plane fly over last night as well. Commercial planes never fly that close to the city, and it was much too low and loud for that anyhow. The state of emergency spain is under right now also states that the military is on standby and can be called on at any time so I wonder if they are mobilising. Again, total speculation but who knows at this point.
We have been preparing and getting ready for this for several weeks because we have been in emergency situations before and we know what people can get like, so hopefully we have enough supplies to ride it out. Though I think I will need to make a trip to the shop once a week or so just to see if I can get some meat and fresh veggies. I have so many friends here who didn't believe it would happen, and now that it has they are actively saying that they are going to ignore the quarantine directions. "They can't tell us to not go for walks, we can go out together, I'm gonna go to the shop every day still, etc. etc." It makes me a bit angry to be honest, because if people had taken this seriously sooner rather than later we would not be where we are now, and now that we are here people are still not taking it seriously. Oh well, what are you gonna do?
For now we are following the quarantine as strictly as we can, and not leaving the house.... and boy does it suck.
One day in and it's so incredibly boring. Especially without my computer.
All I'm thinking is how much work I could be catching up on, or at least playing minecraft or something.
I could get minecraft on my wife's computer for sure, I already downloaded Starcraft II so I could play with my friend here in Barcelona, but it's not the same when it's not your computer.
Anyhow I've got some photos because I decided I would take my camera out every time I leave the house now. But on my wife's computer lightroom isnt updated so I can't edit them yet. Ill post them in a later post. The city is much much quieter now, and more than I have ever seen it. It's strange.
I'm gonna try to make an update every day.
I am here in Japan and am really surprised we haven't had a nationwide lock-down. Are we this skillful in combating Covid19 in Japan? LOL I think not. ( cough) > Olynpics.
Man day 1 and you are out of your mind. Hopefully it is over soon and things can get back to normal there. But he, good time to spend with the fam. Looking forward to the pics.
I was really hoping Japan was in fact doing a stellar job, I have some friends there. My wife and I are originally from Canada and we are getting word that they are locking down airports, cancelling school and taking other measures. So far they have just 441 confirmed cases and Canada is a huge, sparsely populated country so we are hoping all our family there will be fine. Here in Spain it's going to be a huge mess. I'll be really surprised if it doesn't end up being the worst affected country in Europe. I have a friend here who is an anaesthesiologist at a major hospital and about three weeks ago we asked him how it's going. His response :"aaaah it's fine, this whole thing is a joke don't worry. They sent a letter around at the hospital telling us what to do to prevent the spread." So naturally we asked "What did the letter say to do?" He seriously said "I don't know, I didn't read it" That attitude is why Spain is where it is right now, and it is very indicative of the attitude of most Spanish health care workers, or was a few weeks ago. Now they are working around the clock to try and mitigate this.
Here many people have asked to be tested only to be turned away. Most docs here are very lacks and robotic. I'm thinking to try and go to the docs office and ask and see what they say when I ask to get tested. Japan should have been locked down, they have too much to lose with the largest population of people 65 and over ( 28 % of the population). But like a Japanese politician said months ago " the elderly are clogging up the pension and healthcare system, they should hurry up and die".
Yikes. That's brutal. If Japan doesn't act quickly that politician will get his wish. I've heard scary reports from Italy that they have de-prioritised elderly and won't admit them to the hospital because they are so overwhelmed that they will only take those likely to survive. Older ones are apparently being left to fend for themselves or die, but they are not getting help. I hope it's not true but every day I see more people confirming this. It will go this way in Spain too. They simply don't have enough hospital beds, doctors and supplies to handle the massive, sudden influx.