Chronicles of the Virus Day 44. Children Are Out.
Children under 14 are now allowed one hour outside.
There are rules. Only one parent with a maximum of three children for a maximum of one hour. Social distancing must be practiced. Toys can be brought outside, but balls are frowned upon because of all the surfaces they bounce on. Children's playgrounds are still off limits. Depending on the town, its location and its policies, they may be able to play on the beaches, but not swim nor stick feet in the water. The maximum distance allowed from home is one kilometer.
Of course, the first day this is allowed being Sunday, in some cities and towns it looked like the day after Christmas or Epiphany, with all the kids and all their toys out in the streets. Not everyone kept to the rules, and in some cases, adults chose the hour to socialize while their youngsters were running amok in the neighborhood. This first day, the police were merely warning. After that, they'll be writing, and you'll be paying.
It sometimes feels like we're living in a country with a split personality. First, stupor at being shut up at home, people saying there was no need, that the government is doing away with their freedoms over a few sick people. That there is no way they can survive with everything closed, especially the bars. Then, people applauding the doctors and nurses, and the tremendously stressful tasks consuming them, calling them heroes. Next, people complaining that the government didn't do enough from the beginning. It seems that it doesn't matter how well the science behind contagion is explained, some people don't see the correlation.
Most of the problem, I think, comes from all the fake videos, fake announcements, and fake news doing the circulation on social media. People see something couched in fantastic language that appeals to their need to vent anger and frustration, and they automatically believe it. They believe it to the point that when a scientist, who has specialized in infectious diseases, comes on the news to calmly explain what is happening and why, they say he's lying. I'm really not surprised some people still defend Trump in the United States, even after the disinfectant and UV light fiasco. There really are stupid people out there, in every country.
Today is a checkered day. Clouds wander across the sky, sometimes coming together and sprinkling water on us, so I don't know if I can wash the clothes and hang it out long enough to dry. It's neither warm nor cool, which is also wreaking havoc with how I dress. Do I wear something warmer, or should I shed layers? In these times, I don't want to stress my body with extreme temperature changes, but today is not helpful. The forecast is for more of the same the rest of the week. Nature is telling us it's still April.
This week was supposed to be the Feria de Abril in Sevilla. Since it is not to be this year, neighbors decided to set up their own celebrations at home. One neighbor, who decided that enough was enough, went out in the street to call up to the families who were celebrating. To try to convince them to generate less noise, he took a katana with him and challenged someone to come down and confront him. Eh, no, no one did. But they did taunt him. Hopefully, he went back home without cutting anyone. Or himself, from the way he was brandishing it about. I'll leave the video here.
Life continues. Keep the katana sheathed.
There are rules. Only one parent with a maximum of three children for a maximum of one hour. Social distancing must be practiced. Toys can be brought outside, but balls are frowned upon because of all the surfaces they bounce on. Children's playgrounds are still off limits. Depending on the town, its location and its policies, they may be able to play on the beaches, but not swim nor stick feet in the water. The maximum distance allowed from home is one kilometer.
Of course, the first day this is allowed being Sunday, in some cities and towns it looked like the day after Christmas or Epiphany, with all the kids and all their toys out in the streets. Not everyone kept to the rules, and in some cases, adults chose the hour to socialize while their youngsters were running amok in the neighborhood. This first day, the police were merely warning. After that, they'll be writing, and you'll be paying.
It sometimes feels like we're living in a country with a split personality. First, stupor at being shut up at home, people saying there was no need, that the government is doing away with their freedoms over a few sick people. That there is no way they can survive with everything closed, especially the bars. Then, people applauding the doctors and nurses, and the tremendously stressful tasks consuming them, calling them heroes. Next, people complaining that the government didn't do enough from the beginning. It seems that it doesn't matter how well the science behind contagion is explained, some people don't see the correlation.
Most of the problem, I think, comes from all the fake videos, fake announcements, and fake news doing the circulation on social media. People see something couched in fantastic language that appeals to their need to vent anger and frustration, and they automatically believe it. They believe it to the point that when a scientist, who has specialized in infectious diseases, comes on the news to calmly explain what is happening and why, they say he's lying. I'm really not surprised some people still defend Trump in the United States, even after the disinfectant and UV light fiasco. There really are stupid people out there, in every country.
Today is a checkered day. Clouds wander across the sky, sometimes coming together and sprinkling water on us, so I don't know if I can wash the clothes and hang it out long enough to dry. It's neither warm nor cool, which is also wreaking havoc with how I dress. Do I wear something warmer, or should I shed layers? In these times, I don't want to stress my body with extreme temperature changes, but today is not helpful. The forecast is for more of the same the rest of the week. Nature is telling us it's still April.
This week was supposed to be the Feria de Abril in Sevilla. Since it is not to be this year, neighbors decided to set up their own celebrations at home. One neighbor, who decided that enough was enough, went out in the street to call up to the families who were celebrating. To try to convince them to generate less noise, he took a katana with him and challenged someone to come down and confront him. Eh, no, no one did. But they did taunt him. Hopefully, he went back home without cutting anyone. Or himself, from the way he was brandishing it about. I'll leave the video here.
Life continues. Keep the katana sheathed.
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