The Adjusted Normal, 13. Living la Vida Loca.
This summer is beginning to mirror last summer. After a warmer spring, where in May we had temperatures much above normal, now we're back to two days summer, four days spring. I doubt there will be drought this year, either. That's good, but I do like my summer days.
What's not so good is news on the devil virus. As countries open up, the virus says "yippee!" and starts infecting again. In Spain there are infections in Aragón and the province of Lleida, mostly among fruit pickers and packers. Here, about thirty kilometers away, a man returned from Brazil, and nine have been infected, over a hundred traced, and quite a few in quarantine, waiting and seeing.
The EU still hasn't officially made up its mind, but, when it opens outside borders on Wednesday, people from Russia, Brazil, and the U.S. will probably not be allowed in. Infections there are spiking all over the place. Personally, I think borders between the European countries should have been kept shut a little longer. I know the tourism industry is suffering very much, but better to vanquish the virus earlier, than try to live with it and the deaths and ravage it can cause. Because, in some people, it seems to leave damaged organs behind. That's not fun. It's not fun to start out with relatively good health, and end up wearing an oxygen mask or a pacemaker for the rest of your shortened life, just because of a virus you've picked up.
It's a good thing, in a health sense, that most of the parish festivals here are cancelled. The problem with allowing them, even with masks and limiting people, is that people who want to have a good time will not care for limitations and rules. There have been cases of young people getting together indiscriminately for booze parties. In the UK, people are having block parties and attacking the police that come to break them up. On various beaches, crowds that on a regular summer day would be historic, are appearing. And we're going to allow visitors from Britain without more than checking their temperatures, or a form filled out by them asserting that they have not been in contact with ill people? I feel for the people who live in areas with high numbers of young visitors from the UK.
In many places in Spain there are no festivals this summer. But authorities are wary of possible spontaneous celebrations. It happened on Saint John's Eve in different areas, and police had to break up private parties that got out of hand. Police in Pamplona are fearful that similar parties might pop up, despite the fact that the sanfermines have been cancelled. The urge to party is understandable, especially in light of two months locked up at home. But we all have to understand, too, that there will be more years in the future to celebrate, especially the young, who are the most impatient to have a good time, and who theoretically have the most years before them.
Most of those getting infected now are younger people. In the spring, most of those who were infected and died were older people, especially in elderly residences. But, those people are now being better protected. The younger people who are going out more, mixing with friends and family, or working side by side with others, are the ones getting infected. Perhaps because of that, most infections are light, and easily treatable at home. Yet that is not to say that no one getting sick now won't end up in the ICU, or end up with damaged organs. So, why take the chance?
For my part, I will try to stay away from crowds. There will be other years to party, and I want to reach them in good health. Or good enough to be able to celebrate and go wild on my own terms.
Life continues.
What's not so good is news on the devil virus. As countries open up, the virus says "yippee!" and starts infecting again. In Spain there are infections in Aragón and the province of Lleida, mostly among fruit pickers and packers. Here, about thirty kilometers away, a man returned from Brazil, and nine have been infected, over a hundred traced, and quite a few in quarantine, waiting and seeing.
The EU still hasn't officially made up its mind, but, when it opens outside borders on Wednesday, people from Russia, Brazil, and the U.S. will probably not be allowed in. Infections there are spiking all over the place. Personally, I think borders between the European countries should have been kept shut a little longer. I know the tourism industry is suffering very much, but better to vanquish the virus earlier, than try to live with it and the deaths and ravage it can cause. Because, in some people, it seems to leave damaged organs behind. That's not fun. It's not fun to start out with relatively good health, and end up wearing an oxygen mask or a pacemaker for the rest of your shortened life, just because of a virus you've picked up.
It's a good thing, in a health sense, that most of the parish festivals here are cancelled. The problem with allowing them, even with masks and limiting people, is that people who want to have a good time will not care for limitations and rules. There have been cases of young people getting together indiscriminately for booze parties. In the UK, people are having block parties and attacking the police that come to break them up. On various beaches, crowds that on a regular summer day would be historic, are appearing. And we're going to allow visitors from Britain without more than checking their temperatures, or a form filled out by them asserting that they have not been in contact with ill people? I feel for the people who live in areas with high numbers of young visitors from the UK.
In many places in Spain there are no festivals this summer. But authorities are wary of possible spontaneous celebrations. It happened on Saint John's Eve in different areas, and police had to break up private parties that got out of hand. Police in Pamplona are fearful that similar parties might pop up, despite the fact that the sanfermines have been cancelled. The urge to party is understandable, especially in light of two months locked up at home. But we all have to understand, too, that there will be more years in the future to celebrate, especially the young, who are the most impatient to have a good time, and who theoretically have the most years before them.
Most of those getting infected now are younger people. In the spring, most of those who were infected and died were older people, especially in elderly residences. But, those people are now being better protected. The younger people who are going out more, mixing with friends and family, or working side by side with others, are the ones getting infected. Perhaps because of that, most infections are light, and easily treatable at home. Yet that is not to say that no one getting sick now won't end up in the ICU, or end up with damaged organs. So, why take the chance?
For my part, I will try to stay away from crowds. There will be other years to party, and I want to reach them in good health. Or good enough to be able to celebrate and go wild on my own terms.
Life continues.
We have a farewell apero to go to Monday. So many people I want to see. I think I will compromise with my visor. I don't know if I feel better or worse that people in other countries can be as stupid as Americans.
ReplyDeleteWear the visor, and if you can stand it for a while, a mask, as well. We're all human, and we don't seem to want to learn from our mistakes.
DeleteI feel sorry for Spain as the Uk decides that people won’t have to quarantine when they come back home. I predict that huge numbers of people will go on holiday mostly to Spain. They don’t seem to be all that good at social distancing here. Maybe if Spanish police throw them in jail for not obeying the rules it will sort them out.
ReplyDeleteI do wish people had a little more common sense.
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