Easing into normality

Well at the moment we are at the end of week 10 of Lockdown. That is, until tomorrow. Tomorrow, June 1st) we have some schools opening up to children in England. Also, those in non essential shops opening on June 15th. My hairdresser is working towards July opening too.

All this is well and good as long as we don't have a second wave of the virus.As from tomorrow also, we have new guidlines for the lowering of the restrictions for those who are vulnerable and are shielding. They can come out and meet with others from a different household as long as its outside and they stay 2 metres apart.

Ive noticed that there are a number of coronavirus deniers on social media. Two people that I know are under the illusion that this is fake, the scientific evidence and the journalists are feeding us some sort of fake news (to coin a phrase) and are just whipping us up into a mass frenzy with their exaggerations. I don't believe it. As much as I dislike this government including the prime minister, I do think that that the virus is real and it has killed so many - although not here in Ceredigion. This is one reason why I and others are concerned that when Wales does open up to tourists, there will be a mass incoming of people and the virus.

It's a worry.

Daily Briefings

Todays figures don't bode well. 5 million people world wide have been infected with the virus.It's a scary amount and may account for my anxiety at the moment. It's the same anxiety that wakes me up most mornings at about 6am and it's the same anxiety that some of my friends have.I'm trying to avoid too much coronavirus on tv, but it's very difficult.

The daily briefings at 5pm by the government and assorted scientists/health experts are depressing with graphs and slides of the latest figures. At first I used to watch them religiously, but now I've learnt to let go. The 5pm briefings refer to England on the whole - the rest of the uk have a stricter lockdown. We get news of this at 12.30 each day from the First Minister, Mark Drakeford and his team.

We are fortunate to have a lower death rate here in Ceredigion. In fact, there have been many people trying to come to beauty spots here in Wales especially on the bank holidays. Most have been stopped by the police who have blockaded these areas. We are all having mixed feelings about an easing of the quarantine, when it comes. It will be great to have some more freedom and to see everyone again - don't get me wrong but we fear a spike in the infection rate and maybe a slide into full lockdown again.

We shall have to wait and see.

Explaining the two metre rule.

The death toll for Wales yesterday was over 1200 although the overall data for the whole of the UK has come down.We are well past the first peak. I write 'first' as we don't know of the facts that easing the lockdown will have. There may be a spike in the numbers when we mix more. That goes for schools too. There is talk that in England that schools reopening to larger numbers i.e. their full compliment will cause the virus to spread again....there is talk that the virus will be here for a long time yet....

Anyway, if schools and more shops open we will still be social distancing for a while yet. This means adhering to the two metre rule. This rule has been instated to protect people from spreading and catching the virus. It's difficult to visit those who we shield and stay 2 metres away from. TV presenters sit 2m apart on the same couch, for example....but what happens in taxis and driving schools?

In other news, Mick has decanted the drinks for quaffing later. He is out today buying plants from Charlies for the vegetable and flower garden. So it's all go in the garden now that there is a mini heatwave heading this way.

Life in Lockdown.

Ok, so what's life like in lockdown? 

Well, at the beginning of this quarantine there was much panic buying in the supermarkets and shops.Only a few of the shops selling essential items have stayed open e.g. pharmacies and garages. All had sold out of loo roll, hand sanitiser and flour due to panic buyers leaving the old, vulnerable and key workers with nothing. It was very much like the film 'Contagion', which they chose to screen on tv- for reasons best known to themselves.... it didn't help.

Next, the shops limited the buyers to 2 items of each product only. The government assured us that there would be enough to go around. The supermarkets opened at special times for the key workers (NHS workers, social care workers and shop workers etc) and the elderly. Facebook pages such as Ceredigion Coronavirus/ Aberystwyth were established in order to keep people informed and to set up a place where people could get help with shopping and getting their prescriptions etc.

To date, the shops have established a one way system with customers sanitising their hands and trolleys on the way in and therefore shopping has become essentially slow but there is food on the shelves and that is what is important, especially if you're shopping for other vulnerable people that are 'shielding'. 

On Not Going Out.

Today has seen the total number of deaths in Wales rise to 1100. Scary stuff. We are still social distancing - keeping two metres apart at all time. The government have coined the phrase 'Stay in - protect the NHS - Save lives' and that is exactly what we are doing. It can be depressing if you are on your own. We all have our wobbly moments. I don't think that it helps to watch too many documentaries about the virus, as it can leave you feeling low .So, I've bought  a copy of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' the DVD as some light relief.

At the moment we are allowed out for essential shopping (food), a visit to the pharmacy or doctor and exercise ( now we can exercise more than once a day). The exercise has to be local to your home, so I've started a zumba class on You Tube and my belly dance teacher has been inviting me to join in with her class too on Zoom. once or twice a week.

We are blessed with lovely weather here, so it's been great to connect with nature in my back garden. Everything is becoming greener and more fertile. Spring has sprung and May starts in spring but ends in summer. The birdsong is amazing and I've been watching the woodpeckers, redstarts and magpies creating their nests and foraging for food..... thinking of silver linings and everything.

Well last night BoJo made his announcements which really only apply to England. In Wales we have been advised that the only changes are that we are able to go out ( for exercise from home) more than once a day here. Also, garden centres, tips and libraries can open as from Monday - although not in Ceredigion.The English rules are different although confusing regarding who can and can't work or travel to work. So I'll leave that there.

Our key workers (nurses, doctors, social workers, postmen,cleaners, teachers etc) have been the backbone of the country and have kept us going throughout. Some of them staying in caravans to shield their families which may contain the elderly, vulnerable or children. On Thursday evenings at eight o'clock we go outside to clap them. Not much point here though as the only audience are bewildered cows!

Sadly many on the frontline have paid the ultimate price for their dedication. Especially those who work in care homes where the virus has spread like wild fire. These elderly and vulnerable residents seemed to be forgotten by the government at first and not included in the daily briefing numbers of fatalities that we receive on the television. The staff there have been short of PPE (personal protective equipment) with nurses even having to share in some places. They all deserve a clap and a pay rise if you ask me.

Next I come to the home front. Mick planted some jerusalem artichokes in a raised bed during this pandemic. Daily we observe their progress and any damage caused by slugs. He has set beer traps down as an eco friendly way of controlling them, but still they chew on! The jerusalem artichokes are related to the sunflower, so I'm waiting to see huge results that will shade my spot here by the kitchen window.

Quarantine life.

As of yesterday the death toll in the UK stood at 31,500ish from Covid-19. As I mentioned, we have been in lockdown now for a number of weeks. The virus can be contracted by air droplets and by physical contact so we are wearing gloves, masks and washing our hands very often when we go out and come back into the house.

We are told by the government that we should only go out to exercise (from and to our home), collect prescriptions and do essential shopping. We are doing my Mum's shopping as she is shielding and hasn't been out at all for weeks. It's tough at times and as far as we know we will be on lockdown for a further three weeks. Tonight at seven o'clock the PM Boris Johnson will be making a statement to the UK  about any further changes.

There is a daily briefing at five o'clock every day with an update on the situation by the PM and various medical experts. I watch it avidly, hoping that there will be an improvement in the situation. We have just passed the peak and the death rate is falling gradually, despite that a few folks are flouting the lockdown rules and are travelling and mixing. The weather is scorching and hot, but we are confined to our homes.

At least we have a garden.

Lockdown!

So we've been on lockdown since 23rd March 2020. I've decided to write this blog as a record of our time with Covid-19 (coronavirus). As I write and as a family, to date, none of us have had the virus and there has been only one death so far in Aberystwyth.

To go to the beginning, we first became aware of the virus around just after Christmas time. It started in China, Wuhan district, cause as yet unknown but was thought to be linked with the consumption of wild animals (bats) and spread rapidly amongst humans.

By the time of the Chinese new year, Wuhan was on lockdown and it was not looking good for the rest of China. Little did we know that it would spread around the world.