As of 6pm, local time, Athens:
# of confirmed cases: 1,061 (95 new cases since yesterday)
# of deaths: 32
# of people in hospital: 69
# of people tested: 14,363
Day 20 of staying home
In today’s 6pm live press briefing Health Ministry
spokesman Sotiris Tsiodras and Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias
made more announcements. Some are summarized below.
Today, Tsiodras mentioned the topic of mental health
during the crisis, and that social distancing does not mean isolation. There is
information on the national organization of public health’s site regarding mental health issues and
his practical advice for dealing with stress and anxiety is to: ensure you are receiving
valid information about developments; realize that the continual news stream/watching
TV etc causes more stress; communicate with loved ones; make sure you are
getting proper nutrition, rest and exercise.
Hardalias announced that prescriptions can be
obtained via www.gov.gr, and can be received
via sms or email.
He also announced that from March 29-April 15
flights to/from The Netherlands and Germany will be suspended.
He addressed the topic of repatriation and stressed
that a general repatriation of all Greek citizens is not feasible, and flights
have been suspended to protect public health. Greeks wishing to repatriate must
have one of the following valid reasons: if an individual is in need of help
and is unable to obtain it; pregnant women; people with health issues; people
who have been laid off or are not receiving pay and have no where to live;
passengers who are in transit and trapped at airports.
In addition, any open-air farmer’s markets which are
not adhering to measures will be shut down.
The hospital in Kastoria will receive necessary aid,
staff, doctors, nurses, supplies etc. As well as other areas in northern
Greece.
Also, approximately 10,000 volunteer applications
have been received.
***
Day 20 – I type the words and I still can’t believe
it. Twenty days of staying home. What’s changed since Day 1? What has stayed
the same?
I think the sense of how unbelievable this is will never change.
Even when the worst is over and we’re back to a semi-normal life, the
unbelievable-ness of what we are all experiencing will remain with us, forever.
Nevertheless, the reality of my new indoor life has
become routine. I still wake up each morning suddenly remembering ‘this is
actually happening’… then the daily routine and the new normal takes hold.
There is comfort in routine – and at least for most of us, the morning ritual
of making coffee and breakfast provides a kind of normalcy.
Sitting in front of our screens, half-dressed and
looking presentable from the waist-up, we behold the new world. Public spaces –
parks, cafes, restaurants etc have been replaced with online public spaces.
Zoom meetings, online classes, virtual museum visits, video calls. I feel like
I might never wear real pants and shoes again.
I find myself re-assessing the value of certain
items in the house. What is a necessity for me? What can I do without? What is
considered a treat, one worth risking a quick trip outside to buy? About every
8-10 days, I walk to the supermarket, taking along my little two-wheeled shopping cart. So far I have not encountered any crazy
scenes of people hoarding, empty shelves, or long lines. I plan my shopping
trip strategically – I go during off-peak hours, make a list of things to buy,
and in my head, I even map out the route I will take in the market –fruit
section first… then the deli counter…
Somehow having a plan is comforting,
but when I’m in the market, calmly going down the list, placing things in my
cart, I suddenly find myself looking around irrationally, my heart beating a
bit faster, my pace quickening, what else should I get? what else might we
need? frozen vegetables? a fresh pineapple? do I really need parsley? why is
that lady taking so long in front of the soda display?
On my last shopping trip, my ‘bonus’ items were a
pack of four cans of Schweppes ginger ale and a bag of popcorn. Ginger ale is
hard to find in Greece and only one supermarket in my area carries it. When I
got home, I triumphantly declared, “I got ginger ale!! And popcorn!!” That
night, we drank ginger ale and munched popcorn. It felt like a grand
achievement. We split one can of ginger ale. One is now enough. Ice cubes
clinking into empty glasses, the snap of the can opening, the fizzy sound of
pouring, ice cubes crackling, the bubbles fizzling, rising up and settling
down.
I savored every sip. Ahhh… Ginger ale never
tasted so good.
Here’s to Day 20 and finding new value in small
things.
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