Mar 30, 2020

In Mandatory Quarantine in BC, Canada




No more palm trees, not for awhile anyway!

A friend gave me shit for not wearing my mask on the flight coming home from Puerto Vallarta to Canada. I realized as soon as I got on the 'petri dish' of an airplane that nothing would protect me if I was prone to getting covid 19 so I left it tucked in my safe ziploc bag. I dug it out of the protective ziploc bag when I got off my final flight in Kelowna, BC, Canada and walked down the ramp. I knew there would be people waiting to meet their loved ones, still innocent to the fact that this virus was rampant throughout the world.

No one was there to meet me though, even though some of my family lives in Kelowna. I wasn't taking any chances of infecting those who cared about me. Also, my son is self-isolating because his wife is a front line worker. I made arrangements for a vehicle to be left at the airport for me with the keys inside. I had made the same arrangements with my daughter in Vancouver had the government stopped me there and not allowed me to go any further.

It was a sad, lonely ride home. Luckily our home is set up in such a way that my partner could turn it back into a safe 'duplex,' as it was set up when I first met him. He is not in self-isolation with me as he is still running his business and has to keep his employees safe. My apartment had been stocked with groceries by my partner's daughter, enough to last a month. Hopefully the mandatory quarantine will end in two weeks as long as I don't show any symptoms of the virus.

The first thing I did was mix up bleach water and spray all the counters down that I would be touching. Then I made something to eat and contemplated how my life would look the next couple of weeks. I was used to being on my own and had been in Mexico for two months by myself but hadn't been restricted in my movements. Canada had put protective rules in place so I couldn't even go outside for a walk by myself because I had traveled internationally. I live in a complex that has shared, public access so I have no choice but to stay inside.

I'm not the only one that I know currently in self-isolation. Other friends have also returned from international travel and are counting the days until their quarantine ends. This is going to be my life for the next two weeks. Gone is the heat and sunshine and the ocean breezes of Puerto Vallarta and the freedom to go for a walk. It isn't going to be easy but I know I can do it.

The saving grace of being in quarantine right now is the ability to keep in touch with everyone I know through internet and social media. Even my interaction with my partner is still through whatsapp at the moment or sitting on opposite sides of a wall talking to each other. It's a difficult time but I'm attempting to get back to somewhat normal in this new reality!

For instance, I have been involved in what we call 'choir practice' with a group of people for a number of years in Kelowna, BC, Canada. We don't ever sing....we get together at a pub and have a drink or two once every 2 weeks and visit. It's been going on since around 1992....and now it's not, because of what's happening right now. Last year we even started a 'northern chapter' that meets on alternate weeks in Vernon. I will be contacting everyone today to set up choir practice again by way of the platform 'Zoom.' Hopefully a number of people will join in. On Wednesday I am also invited to a wine and appy get-together on Zoom with a group of women in town which should be fun.

I thought about a young friend living in Spain, a country that is in complete lockdown right now. They can't even go out for a walk as a family. Only one person can leave their home at a time, to get groceries and prescriptions or go for a medical appointment. If they are caught outside they will be heavily fined. We are used to staying in contact through social media and will continue to do so.

I also just talked to a friend in Puerto Vallarta as I was writing this. Mexico has supposedly extended their self-isolation for another month beginning today. I am trying to find out more information about this so more to follow! Stay safe everyone wherever you are in the world!



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