Facing off the virus 

coronavirus socialdistancing

Expatriates returning from Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon wait to be retested in a Kuwaiti health ministry containment and screening zone for COVID-19 in Kuwait City on March 16, 2020. 

In Massachusetts, USA, bars and restaurants are closed except for takeout, schools are closed starting on this Tuesday. They will all be shut for at least three weeks and no gatherings are legally allowed with more than 25 people in our state. We also can test 400 people per day now in MA.

More tests will happen if needed per day. And we are sufficient hospital-wise in terms of respirators, cleaning staff and so on. If we need more supplies, we’ll get them.

Boston Mayer Marty Walsh set up a fund that already received 20 million dollars to provide care givers for elderly people, child care workers for families, food for all people, technical support for grown people and children given that schools and libraries are closed. … He has also set up places where food can be gotten for all Boston children. And of course medical diagnostics are free for all with virus concerns, and care is free for those who are poor and on the state’s insurance. AND Trump called him “a clown.” Who’s the clown now?

Stop and Shop grocery stores in MA have expanded hours of operation to help elderly people. After deep cleaning overnight, ONLY elderly people are allowed first thing in the morning to shop for an hour and a half. It is a move to protect them.

coronavirus seattle

Lori Spencer visits her mom, Judie Shape, 81, who Spencer said had tested positive for the coronavirus, at Life Care Center of Kirkland, the Seattle-area nursing home at the epicenter of one of the biggest coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, in Kirkland, Washington, on March 11, 2020. 

As an aside, many retail stores are now shutting in MA. No surprise there since we’re pretty cohesive in MA in many ways, although hardly even close to 100 % for sure.

I hope that where you live is doing as well. If not, fight hard to get your just dues. Your communities and governments owe it to you.

We all need to step up to help others during these tough times. Many people do so, such as the following person.

Kierán Suckling, Executive Director, Center for Biological Diversity excerpted from an email:

 

I thought about something else, too, while I was out hiking. Nature will get a reprieve from what’s happening. Carbon pollution will, at least for a short time, decline, and humanity’s frenzied pace will be dialed back a notch or two.

But at the moment it’s hard not to dwell on anxiety and concern for people around the world. I worry in particular for those without access to adequate healthcare and those already suffering the ills of polluted air and water. That’s a wrong the Center remains committed to seeing made right.

That fight, and the fight for wildlife and wild places, continues every day. It’s doesn’t feel the same as it did last week — most of our staffers are working from home — but we’re still here, strong and steadfast and ready to do all we can to save this planet.

I remain deeply hopeful about winning those fights, now and after this crisis has passed. There’s no other option worth contemplating.

Sally Dugman lives in MA, USA.


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