Sunday, June 28, 2020

Coronavirus News Then & Now

Of course, I've been doing all of this reading and of course I've been keeping all of these tabs open on my phone!

It's now quite full. Instead of just closing the stories that I thought were the most interesting, losing the links forever, I'm going to transfer them here.

I was SHOCKED, by the way, when I went to Pet Wellness Center in Marion IL on Friday and NO ONE was wearing a mask except me and Zac.

None of the staff.

None of the patrons.

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. There was a sign on the front door that said their COVID-19 precaution was allowing only one person in the building with each pet. That seems to be the only thing they were trying. I had staffers come up to me to pet my dog for no reason, and without permission. Someone walked me to the front desk to pay. He did not walk six feet away. There was a communal jar of pens at the front counter for signing forms.

A COMMUNAL JAR OF PENS????

I just don't understand it.

The only thing I can do is keep reading the news, keep following the recommendations from the scientists, and keep hoping that this country as a whole undergoes a seismic shift in consciousness. And I pray that this shift doesn't have to be predicated on a tremendously rising loss of life.

Known global cases just passed 10 million today with half a million deaths; U.S. cases passed 2.5 million with a corresponding number of deaths. A quarter of the cases, and a quarter of the deaths, in the world are in the U.S.

COVID Near You
coronavirus tracking project

IDPH Restore Illinois
coronavirus statistics for Illinois

Worldometer
worldwide coronavirus statistics by country

~ ~ ~

When I look back in my phone at open tabs from February 2020, I find things like WWOOF USA and "How to travel light with children." I had thought Zac would be old enough this summer that we could start to really travel together. I looked up how to drive toll-free from DC to NYC, because I was heading up to my teacher training in Spring Valley (in Rockland County).

And then everything changed.

Some of these things I've kept in, like the toilet paper shortages, just so we don't forget. Oh, yes, I remember that....

But I've highlighted in color twelve things I absolutely don't want to lose, that are really important. Most are things that help us truly visualize what's happening, and why we need to take this seriously and all do our part.


FEBRUARY


MARCH


APRIL


MAY


JUNE


Fever 1793

by Laurie Halse Anderson


It's so interesting, looking back at history like that. Stay home and stay safe, everyone!

1 comment:

Catherine said...

Thank you for posting this. I hear you. I feel shocked too. I can only guess that people either don't understand, don't care (because they think it's something they will survive and don't think about others), or aren't keeping informed. It is hard to believe that people are taking such risks. They need to read the piece you linked on putting the risk into perspective! Stay safe xx