With everything going on in the world today, it’s not easy task to keep yourself from going stir crazy or falling into a depression. Most of us have never seen the likes of this situation we find ourselves in. People infected with Coronavirus worldwide are now over a million, and deaths over 50,000. In Panamá alone, there are almost 1,500 known cases and death toll is at 37, with 10 recovered cases.
We are going with the flow and following the strict guidelines the government has set to keep us safe. We are in total quarantine indefinitely. There is a prohibition on alcohol, so if you didn’t stock up before hand, you are out of luck for who knows how long. The days and times that we can go out for essentials have become more restricted then ever because of people who have not been heeding the quarantine. Women are allowed out during their specific 2 hour window on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; men on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. No one can go out on Sunday. Exceptions apply to holders of permission letters (salvoconductos) or if you have an emergency situation. If you have a dog, you can only take it out close to your house.
Presidente Nito has launched a Solidarity Plan which includes the distribution of vouchers, food bags, medicines and tanks of gas to at least a million people, including informal workers, lottery sellers, residents of vulnerable areas and those affected by the economic impact of the pandemic. The amount of the electricity bill will be reduced 50% to those whose consumption does not exceed 300 kilowatts. Service will not be cut nor that of water or internet to those who cannot pay their bills in the next three months. Banks will not execute the mortgages of those affected by the pandemic. The use of the government ID (cedula) as a debit card is currently being finalized in the registers of supermarkets and shops.
The U.S. Embassy in Panamá is currently collecting names of people who wish to repatriate back to the United States. There were two flights scheduled this week that have been cancelled, but they are exploring other options for evacuation flights. Craig and I had not considered this. We feel safe and believe that the government is doing a good job. And God forbid we get sick, I’m not sure if our international insurance plan will cover us in the U.S. if one of us contracts the virus.
I’ve been taking this opportunity for self-reflection and self-improvement. Craig and I have been doing Power Walking Aerobics on our terrace almost daily. We are spending more time on our Spanish. We’ve been trying to eat healthier. I feel like a homesteader, freezing all kinds of fruits and vegetables for my Smoothies. Group chats with friends and family help keep us up to date and lift each other’s spirits. Spending time with your family feels more precious somehow rather than mundane. We are all going through this fearful time together. We need each other, kindness is so important.
I’d like to share this poem with you written by Kitty O’Meara, a retired Irish American teacher, that I feel is so relevant today…
And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.
¡Quédate en casa! We will all get through this together!
In this season of Easter, we have been missing the ability to attend Sunday services. But Father Michael has solved that problem. He will be recording his services which will stream live on Facebook. We thank him for helping us to keep things as normal as possible and to find inner peace.
To our family and friends, we love and miss you all! I hope that God keeps you save and allows your mind to be peaceful.