Lockdown Restrictions to Lift

Some good news…a few days ago it was announced that starting this Monday, June 1, the lockdown/quarantine will end, and instead, a curfew from 7 pm until 5 am will take its place. Children will be allowed out accompanied by their parents in the late afternoon hours.

Yay!

We have been under virtual house arrest since April 1 and curfew prior to that. Nancy and I will actually be allowed out together for the first time in eight weeks. Masks will be required and social distancing rules will be in place, but its going to be a welcome taste of freedom.

During the lockdown we have been diligent about keeping to daily routines and exercising regularly (lots of aerobics on our terrace).  Somehow, we have both lost some weight and, more importantly, avoided conflict with each other.  We may be in better shape now than we were before all this started, although we REALLY miss going to the gym.  No news on that opening yet.  We are luckier than most people in that we have a piece of very private property to spread out on.  Our Panamanian neighbors have been good to us and our working on learning Spanish has really helped.  The government expected everyone to stay in their homes or apartments for the duration which would be almost unimaginably difficult.

Going out during my allotted day/time for shopping has been interesting.  Lines waiting to get into stores, temperature checks, police checkpoints, hand cleaner everywhere, and having to make do with what products were available became the new normal.  Over the past couple of weeks we have seen a lot more activity on the streets, signs of some relaxation of the quarantine.

For us, the most disappointing aspect of this entire crises has been the lack of news, conflicting news, and conflicting directives coming from the various divisions of government. We have followed the rules here as best as possible and we don’t disagree with the goal of controlling this virus, but the way it is being handled here is lacking at best in our opinion. We feel like we are being treated like children – nos tratan como niños – as our neighbors and friends say. The no alcohol sales, the oppressive rules, the lack of coherent communication, and the perceived attitude of the powers that be have been very disheartening.

It is too early to tell how deep the scars left by this economic and social shutdown will be, and how long it will take things to rebound.  I am sure there are a substantial number of businesses that will not survive.  Some of the individual hardships we have seen have been heart wrenching.  We have provided rice, beans, and some other staples for some friends of ours just so they would have food in their bellies.

So we are optimistic that things here are slowly starting to return to normal – or the “new normal”.  How long and what shape this will take remains to be seen.

Saludos, Craig