Hard to believe it's been a week already. We seem to have lost all sense of time. There's before. And there's after. How long? No idea... I was talking to a colleague this evening, asking about her 2 week vacation in Mexico. She landed back in Spain just as all this craziness was starting. She said she could barely remember her trip, seemed like another life.
Although most people are starting to take the "not going out" more seriously, many others are still looking for ways to game the system. The police were more flexible last weekend and earlier in the week (another day I'll write about the dinosaur incident), but as of a few days ago they're starting to crack down on rule breakers, by for example asking "shoppers" to show the receipt for their purchases, or asking dog walkers for their ID and legal residence to check they aren't more than 2km away from their homes.
Today I had to go out (drive my mom to a doctor's appointment), and although there weren't many cars on the streets, there were quite a few more than I had expected (particularly since it was past time that anyone who still has to go to work would be on the road). On the way home I saw a policeman parked and monitoring a street. I stopped to talk to him because I was wondering if going to the Post Office was a "valid" reason to be out (mail for my mom). He wasn't too keen on it but finally said "yeah sure, if you must, just not on Sunday" and I was like "well yeah! Sunday it's closed!". He laughed. Apparently yesterday (which as I mentioned was a holiday here) he (and the police in general) stopped several people who were out walking. They would justify being out by saying they were "going to buy food" or to the Pharmacy, or the Post Office... except as it was a holiday all those places were closed!!! They also had to pull out a surfer who was trying to catch some waves, close down three different house parties, and overall give fines to 43 people out and about - including several people who were taking turns walking the same dog!!! 🤦
But like I said, in general people have been playing by the rules. Friends who live downtown talk about empty streets in their neighborhoods. And one of the videos that has been making the rounds on social media today (at least in Alicante groups) is called "Alicante without you", showcasing emblematic places around the city, without a soul to be seen.
It's a bit eerie seeing those empty streets! Some of those I've never seen empty (even in the wee morning hours after a night partying). I wish I could link to the original, but I first saw it on a random Facebook page and looking a bit more closely realized it wasn't theirs. And I have received it on my phone via three different WhatsApp groups... so I guess it's out in the public domain now! But the credit at the end says it's by Rafa Arjones at the Diaro Información (local paper).
#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi
I don't understand the problem with solitary exercising. Who are you going to infect? Spain is having a really hard time these days, though, and maybe it's in an abundance of caution.
ReplyDeleteThe reasoning behind it is twofold.
Delete(1) Because you might bump into someone, touch a surface that another exerciser has touched etc.
(2) Because ANY time you leave your house you are at risk of having some kind of accident (car, hit and run, tripping on a curb and falling down, slipping etc.), and that increases when you're doing a physical activity. In normal times not that big a deal, but now - what if that accident leads you to a hospital ER? Where it will take forever for anyone to take care of you because they're swamped with Corona-related patients. Or worse, you end up having to spend a significant amount of time in hospital with your daily chances of catching the virus increasing. :(
Plus unfortunately too many people have shown they can't be bother to follow basic social distancing rules, so there's no reason to believe they would if the restrictions were lifted even a little. :(