Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 44 - A glimpse of freedom

There was more activity outside today than the last 6 quarantine Sundays combined! Why's that? Today was the first big loosening of the lockdown, and as promised children up to 14 (with a parent) were allowed outside to play in the streets or the parks for the first time in 6 weeks! My friends and colleagues with kids have been celebrating all day. 🥳

Of course this being Spain, where many people haven't met a rule they couldn't bend, waaaay too many people ignored the instructions of 1 adult with the children (up to 3) or maintaining the recommended 2 meter distance from others (a neighbor told me she saw women with strollers walking side by side chatting, we've seen photos online of kids playing football in parks or running together). *sigh* In Alicante alone the police apparently handed out fines to 50 people, and stopped a total of 203 to explain why they were breaking the rules. They've said today was "learning day", but that starting tomorrow they'll be stricter. Some cities are considering closing up parks again if people don't respect the social distancing rules...

Those of us without kids at home are now impatiently looking forward to next Saturday May 2nd, since the president announced last night that we'd ALL be allowed out for an hour a day to go for a walk or work out. Fingers crossed the rule-breaking doesn't result in increased infections, and a decision to go back into a stricter lockdown for a few more weeks...

#stayhome, #quedateemcasa, #restecheztoi