Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Days 38-46

Kids enjoying their first day out. (La Vanguardia)

And then, just as quickly as they had appeared, the masks vanished. Because the situation in Spain has improved, certain restrictions that have been in place are slowly being lifted. As of today, for example, children under 14 can go outside with a parent or guardian from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. If the favorable data trends continue—i.e., if the infection rates continue declining along with the COVID-19 related deaths—then adults will also be able to exercise or go for walks outside.

I got up early this morning and after breakfast I sat out on the balcony to see if there would be lots of children running eagerly through the streets, their parents chasing after them. We also have a park with a playground less than 50 yards away. It’s been eerily deserted since the coronavirus pandemic became a national emergency and I expected it to have at least some visitors, especially considering the exceptionally beautiful weather we’ve had today. It’s felt like the first real day of spring: skin-warming sunshine, the light caress of a cool breeze, the faint scent of the surrounding pine trees.

I didn’t see any children today. From our balcony I can see the street and a corner of the nearby park—I can just see the bright top of the slide. I didn’t hear any kids laughing or the distant crunch of the gravel and I didn’t see any parents sitting on the benches below either. For a moment, it seemed that people were still too scared to go out.

I didn’t see kids, but I did see a lot of adults who did not appear to have any pending business. I bore witness to a litany of cringeworthy moments. A man in a tank top and without gloves or a mask sat out on the bench behind our building, leisurely smoking a cigarette, stopping every other puff to remove something from his eye. A teenage couple, neither with any of the aforementioned protections, held hands as they made their way up the few stone stairs that lead up to a small plaza. They kissed in the bright sun, he tracing her face with his hands, she running her fingers through his hair.

Today isn’t the first day I’ve seen this. All week I’ve seen more and more people strolling through the streets without protective gear and who do not seem to pay much mind to the social distancing guidelines that are still very much in place. This is all the more concerning considering the fact that in Cerdanyola, new cases are still being reported. And now, in the early hours of the evening, I am seeing a steady stream of entire families out and about with their children.

Franky said that seeing so many people out made one doubt whether such strict guidelines were necessary. And before I could say anything, he laughed out loud, as if sensing my response.

Yeah, we’re staying in a bit longer, I said.

I don’t mean to be pessimistic, but I am not planning on easing back on our precautionary measures just yet. Especially considering the very real possibility of a dreaded second wave. This experience has also served to expose the very real flaws in the government’s mitigation of the pandemic as well as its preparation for potential future outbreaks. We also had a lot of conflicting information regarding everything from wearing masks to whether or not we should clean our groceries before putting them away. I prefer to err on the side of caution and am not planning on relaxing these precautionary measures for at least a few weeks after they are lifted. I don’t want to chance it.

But of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. Yesterday was my 38th birthday and though I initially wasn’t very much in the mood to mark the occasion, wonderful friends helped me celebrate my birthday despite the lockdown. I cooked a special dinner, Franky baked me a small cake, and that evening I had a Zoom party with some friends.

Birthday celebration in the time of the coronavirus.

On top of the lovely company and thoughtful messages from friends and family all over the world, I also got gifts, including this beauty:

The Norton edition of Shakespeare’s works. It takes me back to my undergraduate days at UCLA when I studied all of the Bard’s works over the course of a year. It’s my favorite edition and the lockdown is the perfect excuse to get back in touch with my literary loves.

All in all, I had a wonderful birthday. And though convention is not to say what we wish for when we blow out the candle, I think the gods will make an exception this time. Because I wished for my friends and loved ones to stay safe and healthy and for all of us to make the most of this time that has been given to us in ways that make us happy.

Isn’t that what all this is for, anyway?