28 March 2020

Saturday · Day 2 of lockdown

On the second day of lockdown, Gauteng was the province with the most active cases in South Africa. The UN secretary general called for a coordinated response to support developing countries in managing the virus and predicted that $3 trillion [USD] would be needed to provide that support. As countries around the world scrambled to put appropriate measures in place to curb the spread of the disease, fashion brands such as Burberry started producing masks instead of items of clothing. Meanwhile, those stuck at home started coming up with creative ways of keeping busy. One man in the UK ran 26.2 miles by doing over 1 000 laps in his small garden.

Unsurprisingly, day two of lockdown presented many of the same challenges as yesterday. […] Police were greatly outnumbered and were left looking foolish in their efforts to disperse crowds in populated townships. Informal workers do not have the luxury of staying at home and receiving paid leave; nor do they have the cash at hand or the space available to stockpile food. As a result, they have no option but to queue for hours to feed themselves and their family. Poverty fuels contagion. Contagion deepens impoverishment. However, the virus is not selective. When everyone is concerned with their own wellbeing, and risk and uncertainty is rife, the welfare of the vulnerable population is often neglected. We are only beginning to see the predicament facing developing countries. This is a somber thought considering that even the wealthiest countries have been unsuccessful in their efforts to restrain the virus. Death tolls are rising and the virus is yet to reach the poorest places on earth.

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Today I really miss my friends in Cape Town. We have been speaking regularly, but it’s not the same as seeing each other every day and having a natural conversation in each other’s presence. Cellphone relationships versus in-person relationships are very different things, and I definitely prefer the latter. Desperate times call for desperate measures though, so this is how it will have to be until we see each other again.

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My biological alarm clock has fully resorted to slob mode; mornings where I was conscious and concise at 5:00 am seem to be a distant memory. I only got out of my bed at around 10:00 am today, which is problematic given my recent tradition of having an hour nap in the afternoon.

* * *

Despite the fact that the country is in lockdown, I see people on the streets talking and listening to good music. They greet me as they pass, making me want to go out as well just to hear the music.

The university decided to extend the break to 20 April. I am a little displeased. I spend time reading ahead for all my courses but never quite grasping what I am reading. I shall find this time particularly hard for me. I am not a person who keeps contact with friends or individual[s] outside of my family, unless I want to find out something important. I fear that I am losing relationships that I have put a lot of effort into forming.

One thing I am starting to understand though, is myself. It is not nice when things that were distracting you from seeing what is problematic in your life suddenly stop. I do feel for those who have to return home to a father who beats them too often, or parents who are uncaring. This is sort of a time where people are forced to face the problems that they have been avoiding.

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The class difference in South Africa has become very apparent over the last few days. While more affluent people could afford to buy groceries earlier this week, some South Africans living hand-to-mouth are still struggling to buy food and supplies. Across South Africa people are waiting in long queues, hoping to find what they need while endangering their health.

In other parts of Africa, military forces are using violence to enforce the lockdown. In Kenya, for example, military forces were recorded beating people with batons. In South Africa, rubber bullets were used to control a gathering crowd outside a supermarket in Johannesburg.

South Africa has recorded an overnight increase of 17 cases. Sadly, it was announced that 13 of the 1 187 infected persons are health workers.

* * *

As the sun rose early in Gauteng, I was still fast asleep. I have discovered a new tactic to get through this lockdown. I sleep until around 12:00 pm, wake up for breakfast, chill a bit, exercise a little bit and before you know it the day is almost done.

I spoke to my domestic worker who is staying with us during the lockdown. She sounded very stressed as she falls into the vulnerable category regarding Covid-19. After this chat, I began to understand just how privileged I am, especially during this time. I have food on my plate, fast working Wi-Fi and I live in a house where I have a lot of personal space.

For supper my mom made spaghetti and we prayed together that the nation and the world will get through this pandemic.

* * *

Today I do not feel better unfortunately. My body is sorer than it was yesterday and my fever is worse. My ears have also started to become painful at random times throughout the day. […] I am so scared that I maybe could have come into contact with the virus somewhere, maybe when I went shopping on Tuesday or even somewhere before that. If I did, my whole family is at risk of getting infected. With the numbers suggesting that older people and people with cardiovascular diseases are more at risk, I am really worried about my parents. But for now, nothing is certain so I’m trying not to dwell on the negative thoughts. If I feel worse in the next few days, I’ll contact a doctor; in the meantime, I’ll just rest and keep on drinking my immune boosters. And to be honest – aside from all the possible bad things that might come with having Covid-19 – I think it could be quite cool to say you had the virus that brought the whole world to a halt! Definitely a good conversation starter if you ask me.

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My sister’s friend let us know that it doesn’t seem like there’s a lockdown happening in her area as the people are still walking around as if this virus does not exist. She lives in a rural area.

* * *

It still does not feel like we are under lockdown. It feels as if I have had a lazy long weekend. But the landscape around me is stark. I had slight cabin fever, so I went out for a drive, of course. I ran the risk of being pulled over by police, but I was willing to chance it. My drive took me all around the Atlantic seaboard of Cape Town. What stunned me the most was the number of homeless persons loitering in the street. Along a 5km strip, I counted roughly 200 displaced persons. This just goes to show how rampant general homelessness is in Cape Town. I feel very sorry for these people as they must already be very hungry as many of them rely on petty cash gained from begging. News outlets are claiming that the homeless should wait along the Sea Point promenade where they will be picked up by police and relocated.

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Today is my stepsister’s birthday. Even though our parents aren’t married, we still tend to refer to each other as stepsiblings. She opened her presents and then we had a really nice breakfast to celebrate her birthday.

At the moment I am staying with my mom who lives on a golf course. The nice thing about this is that from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm we are allowed to walk around the estate. Who knows if this will last the full three weeks though?

* * *

This morning I slept in and only woke up at 10:00 am. At 11:00 am I used an app called Houseparty. My four best friends and I chatted on the app. We could all see each other and played games like trivia, heads up and 30 seconds on the app. For a moment it felt like they were here with me.