8 April 2020
Wednesday · Day 13 of lockdown
President Cyril Ramaphosa, on a visit to the Rand Water Office, said that the pandemic provided an opportunity for the country to speed up service delivery. A team of 15 Chinese medical officials arrived in Nigeria to deliver $1.5 million [USD] worth of medical equipment to the country. At this stage, cases in Europe were doubling every three to four days. A panel of prestigious scientists told the White House that warmer weather would not make the coronavirus go away. Singapore banned all social gatherings, while in Wuhan, China, a lockdown of two months was lifted, and people were allowed to travel out of the city. Travel authorities expected 55 000 people to leave the city by train in a single day.
Another day spent with my family, us all on our individual zoom meetings. I had a res mentor meeting today where we discussed how we will be carrying on with our mentor sessions (with first years) during the lockdown via social media platforms and face time, zoom, etc.
Prior to the meeting, I found myself really excited to see all my fellow mentors. They form a big part of the ‘family’ I’ve made for myself at university and being apart from all of 23 of them has been strange. I went from seeing them every day, to not at all.
But seeing them via zoom, whilst extremely heart-warming, was also quite sad. It reaffirmed how much I miss them and the crazy chaotic energy that ensues whenever we are all together. The meeting confirmed, for me, that even though technology is amazing, it does have its limitations.
The organic nature of face-to-face communication is lost, and in some ways the conversation is stilted. I found myself grinning profusely whenever someone would speak about what they had been up to (which for most of us is not that much) and just wishing I could give everyone a hug.
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I read this brilliant article from the New York Times today about what impacts the coronavirus could have on the world economy. A few things stood out, but the most interesting point was about the future of working from home and how it’ll affect women. Due to the large amount of people now beginning to adapt and working from home, it’s assumed that working from home will be easier and more socially acceptable in the future. Who will this help most? Women, especially those with small children. Hopefully Covid-19 can have at least one silver lining by enabling women to earn greater equality in the workplace.
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‘Klein Saterdag’ [Friday] has lost all meaning during lockdown. I do not think I have ever gone this long without seeing my friends. […] The future of every student is uncertain at the moment, and we are all waiting for the next state of the nation address.
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The number of positive Covid-19 cases in the Western Cape is now sitting at 510. Since the authorities rolled out the community screening in areas such as Paarl, Blackheath, Khayelitsha and Bo-Kaap, more than 3 930 people have already been screened in the province. It is good to see the government working swiftly to combat the virus and to detect its early spread within more vulnerable communities. South Africa is still struggling to source PPE from suppliers, [with] there being an overwhelming demand for such equipment worldwide.
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I received an update today from the university telling us that we will be finishing the rest of the semester online, and that we will only have a two week break in July. This is something that will have a huge effect on me for obvious and not so obvious reasons. Obviously, learning and assessments will be completely different and will no doubt influence my ability to pass and graduate in one way or another. Not so obviously, though, this probably means that universities know something that we do not about the future of the country. They are projecting [that] we will need to do tests online well into July, despite the fact that this lockdown is meant to finish in the next week or two?
In other words, the lockdown will probably be extended. […] Something I can’t stop thinking is the possibility that because I am graduating in the very year that this is happening, my degree may end up being less credible than that of previous or future years. Online assessments are not the same as invigilated assessments.
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Bheki Cele discussed the ban on alcohol and cigarettes yesterday. He noted that, since banning the sale of alcohol, there had been a major drop in crime, and that Groote Schuur hospital has experienced far fewer trauma cases. However, as I previously theorised, the ban is costing the government millions each day; without the sin tax revenue that alcohol and booze bring in, the government is losing just shy of R150 million per day.
I think this situation presents a catch 22 for policymakers, not just now, but also for the long term. It is clear that removing booze from the social equation is a positive thing (it makes for less crime and fewer trauma incidents), but it costs the government vital revenue. We find ourselves at the crossroads between ethics and economy … Can we even afford to choose at this point.
[…] I received an official communication from Stellenbosch University. Our testing and teaching policy has changed, with all classes and assessments moving online as of 20 April. I worry for those students that are in compromised environments or situations. The university has come up with a device loaning policy to help mitigate some issues, but I see a few logistical issues arising, especially surrounding network strength and access. Furthermore, the environment for some students may not be conducive to studying effectively.
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I woke up this morning eager to have a productive day. I showered and went to go sit behind my laptop. I started with my Financial Management project and really got work done. After I finished with my work, I went downstairs for brunch. Afterwards my dad asked me to mow the lawn. For me, this was a first because my family has always been privileged enough to employ a gardener. I went to fetch the lawnmower from our storage facility and spent about 15 minutes with my dad trying to figure out how to turn the lawnmower on. After we finally got it working, I used my knowledge from movies to mow the lawn. It took me 45 minutes to cut the grass in the back garden and 30 minutes in the front garden. I could tell how impressed and happy my parents were that I was doing some work around the house. I finished just before sunset and went straight to supper.
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Yesterday’s weather persisted. This morning was overcast, and the high today is 15 degrees [celsius]. The bad weather brought with it the bad news of a potential lockdown extension. Medical experts have commented on the likelihood of an extension, noting that South Africa is about to go into the winter flu season. This is likely to bring about some confusion as Covid-19 symptoms are similar to normal flu like symptoms, adding extra strain to the country’s healthcare system.
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Despite claims that the ban on alcohol is reducing crime rates, many liquor stores in the Western Cape have been looted. Such actions undermine government’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
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Last night after a very productive schoolwork day, I was thinking about trying out a four-day week to see if I would actually be more productive than working a five-day week. My only decision was whether I would be taking Wednesday or Friday off. That decision was made for me by my dad when I was woken up to help out in the garden since our garden servicers aren’t operational during the lockdown. I learnt how to mow the lawn (which requires a lot more strength that you would imagine, especially since we live on a hill), and how to use a weed whacker, among helping with other things. I must say it was quite therapeutic for the mind to be outside and actually moving around, instead of cooped up inside studying, reading or watching T.V.
After that morning of hard work, and also deciding today would be my day off from studying, I was in the mood to use the oven, and so my mom suggested I bake bread. Keeping in mind that I have minimal culinary skills, the end result was quite impressive, and the loaf didn’t last a full 24 hours before being finished by the family.