Sorry have to have a rant about how people are behaving during this Corona crisis. Please someone out there enlighten me what is so difficult to understand: the advice to keep any contact to a minimum and stay at home. And why do you all think we are being told this?
Now here in The Netherlands, the Government are taking daily decisions based on the advice they are getting from experts. Virologists, doctors, professors to name but a few, and each and every day so far, the rules have been adjusted. Despite the pleas to stop this ridiculous hamstering, it still continues. However, people over the age of 70 have their own shopping hour (7-8 am, which to be honest seems a bit early for the elderly). Online shopping is easy and now free from all postage or delivery costs, so to me that seems the obvious choice if you really need something say from a shop like Boots, do it online and get it delivered to the door. Simple. We all have smartphones, Ipads (or other tablets) and computers. WiFi and internet is still working. So shop online.
Schools, Universities, shops, nail studios, hairdressers, gyms etc., all closed down until further notice. So be inventive, do exercises at home. A simple elastic gym band means you can do lots in your own environment, and I saw that people are offering free subscriptions for training programs. Be inventive and stay safe.
These are times that many of us have never experienced in our lives, I know I can say that, despite the fact that war, famine and lack of clean fresh water, continues all the time somewhere in the world. But, and please take this to heart readers, when advice is given to try and cut down unnecessary situations to avoid the spread of the Corona virus, then JUST DO IT.
A lot of people to my mind are not taking this seriously and to be honest it makes me really cross, how stupid people can be. Yes, it was lovely cold spring weather, but this was not an open invitation for people to flock to the coast or visit the Blossom Park in Amsterdam. The actual border with neighboring country Belgium is closed. And I sincerely hope that they do the same with Germany. Spain and France also in total lockdown. It just has to happen to stop people being so blasé about the spread of a deadly virus.
Despite everything, I was flabbergasted to find out that some Germans travelled here this weekend to spend time in their holiday home! WHAT???? The local mayor had issued a statement to ask people not to do this. For people with boats in local harbors, to stay away and definitely not spend the night on their boats. But still they came and then they are surprised when the people who live here, react so crossly. I just wonder what planet some people are living on. The news is updating hourly and yesterday there was a national NL Alert to every Dutch citizen – to STAY AT HOME. Keep at distance. Do not stand in queues at a snack shop. And I could go on and on. By not paying attention and still doing this increases the opportunity for the virus to spread and brings people in high risk groups into even more danger. I mean how dreadful is that? It is more than dreadful it is thoughtless and selfish! We must all have more respect for one another to overcome this.
And that means paying attention to what experts say. Most people are working from home when they can, but think about those who are working, say in hospitals, the police and fire services and those who have a so called vital job, for all of us, not for themselves and then I say, respect for them too. Do not put people who are so badly needed at even more risk just because you think you have some sort of personal immunity. You don’t and neither do you have a special certificate that says you will not be affected. No one is safe and we are all at risk and that is why there is so much information and the reason we are all being asked to stay at home. It is not that difficult really. Health is the one thing that money cannot buy and if we have to adapt ourselves for our own safely, then those who don’t are mad in my opinion.
We are all being asked now to re-evaluate our priorities and to give more respect to one another. Maybe we will all look back at some time in the future and think, yes, this was exactly what mankind in general needed. A wake-up call to what is important and what is not.
Come on everyone, let’s get sensible and think. Not only for ourselves but for others too. Be kind to one another. Follow the advice and by uniting with one another, a wave of positivity flows across the globe. It just has to be and is it too much to ask of anyone to make a small sacrifice now, for the sake of others. I don’t think so.
Stay at Home, please, everyone. Don’t flock to areas and put others at risk. Sit in your garden (or on your balcony) and enjoy the spring at home.
Last night one of the best programs on Dutch TV was devoted to this subject and their slogan was good.
1.5 meters distance = less deaths
It is as simple as that. Respect!
Images: Google
