Today is Monday, April 6^th.  It is fine and warm, with a very light breeze. Today I had decided not to write about Covid 19, but I reneged on this, seeing some of the news was so interesting.  As I was preparing my breakfast, I learnt that Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK, has been admitted to hospital.

Today is Monday, a quiet day for the news. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is “Easter Palm” (otherwise  known as Palm Sunday, in reference to the Gospels of the New Testament). Most churches will be closed, apart from some in Texas and Louisiana.

I go for a walk to the store, with my shopping list. There was a recipe for Mexican Bean Soup  in the Sunday Star Times, and I would like to get brave and try it. I want to buy the ingredients, but there are no black beans – dried, tinned or organic.

Also, there are no new copies of the Listener, the Economist or the TV Guide. I didn’t really expect to find the Listener, since Bauer Media decided to close last week, however since magazines are planned weeks ahead, I am still surprised. This is very hard. It was a great magazine, and I miss it. So far, no one else has picked up the mantle of publishing it.  That was what used to happen on Mondays.

JD wants to go to New World in Newlands to buy some more breakfast cereal. I make my own list – I will come too, although we will shop separately, as advised. But we don’t go.

I ring the chemist at Johnsonville too, but according to the recorded message, they are very busy, so I do not leave my bubble today.

I am reminded of John Milton’s great sonnet, On His Blindness. Milton was a great scholar, reader and writer who went blind at 40 years of age. This was a huge impairment for him, but he composed his great epic poem Paradise Lost after he went blind. He was also an alumnus of Christ’s College, Cambridge, where there is still a mulberry tree in the Fellows’ Garden  in memory of him. I have seen this tree. After I was ill, I memorised this sonnet:

 When I consider how my light is spent,

    Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,

    And that one Talent which is death to hide

    Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

    My true account, lest he returning chide;

    “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”

   I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need

   Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best

   Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed

   And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:

   They also serve who only stand and wait.”

I found the last line particularly poignant, and reminiscent of the time we are going though now.

This morning we had an update with photographs of our daughter during the lockdown. She is smiling, and looks as though she is having a good life.

The 1 pm update advises that there are 72 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the NZ total to 1106. This is significantly less than the last few days.  I have to praise the Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. This rather unsung hero has fronted the briefings almost every day since the lockdown began, with helpful information. The Prime Minister says there is no intention of lifting the lockdown early.  Someone told me that payments for the wage subsidy have already come through. That is really efficient, and must be an incentive to retain staff. Apparently some CEOs and well-paid executives have taken a pay cut! Fancy that.

Apparently 13 hospital staff and 2 patients from Southland Hospital have been forced to self-isolate after a man with Covid 19 symptoms underwent surgery, and has since tested positive. Really, one can only wonder at this type of stupidity. Whenever one has surgery, one is asked repeatedly beforehand if one is well. I can understand the frustration at postponing scheduled surgery, but we all have to endure some delays and discomfort during this time.

The cluster of cases at Marist College in Auckland has increased. It seems that any gatherings or institutions are potential opportunities for contagion. And then there’s the Ruby Princess cruise ship, some of whose passengers have evidently helped spread the virus both here and in Australia.

Strangely, there is some better news out of the US. The Surgeon General, who previously downplayed the risk, is now warning about America’s Pearl Harbor moment, although this virus operates on many fronts and in every state. Dr Fauci advises testing, isolation, and contact tracing of infected patients. He also warns of a huge number of deaths. Is the US taking this seriously at last? 

In New York, the situation is still harrowing, but the death rate seems to have stalled slightly and recovered patients are being discharged from hospital. On the other hand, there are disturbing reports of some patients not even being taken to hospital by ambulance if the paramedics deem them to be unlikely to benefit from medical intervention. In Florida, there are 6,000 new cases of Covid 19, many requiring hospital care. There is also talk about there being not enough ventilators, as though these are essential, life-saving machines. Indeed, they are, although these machines require significant intervention by nursing staff. Medics describe the harrowing situations they find themselves in, working extra long shifts, overworked, and scared for the patients, and themselves, and their families. Most have not been in this situation before, where they’re not only overworked, but in fear of a very contagious disease. In one of the saddest ironies, the former captain of the aircraft carrier, who raised the alarm about his crew, has tested positive for Covid 19.

That’s all for today. Tomorrow I will venture outside my bubble. Maybe I  will figure out how to add more photographs.

Today is Sunday, April 5^th. Today is Sunday, but I head off to the store soon after 9 am hoping to buy some bread. Overnight we all put our clocks back one hour, to mark the end of Daylight Saving. It is a fine, sunny day.

At the store there is a queue to get in, and someone monitoring entry, however I don’t have to wait long. There is some Vogel bread, which I buy along with a Sunday newspaper. A week ago I sent an email asking for the Sunday paper to be delivered, but I’ve received no reply yet. The heading on the front page of the paper reads “Kill or Cure?” This sees incredibly short-sighted to me.

At the 1 pm briefing we learn that there are 89 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the total to 1039, well over 1,000. This is the highest total for a day. However more tests are being done, and there is a cluster of at least 10 cases in a Christchurch Rest Home. The Prime Minister says that we have 3,000 fewer cases than could have been expected at this point, and we’re still not halfway through the 4-week lockdown. So, despite the pain, this process is surely worthwhile. After all, in the absence of a cure or a treatment or a vaccine, strict isolation (two metres distance determines our existence), seems to be the best strategy. While it’s hard not to see my children and grandchildren, it is still fine and warm here, and we are doing all right. The thing NZ could be doing is isolating those who test positive for Covid 19, and carrying out more testing, which they are planning to do.

Up until now, I have not been afraid for myself. I am more wary now, realising there are no funerals allowed at present, and no takeaways available. Who would look after me?

When the lockdown is relaxed, I think I will be very wary about venturing outside my “bubble”.

The figures from overseas are very disturbing, with the US clearly leading the charge of high numbers infected and high numbers of deaths, and general chaos as to what the rules are in different states, how to  get tested, and the provision of adequate equipment and PPE. In short, each state is on its own, really, and ones which don’t have effective governors may have great difficulty in managing this crisis. And crisis it surely is; in addition to the threat of illness, we all assume we’ll be able to buy good food, but its supply relies on numbers of people who grow and process and manufacture these items, and their own health and attention to detail and strict hygiene practices.

One has to assume that in the US, the federal government simply doesn’t care about lives being lost, since so little is being done to alleviate this increasingly dire situation.  This shocking, unbelievable, truth has taken a while to sink in, while dealing with an ever-worsening situation of isolation, illness and death. No one is equipped to deal with this – loss and fear of loss.

Americans talk about the shock of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, where the government was shown to be incompetent, and the huge shock of 9/11, in trying to find terminology to compare this situation. The death rate of this pandemic has already far exceeded that of 9/11, and the president has advised them to expect more deaths. The pro-life party is not pro-life now.

In the UK things aren’t much better, with a death rate that is almost 10% of infected cases. With Brexit, much of the argument was about “taking back control”. Well, they’ve certainly made a right mess of controlling this situation.

One expects that medical care in the UK and the US will be competent, thoughtful, kind, and compassionate, and it is shown to be so. It is indeed tragic that such wonderful medical folk cannot get the right protective gear and support that they need during this difficult time.

This morning my sister-in-law rang from Australia. She is caring for her elderly mother-in-law, while dealing with loss of her husband and two of her three sons living overseas. I think she is doing an amazing job caring for her Mum.

Tomorrow I will venture to Johnsonville to pick up a prescription.

When the lock down is lifted, I look forward to going to a library, and buying new books to read.

Today is Saturday, April 4^th. Last night I slept well.

This afternoon I went for a walk, not to “fresh woods and pastures new”, but I did do a different block locally, which I have not done for a long time. I did not go to the store. It is quite fine and warm again. The Dom Post is its usual self, with some grumbling. There is a lot of emphasis on re-opening the economy. I think that in the meantime, we are doing just fine. This country is small enough that a lockdown can be quite effective. 

In the morning I listen to the daily update from Dr John. The information about this virus being airborne is quite scary. There is doubt about the accuracy of many figures, i.e. doubt that they are high enough to represent what is actually happening. Some countries are encouraging the wearing of masks whenever one goes out. I went looking for some dust masks I bought a long time ago. Eventually JD found two very dusty ones.

Sweden is experimenting with not having a lockdown.  The jury is still out on its effectiveness, but there are some very scared folk who wish their government would do more. Apparently the disease is rife in some nursing homes.

I listen to one of my favourite podcasts, Political Gabfest.  They have a guest writer who praises Jacinda Ardern, and contrasts her actions positively with those of Trump, BoJo and ScoMo. She has just written a book about an English Village that survived the Plague. Then John Dickerson talks about seeing the 1996 film of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, with Derek Jacobi as Hamlet’s uncle, King Claudius. It is indeed well worth watching.

Today there are 82 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the total to 950. Of these, 10 are in hospital and one person in Intensive Care. There are no further deaths. This is the second-highest total we have had (it was 83 on 28 March), and the suggestion is that the lockdown is effective.

I have sons in the UK and the US, both very scary places to be right now, although you would think they would be safe. In both places there are truly alarming rates of infection and death, lack of testing, and disputes if not lack of Personal Protective Equipment.  We watch a video about a hospital in Naples where there is separation between staff treating Covid 19 patients, and others. We also watch a doctor from Wales who has had the virus, but is finding it distressing to deal with severe illness and the accompanying need for separation.

There is some odd news.

• In Wisconsin, elections for the democratic primary are to go ahead.
• The Democratic Convention is to be postponed.
• There is huge concern about the Presidential Election to be held on 3rd November 2020, and particularly about the safety of voting in person as against voting by mail.
• The Javid Centre in New York, converted to a hospital, is to hold Covid 19 patients after all.
• The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo’s briefings continue to be appreciated. There is added pathos in that his brother Chris, CNN anchor, has the disease and is obviously unwell.
• Almost every patient treated in hospital for Covid 19 in New York goes into Intensive Care.   It seems you can be mildly ill for a few days, then suddenly become very ill indeed. Some patients pass away very quickly, reminding me of stories of the 1918 flu.

Welcome light relief is provided by the Bill Mayer Show, now back on again, but filmed in Bill’s home or his back yard.  It’s still funny, though, and instead of the appreciative live audience reaction, there is black and white film of a movie audience obviously watching a comedy film. The US figures are truly dire, the US is way out ahead of all other countries in terms of numbers of infectious cases, and deaths, yet still some far-right pastors continue to defy orders to not hold religious services, and to close their churches. Evidently in Texas churches are exempt from social distancing rules and requests. As Bill Mayer said, Trump is wining the war on science.

There was some talk today of Cuomo and Excelsior. I know there is a low-cost school in New York called Excelsior,  with an extensive scholarship program, but I am reminded of my sons singing the song Excelsior with great gusto when they were at choir.

Today is Friday, April 3^rd. Today it is hard to write. Every day is much the same. But I will persist. I slept much better last night, thankfully. In the morning, I rang the Medical Centre, after struggling to request a prescription using Manage My Health.  They advised using the Medical Centre’s online request form, which I did.

The newspaper this morning is by and large upbeat, but there is enormous distress about Bauer Media closing down. Evidently they didn’t request government wage assistance, and the closure came as a huge shock to staff, as it has to customers. Up till now, the NZ Listener kept me busy for a few hours on a Monday. I am very sorry to see it go, it’s been a NZ institution for many years.

I walked to the store this morning. It was quite busy again. Some of the staff are busy doing orders for online shopping. My previous strategy of wandering around, and if A looks good, then I go back and buy B, C and D, doesn’t work very well now.  It’s a matter of looking for empty aisles, getting the things on my list, if they’re available, getting other things that I haven’t been able to buy previously if they’re now in supply, and then the bread issue: we don’t know when, or how much, will be delivered. Packing one’s own goods is challenging, to, while trying to maintain physical distancing. “There’s no rush”, is one of my favourite sayings, but it doesn’t really apply here.

Today there was a staff member at the entrance, monitoring the number of shoppers in the store. I think that 75 is far too many, especially if staff are filling online orders.

The biggest shock is not being able to post an Easter card to my grandchildren in the US, and to my daughter in Hawkes Bay. That is such a shame. During the lockdown there are no postal services.

After packing my own goods (including eggs and other items not to be crushed), I walk home and go through the disinfection routine. It’s much simpler now that I’m using disposable gloves and a payWave card.

The 1 pm briefing tells us that NZ has 71 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the total to 868. The total of new cases has remained relatively stable over the past week, suggesting that this pain does result in some gain.  Since 26 March the number of new cases each day has ranged from 58 – 78, so it has remained steady and does not seem to be growing.

Next Monday I will have to go to the Johnsonville Shopping Centre chemist to pick up a repeat script. That will be scary, going out of my bubble!

On my walk I thought about things that children can do, now that we are back in the “olden days” (with good internet connections and electricity, of course). I thought of playing Hopscotch, and one of my daughters-in-law posted a photo of a granddaughter playing hopscotch.

I spoke to my cousin on the phone; other than that, it has been very quiet.

The news from overseas is not good. If the UK’s in a mess, the US is in a far worse mess. Today they had over 1,000 deaths in a single day. They top the world, as chaos seems to be the way things are done. Andrew Cuomo continues to provide great leadership in New York; the stories out of there are truly distressing, but this epicentre of tragedy will surely move to other hotspots. Already many people have been affected by this tragedy, with many now knowing or having someone close to them die. While this disease may be mild for some people, for others it can make them very ill indeed, for several days. The dead die without their loved ones, something that is severely distressing for them. In the absence of a cure, treatment, or vaccine, it seems best to interact with as few other people as possible, to keep away from infection.

In the US, over 6 million registered as unemployed, making 10 million formally unemployed. This must be causing such distress. When someone loses their job, their family lose health insurance through their employer; if people with to sign up for The Affordable Car Act, there is evidently great difficulty in doing so; and the cheques that were to be provided as part of the stimulus Act, are haphazard and not projected to arrive nearly soon enough. So people are having to contend with great economic uncertainty alongside fear of anyone or everyone in the family contracting Covid 19. There is also the question whether elderly folk in care should be brought home, knowing that nursing homes are bad sources of clusters of infection, and you’re supposed to be isolated anyway.

I discovered that during the lockdown in New Zealand, funerals are forbidden! You can be buried (or embalmed and kept on ice – ugh!), but no funerals are allowed. It seems so sad to me not to have a prayer of committal. I made JD agree that if either of us passes away, the other one will pray over them.

Clusters prove that the virus travels extremely easily in groups or crowds: a wedding at Bluff, another wedding in Wellington, a St Patrick’s Day celebration at Matamata, a dementia home in Napier, an girls’ school in Auckland, cruise ships and their tours, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, a funeral in Albany, Georgia, a call-centre in Seoul.

Again, it makes sense to test extensively, and then to isolate infected victims, but that is seldom done.

The aircraft-carrier Theodore Roosevelt got to disembark many of its crew, but the brave captain who spoke out evidently lost his job. An Amazon staff member who tried to speak out about unsafe conditions for staff was fired. I seem to remember a similar response when staff tried to speak out about climate change. Although I have read the rationale for these sackings, they seem to be incredibly mean and unfair.

Tomorrow is another day. It promises to be warmer than today. What shall we eat tomorrow? “Tomorrow to fresh woods, and pastures new” (Milton’s Lycidas).

Today is Thursday, April 2^nd.  I miss you all – family, friends, my cleaner, and my old life, with its rather humdrum adventures. I am one of the “lucky” ones, I keep reminding myself.  I had my eyebrows done just before the lockdown started, I don’t have toothache, my illness and rehabilitation were several years ago now, I am not employed, and so life is not nearly as much of a struggle for me as it is for many.

I miss takeaways and cafes. It would be nice to have a good banh mi. I even miss fish and chips, although I don’t particularly like fish and chips.

Last night I went to bed after reading a plea from a nurse in the US to reduce gun violence, thus leaving medical facilities available for Covid19 patients.

I slept fitfully, being very tired, doing all the right things, yet having difficulty sleeping. I would find a podcast with difficulty, then go off to sleep, waking to find it finished; then start the cycle over again. But no matter, it’s not as though I have too do anything or be anywhere the next day.

The morning newspaper is downbeat today. Perhaps they alternate – one day their glass is half-full, the next day it’s half-empty.  There is frustration that people are flocking to the Mt Victoria Lookout. There’s concern about what will happen after the lockdown, when some aspects of daily life are to be re-introduced. But Karl du Fresne, an old SOB and sometime friend of JD’s, has grudging praise for Jacinda Ardern. There is conflict about testing.  I guess that’s par for the course. There’s a big difference between having constructive discussions, and telling horror stories.

The most alarming news this morning is that Bauer Media are to close down. This is relevant because they print the NZ Listener, along with other magazines. I just arranged for delivery – I hope they can be persuaded to stay open after all.

At the 1 pm briefing there are 76 new cases taking the total to 797. The total of new cases is slightly higher than the past two days, but still less than our all-time high of 83 new cases on 28 March.  So probably good news, really.

Recommendations are confusing. One should wear a mask whenever one is outside? After being told this wouldn’t do much good, and then being asked to save them for medical workers? There is a study out of Singapore suggesting some people may be asymptomatic, yet carry the virus. That is really scary. There is also confusion about people who have been diagnosed with Covid 19, and recovered. Can they get it again, or are they superheroes, and can return to the workforce? Perhaps the level of antibodies can determine their level of infectiousness.

JD and I walk to the store this afternoon.  It is fine and sunny, and although others out for fresh air studiously avoid us, in the store it doesn’t feel as though people are practicing much in the way of distancing. Some of the staff are no longer wearing masks. I appreciate it’s frustrating to wear one, but we want these vital staff, who interact with many people, to stay well.  It is quite a scary shopping trip. I don’t see anyone I know. Today, however, I can buy dishwashing liquid. Coffee beans are very scarce, so we buy those too.

The news out of the US is very concerning. On the good side, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with several Covid19 cases on board is to be allowed to evacuate most of its crew to be quarantined in Guam. The Governors of Florida and Georgia are to institute stay-in-place orders, although the Georgia one doesn’t come into effect until Friday. Convention centres are being converted into hospitals, although the Javid Centre in New York and the navy ship USS Comfort, docked in New York, are out of bounds for Covid19 patients, being provided by the federal, not the state government.

The US continues to lead the world both in numbers infected and daily deaths. Americans have been warned to prepare for perhaps 200,000 deaths or more. Meanwhile, there is a huge lack of PPE and of coordination for providing equipment including ventilators. Frustration and anger continue to grow. And the costs: the medical bills are alarming too. How can this be, that the US is in such a sad state?   To paraphrase George Bush’s 2003 ill-considered invasion of Iraq (“Shock and Awe”), this is shock without the awe.

In NZ life quietly continues on, each day much like the previous one. We are thankful to live in a relatively peaceful society, while feeling huge sympathy for Italy, Spain and France; sorrow that the UK has taken a while to get itself organised, and grief and despair about the US. In our strange new world, it is fine and sunny most days, and not too cold.

Today is Wednesday, April 1. April Fools Day. I wake early to find out that Chris Cuomo has tested positive for Covid19. I am reminded of T S Eliot’s line: “April is the cruellest month”, and I learn that more Americans have now died off Covid19 than died on 9/11.  I then go back to sleep until 8:30 am.

I walk to the shop early (for me) hoping to get some Vogel bread. I have twigged that I can use plastic gloves (of which I have a good supply) for shopping, and discard them afterwards. I have now got this quite well organised, with gloves, payWave, and using shopping bags to hold the trolley.

I make a beeline for the bread. There is none. I ask how early you have to be to get bread. The nice person explains that they don’t know when the bread will come in, or what will be delivered. The bread hasn’t yet been delivered today. I hang about waiting for it, and eventually I am successful in getting some. Prices are down for raspberries, avocado and broccoli. Dishwashing liquid is very scarce.

Walking home, there are lots of people out. We cross the road to avoid each other, giving a cheerful greeting. It is quite mild with a slight breeze and fine but not sunny. There is someone delivering DX mail using a motorbike. That helps to explain the noise of motorbikes. There are cars driving alarmingly fast on our street, and still a large number parked at the shopping centre. Still, I suppose if people aren’t working in town and eating out, or eating takeaways, then they need to shop for food. The store seems busier now than it used to!

It occurs to me that religious folk who defy warnings are not really using science and logic. After all, the Lord gave them a brain, and a conscience. Why not use it?  This virus is extremely infectious. Therefore, the recommendation is to keep one’s distance. As someone said, many things have been cancelled, but not love. That includes divine love.

This morning’s paper is more upbeat. I realise that newspapers tend to sensationalise, thinking that sells papers, but we really need straight information right now. People have been flocking to Makara Beach, and the locals are upset. It’s a windy, stony beach, one for battlers.  People in the East Cape and the Far North have set up road blocks too. One can understand that reaction.

There are discussions about just what “essential” means. The banks are offering help. Landlords are offering help. There is government assistance. I am sure there is fine print and some sad stories, but it seems people are better looked after here than on many countries overseas.

There is medical cooperation here too, with planning to use private hospitals (some of which have closed) for current and critical care, while leaving public hospitals for Covid19 patients. After all, life goes on, and people will still have critical medical needs.

Today’s briefing is encouraging: 61 new cases, bringing the total to 708.  Of these, 14 are in hospita1, and 2 are stable in Intensive Care. While there are some clusters of cases in New Zealand, these are being managed, and movements of those infected are being tracked. It seems to be a widely held view that testing is really important. This is acknowledged by our PM, and the guidelines for testing have been relaxed.

The overseas news is dreadful. The US President said that if they keep deaths to 100,000, he will have done “a very good job”. This statement is widely reported with astonishment.

Several things stay in my mind from today:

• The aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt with 5 1/2 thousand sailors on board, in very confined surroundings, and more than 100 infections, was not allowed to return to safety and disembark its staff.
• A red flashing beacon on top of the Empire State Building. The sound of sirens is a distressing background to most podcasts.
• I listened to a personal story of a healthy man ill with Covid19, being nursed at his home; how very ill he was, yet not meeting the criteria for hospitalisation; the fears of his wife for him, her daughter, and herself, and the constant struggle to care for him and maintain isolation.

These are testing times, indeed, the lack of tests being a significant part of the problem. I used to say to my children “This too shall pass”. And it will.

Today is Tuesday March 31. Today is lovely and sunny, with a gentle breeze. Last night I went to sleep on hearing that Dominic Cummings was displaying some symptoms of Covd19, and so was self-isolating.

This morning’s paper, in contrast to yesterday’s, has a rather grumpy tone. Evidently people went to Oriental Bay to enjoy the sunshine, enough of them to cause concern.  The city’s motto, Absolutely Positively Wellington, now has a bitter tone, as no one wants to test positive for the virus. WOW has been cancelled for this year. It takes place at the end of September, and has become a huge tourist drawcard, so some are disappointed. Preparation gets underway now, so it’s best cancelled now. There is also talk of lifting the restrictions of the loclkdown, which, indeed, are arduous, However the figures today are “good”: 58 new cases, bringing the total to 647. Of these, 12 are in hospital, and 2 in Intensive Care. NZ is now doing over 1700 tests per day.  This is a significant reduction in the number of new cases (on 25 March it was 50), so perhaps the pain is worthwhile. Most of these newly diagnosed cases have a link with overseas travel, or with someone else who has the disease.

I go for a walk in the sunshine. I call at the store, where all the bread has gone. There are still lots of shoppers at the store. As there is no bread, I leave without buying anything. I will have to go earlier tomorrow. We still have bread at home, but about now I would usually buy some more. We have been asked to save online delivery for health workers and the over 70’s.

In Australia, there are new rules, Gatherings of only two are permitted, and Kiwis will receive unemployment benefits.

Overseas, things continue to be drastic – dreadful numbers of new infections, and of deaths, against a tide of weary and inadequately protected health workers. The emphasis is on slowing the rate of increase of these figures, so that they double not every day but perhaps every four days. Added to this there is huge confusion about the requirements, with some states telling their citizens to shelter in place, with educational facilities closed, and in other places state governors countermanding mayoral and medical requests to reduce human contact. In the US, the rate of increase is greatest in the world, bearing in mind that the figures are perhaps not all counted the same ways. The pain for some is extreme and it is intensifying.

It seems this situation requires strong leadership, both in tracking the data, and ensuring that help and equipment are available where required.

Then there’s the sad story of Liberty University, reopened by Jerry Falwell Jr, where students were encouraged to return, where several students have symptoms of Covid19, and one has tested positive.

In Hungary Prime Minister Orban has declared he will govern by decree, while in the US and UK governments are contemplating more authoritarian approaches.  I guess one would accept restrictions provided there was a good reason for them, and there was a time limit. In short, limiting democratic freedoms is never a good idea, except in extreme circumstances.

As well as stories about reduction of civil rights, there is a story in the Guardian about Monsanto, who evidently knew they were doing damage to farms.

Other odd facts:

• Placido Domingo is in hospital for Covid19
• The violinist Anne Sophie Mutter has been diagnosed positive
• A temporary hospital is being set up in Central Park in New York
• Some patients are getting worse in hospital, or certainly not improving as quickly as expected
• There may be lasting damage caused to the lungs by Covid19
• The lockdown is not a holiday, it is a medical emergency. People shouldn’t go to parks or put themselves in danger, but rather stay close to home.

What a strange new world and ever-changing world we now inhabit. NZ largely goes unnoticed in the wider scheme of things. Perhaps that’s a good thing. We wouldn’t want to become the bolthole for the world. Stay safe, stay home, and let’s hope the internet and power service is maintained.

Today is Monday, 30 March.  I went to bed alarmed at infection figures coming out of Japan. The morning is cool and overcast to start with, then the sun comes out and it becomes fine and warm.

This morning’s paper is upbeat. There is a note explaining that the newspapers are now thinner, seeing that advertisers have pulled out. Thank goodness for that! There is an article entitled “Good Health Equals Good Economics”. I put a link on the family’s messenger conversation. There is lots of positivity, in spite of the scams about. There seems to be a great common feeling that we are all in this together, with a common purpose, and that the government has our back. It is also absolutely clear now, that one can’t really do anything or go anywhere! So that’s that. Nice and simple.

People are rediscovering the nice aspects of not getting their hair done, not having to dress up, not having to physically interact. While we all miss our family and friends, some tensions have gone away for a time.

I go for a walk to the store with a list of requirements, as advised. I don’t want to hang about today. My main objective is to buy the Listener, which comes out on Mondays.  I do check the weekly specials – there seem to be very few of them.

On the way, I pass a mother and daughter who comment on the lovely teddy bears in a window of most houses.  Then I pass a couple I know and we have a nice chat, while keeping safely physically distant.

At the store, there are lots of people. I think they should reduce the number of customers from 75 to 50 or less. No one seems to be counting. At least they have painted places on the floor to ensure distancing. I am glad to have my gloves, although it is really a bit warm for wearing them.

There is no bread, at least no Vogel’s or Molenberg, and a low-carb loaf of Freya’s bread, which doesn’t cut it for me, so I buy a bag of croissants, which are on special. All the local breads look a bit overcooked.  I also buy soap, not because I need it, but because they have it in store again.  There are almost no coffee beans, so I buy some – coffee is definitely essential. I also buy some soup, which is on special.

When I go through the checkout, my payWave card works!

I walk home and we have croissants for lunch and I can spend much of the afternoon with my new magazine.

We listen to the 1 pm briefing, as usual. NZ has 76 new cases of Covid19 today, bringing the total to 589. Of these, two patients are in Intensive Care. Most of these cases are from travellers from overseas. It’s heartening that no one has died, no one is on a ventilator, and the number of new cases is more than yesterday but less than the day before.

The Prime Minister is interviewed by John Campbell. She values the Press, and also speaks about the need to keep the Leader of the Opposition informed. What a difference in tone from the President of the US, who continually attacks the press, who have, for the most part, treated him very fairly.

In overseas news, Australia seems to be in a muddle. Scotty from marketing was on TV yesterday, encouraging people to get together and talk things through (surely not!) and seeming to encourage domestic violence (although I’m sure he misspoke). He looked a bit tired. NZ was not mentioned. Apparently now they have restricted meetings to two people, maximum. In NZ domestic violence has decreased.

The biggest news of the day comes from the US, where the President has evidently pivoted once more, saying an Easter re-opening was “aspirational”. Some wag wondered Easter of which year?  He has extended social distancing guidelines through to 30 April. Everyone should be relieved about that.

The figures out of the US get more and more alarming – the numbers of cases, and numbers of deaths, and the lack of personal protective equipment. Again, the rate of illness and fatality amongst health workers continues to be alarming. There is a lack of realistic encouraging leadership. The President claims that restricting deaths to 100,000 would be a win! Some win. Who loses here? Dr Fauci predicts between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths from this pandemic. Trump’s relentlessly unrealistic positivity contrasts alarmingly with Jacinda Ardern’s realism, acknowledgment and encouragement. And yet it seems that the sight of body bags in Queens finally got to Trump.

Tonight we watched the movie Contagion. While it has the Hollywood treatment, it seems quite appropriate at this time. We should be relieved that he victims of Covid19 aren’t bleeding, coughing up blood, or vomiting. It’s interesting that while they did some things correctly in trying to contain the virus, they were really slack about others. Ah well, it’s a movie, not real life.

We then watch the Pope’s Urbi et Orbi blessing in an empty St Peter’s Square, with some beautiful singing.

In my bubble I can listen to Bach – piano, organ and choral music. How nice!

Tomorrow I shall (most probably) do this all over again.

Today is Sunday, March 29. I went to sleep with the news that Germany has 6,000 cases of Covid 19. I slept fitfully but we had a Zoom chat with out overseas children and grandchildren. They all look well. Later we had another Zoom chat with a local family. So everyone is well, if incredibly frustrated. However we agreed that saving human lives is the most important objective in all this. At this stage, the thing more terrifying than the lockdown would be lifting the lockdown.

It is cold and wet today, but the store is quite busy. Social distancing is being maintained. There is no Vogel bread apart from a fruit loaf, which I buy. When I check out, I try to use my payWave credit card, but end up having to sign the docket with their pen, exactly what I was hoping to avoid. At least I was wearing gloves.

My son from the UK suggested I apply for online shopping. That is probably a good idea, although I like to see what I’m buying (as most of us do).   After the call, I applied to get the Sunday newspaper delivered, having claimed in the past that it was good exercise for one or both of us to walk up to the store and get it. Having emailed the Dom Post, I was sent an automatic reply advising me how busy they are and they’re unable to respond right away. I have also arranged for the NZ Listener to be delivered.

I read somewhere that while many things have been cancelled, love has not. For Christians, for whom Easter is the most solemn time of the year, and some sacrifice on our part seems fitting. It’s not a “beautiful” time, rather a holy time and a time of remembering and being awed. The Church where I used to sing hymns has put most of their weekly sessions on Zoom. That is awesome.

Another thing: this virus doesn’t follow the rules! It doesn’t have a set timetable. We can’t say that this will be over at a certain date. The “rules” of biology dictate its course and timeline. But with the rate of infections being diagnosed, and then deaths growing so very fast, the planners are being kept very busy trying to keep up. I think the present target is to slow this growth rate, but many are saying it has to get worse before it gets better. In the UK, only 50% of patients in Intensive Care recover.  Someone in the UK thought it would be a win to have only 20,000 deaths. What? That’s a huge tragedy, times 20,000. These people die alone, without their grieving loved ones beside them to hold their hand and say goodbye. They have already had 1,000 deaths there. In Queens, New York, there are reports of people dying in the ED while waiting for a bed.  Many of these American hospitals describe the situation as being in a war zone, and while they may be unused to this, they are surely used to the effects of gun violence. Any human death is a tragedy. And we shouldn’t discount the suffering of those diagnosed with the disease. While some only have mild symptoms, others feel truly terrible; it takes at least two weeks to get over it, and you’re the equivalent of a modern-day leper.

Here in NZ the situation is heartening, in some respects. There are only 63 new cases today, although, sadly, one patient has died. But there are fewer new cases than yesterday. The Prime Minister is both encouraging and realistic. She is praised by a former National Prime Minister, Sir John Key.

Another saying: this horse has bolted. Dr Fauci was quoted as saying the virus is not, as it were, under control.

It seems so ironic that at first we had a handful of cases; increasing restrictions became more and more severe, as we wondered how we could manage without movies, shopping, exercise classes, and the things that made our former lives worth living. I would say at least I can still do x, y and z. Now we are in lock down, and worry about the daily increase in cases, the numbers critically ill or needing ventilators, and the daily deaths. All these numbers seem to be increasing as medical staff struggle to keep up.   We are all suspects.

We look forward to a corner – another corner – being turned. It’s like the olden days, when one got on with one’s embroidery. At least we have the internet to connect us! Tomorrow I’ll go for a walk, and , according to the forecast, it will be warmer here.

Today is Friday, March 27.  It rained overnight, was fine and sunny this morning, and this afternoon is cooler and overcast. Now (4 pm) it is raining again.

Now it is Saturday, March 28.  I didn’t write yesterday. It is really cold today. When I went for a walk I got out my woolly hat, warm jacket, and gloves. I realised, when I went to the local store, that I didn’t need to touch anything, ungloved. That has to be a bonus. I also found that my debit card is not pay-wave,  although JD’s is. That is annoying.

I would really like to have a good donut. I realised today that whatever I want to eat, I will have to make it myself ((or teach JD how to), seeing our local store doesn’t do baking well. It’s probably a good thing that their baking is unappetising.  We have been eating poached eggs on toast, and hard-boiled egg sandwiches (apologies to vegans out there).

I also realised that now I can be an invalid, and there’s no one to take me seriously (or not), now that we are taking this virus seriously. It reminds me of when I was in Kenepuru Hospital, for several weeks towards the end of 2011, being rehabilitated. The hours were long and boring, and the target was to get through them, the boredom being relieved by meals.  In any institution, feeding times become so important.

But I do try to maintain a kind of schedule: reading the paper and books and magazines, listening to podcasts (the sound has become very grainy, as people isolate themselves), showering, checking the news on my phone, taking a daily walk, and watching television in the evenings. I also do some writing! And I try to get at least six hours sleep each night. That is important, and usually achievable.

Then there’s jigsaw puzzles. music, singing, painting, communicating with others – lots to do, really.

For JD it’s ideal, really. He doesn’t have to do anything (except not wake me up at night). He does still shave each day, which I do appreciate. Yesterday he advised me of the mental health support phone number. I suggested that my mental health would be considerably improved by his unloading the dish washer. As I am going to sleep he shares a new piece of information. Last night I heard that Boris Johnson has been diagnosed with the virus. He kept his symptoms, and the fact he was being tested, from the public, but changed course on the UK’s need to shut down. Now, I guess, we know why he pivoted. I feel for his pregnant girlfriend. He’s never shown much consideration for his female partners or his children.

JD is now very nervous about me going shopping. I am desperate to go and interact with another human being! By keeping my gloves on, I think I am limiting my exposure.  The shelves are quite well stocked, all take-out food is individually wrapped, and for two days now the only trumpet ice creams available are vegan and gluten-free.  

The news continues to be bad, although there are some uplifting aspects. Fathers are enjoying spending more time with their teenage children, now that both are forced to stay at home; people are enjoying poetry, and discovering new skills and aspects to their character. We are fighting an invisible enemy, but we are not being bombed or shot at.  Advertisements which look so inappropriate will surely cease soon, seeing one cannot buy or sell property, or buy things online here. “Back to basics” has many advantages.

It also seems to me that this sudden change to our existence, like climate change, must be accepted, and managed. It’s here whether we like it or not, whether we’re ready or not. And surely we can manage without cruises, which seem to have caused so many problems in so many places.

The US has finally passed a two trillion dollar stimulus package. This has various positives and negatives, depending on your point of view. Compromises have been made. The senate, most of them older white men, had to vote in person, those, that is, who weren’t self-isolating after Rand Paul’s testing positive.  3.3 million people have registered as unemployed. There is huge concern about the safety net previously provided by schools, and there is new respect for the work done by teachers.

Some wit noted that this shut down in effect put the US economy in a coma; however it seems there is plenty of different work to do: building field hospitals, building ventilators, finding new ways of making PPE, and shopping for those who cannot get out.  There’s a lot to do. A different kind of economy will be required. The US is number one in the number of confirmed cases today (100,000), a record I presume it did not wish to achieve. The US President has been  calling for a return to work and packed churches at Easter; some ar calling it the (potential) Easter Massacre. Many are warning against it. Governor Cuomo’s update today was truly inspiring. His sense of planning ahead was well supported. His briefing seemed to be carried by all the major networks, although some may not have shown it in full. It’s great to see someone actually taking charge, and planning. 

Some other US states have rapidly growing figures of infected people; if they don’t, they’re probably not doing enough testing. It’s distressing that medical folk seem to be a enormous risk.

It seems that this situation calls for a huge response to minimise cases: at present testing, isolation, and social distancing seem to be really important, along with treating the sick: hospital beds, personal protective equipment, and ventilators are needed, along with hope and compassion.

New Zealand now has 451 cases of Covid 19, including 83 new cases today. Of these, 12 are in hospital, including 2 in Intensive Care, one of them on a ventilator. Everyone here realises the seriousness of this situation. Evidently eight Air NZ staff have tested positive, all of them on international flights.  Hohepa sent another inspiring update this morning.

Last night we chatted with some of our family using Zoom. I now have it installed on my phone, and know how it works. What a wonderful platform! Evidently in Australia the internet is struggling to cope with so much traffic. In Australia, the PM has again refused to pay benefits to New Zealanders. This has long been a source of friction.

Today (Saturday) I would normally read film reviews in the newspaper, and then we would go to the movies. I like the way they say It takes a lot of discussion to make a movie, and one to spoil it. Please save your conversations for later. Usually there’s something worth seeing.

I miss our and my outings. But life is a whole lot simpler now – Eat, Pray, Love – although not like the movie!