A Possible Storm and Shifting Attitudes Towards COVID-19 With A Re-Opening on the Horizon?
It’s Monday morning, Day 25 of our 4-week lock-down on Ambergris Caye, and I’m watching the movement of two different things…a storm that seems to be forming hundreds of miles away..and attitudes around our complete island lock-down. (STORM INFORMATION NOW UPDATED FOR TUESDAY MORNING)
Let’s start with the first one:
Potential Storm Forming in the Caribbean
It is now about 2 days away from the coast and headed towards southern Belize. KEEP AN EYE ON HER/HIM!
Here are a bunch of models you can take a look at.
The name Laura will most certainly be retired forever…Marco has been used. Next up when it comes to Storm names: Nana and Omar.
Nana sounds VERY benign. Let’s hope that this system never becomes a named Tropical Storm and if she does…I pick Nana.
(Though will we ever be able to stop humming Rhianna’s What’s My Name?)
If you are asking about the weather right now? It’s beautiful. Here are some photos I took late afternoon yesterday on a walk along the beach. We had a very high tide last week and the sargassum? Most of it was washed back out to sea.
Re-Opening of Belize’s Borders – An Attitude Shift?
Just a few minutes ago, I went to my very local shop – the tiny one about 1 mile north with a bunch of basics and some snacks. SO much easier than driving all the way into town. (about 7 miles on an increasingly bumpy road – around 30 minutes)
I asked the owner how he was doing. Implied in that is…how are you doing on Day 25 of our 2nd Total Island Lockdown while our country, reliant on tourism, has been closed to tourists for over 5 months while the COVID infection curve doesn’t seem to be leveling off in Belize?
Bonito’s answer: “Things are ok. Slow. I think we are going to need to learn to live with this virus and mind ourself”.
It’s the sentiment I’m hearing and seeing on Social Media more and more. “Mind ourself” meaning take personal and family precautions as well as island-wide precautions to keep our community safe.
I’m not talking F YOU! FACE FREEDOM!, LET’S GET INTO A FIST FIGHT WITH A CLERK AT WALMART, MY TEEN MILITIA IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY NEIGHBOR’S HEALTH “mind ourself”…
I’m talking about respect for the virus, respect for our tiny healthcare system and its workers, respect for the community PLUS an understanding that the economy of our island is GRIM right now and we can not go on like this forever.
We need to figure out how to open up.
It’s a change from about a month ago, when many were scared and wanted to shut down completely – no matter what.
I also think a bit of that fear – fueled by some of the surrounding countries and parts of the US (almost every Belizeans has extended family living in NYC, Houston or L.A.) – and then by just FALSE or outdated information, has subsided…a little bit. There is most likely a point where shutting down is the best thing to do.
Some fear is still a good thing. I’m still pretty sure that no one – especially the people I see on Facebook – has ALL THE ANSWERS. A little humility, please!
It’s going to be a balancing act…a juggling act…trading some activities for others (I think this Op-ed describes it nicely). One that requires good, real trustworthy information from the country’s leadership (and so far…I think Belize has been pretty great about that. We know how they are testing, why they are testing, they are honest about the issues…it hasn’t been perfect but what is?)
Taking in the information that seems to be changing every week. The more we know about the virus, who it affects, how it can be treated, how not to spread it…the better. Obviously. Think about how much that has changed since February!
Because…pretty much no matter what (barring a large storm) according to our Prime Minister, Belize is opening our International Airport on October 1st.
The opening of land borders have not been announced.
And one quick thing…speaking of face freedom and masks.
Except for the heat and the sweat, I’m not minding the mask thing. As I get older…47 just about a week ago…I think masks can be kinda flattering. Who cares about face lifts or pimples or even lip gloss anymore!
Maybe that’s just me.
And I actually just got a pack of masks that I ordered from Everlane in the states (after scouring the internet for a mask that didn’t tug on my ears – NOT the one shown above in that gratuitous blogger selfie) and good GRIEF they are super comfortable.
(They also took about a month and a half to get here thru a shipping consolidator but that is neither here nor there.)
And apparently, celebrities love them too!
I always have been a trendsetter in my own mind.
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