As I write this, Ireland are about to enter Phase 2 of loosening the lockdown restrictions. The number of daily deaths is in single figures, the number of new confirmed cases per day is in double figures. All of the deaths are tragic, leaving families bereaved and funerals held privately. This is not how we mourn our loved ones here. At least, it was not how we used to mourn our loved ones.
Today, I bought a reusable face mask from Etsy. I intend to wear it while in public places. It is part of the new normal. Covid-19 has forced a need to change how I live. I really hope that while restrictions imposed to save lives are eased, people continue to be mindful of the need to continue with frequent handwashing and observe the social distancing maintaining a gap of 2 metres.
It’s great that shops with a street entrance are opening again. It must be such a relief to the staff and owners to be able to earn again. It’s making me think about the way I shop and making me realise that the way to keep high streets alive and thriving is to shop local. Big businesses will survive no matter what their Directors or Chief Executives say but smaller family owned businesses really rely on local customers.
While it may be a while before I go shopping in person, when I’m shopping online I’m going to support smaller businesses rather than rely on Amazon as the easy and fast option. I know that a lot of small businesses sell on Amazon but I figure that by ordering direct from them, they get 100 percent of the sale. Seeing big businesses and individual profit from the Coronavirus pandemic really boils my blood, especially when it seems like they are profiteering. (Don’t get me started on non domiciled billionaires who have applied to the government for money to pay their staff that they have furloughed.)
On a positive note, New Zealand is now free from Coronavirus. I really applaud Jacinda Ardern for her strong decisive leadership. New Zealand locked down early and are now going to reap the rewards, they also prevented the huge numbers of deaths seen elsewhere and although some of their citizens succumbed to covid-19 many many lives were saved. I hope that lessons can be learned from the effective way that the pandemic was managed there.
