The wife put this on Twitter at Easter and I thought it would be a good idea to steal it and put it on here too for future reflection…
Just so that we never forget….. today is Sunday 12th April 2020 🗓 (Easter Sunday 🐣🐇🐥) this situation is changing daily but for today…..
The unprecedented events that have occurred as a direct result of the Corona Virus…..🦠
On 11th March 2020 the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) was declared a Pandemic, by the World Health Organisation (WHO).🦠
On Friday 20th March all schools were closed. 🏫Remote learning is now in place and parents are home-schooling their children 🎓. All GCSE and A Level exams have been cancelled.
On the evening of 23rd of March 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson implemented a national lockdown 🚫
The Excel London is now known as NHS Nightingale and has been turned into a hospital for up to 4,000 patients, most of whom will be on ventilators. It was opened by Prince Charles (virtually, rather than in person) at 11am on 3rd April. There are also several similar venues being built and used in cities across the country (including Westpoint in Exeter).🏥
On 5th April The Queen addressed the nation at 8pm 👑 (only the 5th time she has done this, outside of her annual Christmas message).
Also on the 5th April, Boris was admitted to hospital, after 10 days of self-isolating with the Corona Virus 🧪
On the 6th April Boris was admitted to intensive care with deteriorating symptoms. Fortunately he came out of intensive care on 9th April 🩺
Many Community support groups have been established, to support the vulnerable, elderly, immunocompromised and people in enforced isolation due to exposure 🧓🏻👴🏻
Petrol ⛽️ prices are extremely low and the national average is £1.02 per gallon
Gatherings are restricted, initially to 50 people, then 20, then 10. Now, you cannot socialise with anyone outside of your home. 🚫
Self-distancing measures are implemented ☹️
There is now tape on the floor at grocery stores ❌ and other essential stores to help distance shoppers 🛒 (2 metres) from each other.
There is a limit on the number of people allowed inside stores at any one time, including staff, this is causing queues outside of the store doors and in car parks🏬
Non-essential stores and businesses are mandated closed. People who are able to, can work 👩🏻💻👨🏻💻 from home 🏡
Parks 🏕 trails, entire towns and cities 🏢 are closed or restricted to locals only
Sports ⚽️ 🏉 🎾 seasons are cancelled, as well as The Grand National, The Open and Wimbledon .
The Olympics are postponed until 2021.
🔵🟡⚫🟢🔴
Concerts, 🎫 tours 🚌 and festivals, 🤹🏻 (including Glastonbury) and other entertainment events 🎭 are cancelled 🚫
Weddings, 👰🏼🤵🏻 family celebrations 🥳 (birthdays, christenings and anniversary’s) and holiday gatherings, such as Mother’s Day and Easter, 👨👩👦👦 even funerals ⚰️ are all put on hold or cancelled 🚫
Churches ⛪️ are closed and the Pope delivers the Palm Sunday mass to an empty Basilica, in the Vatican City🚫
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and all other TV networks are on in every home, daily 🎬
People are glued to the News and to Social Media.
Children’s outdoor play parks are closed 🎡
Most flights are grounded, ✈️cruise ships 🛳are docked, holidays are cancelled 🏖and only essential travel is permitted. Few rescue flights are operating.
There is a huge shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, 😷 gowns 🥼 and gloves 🧤 for our front-line essential health workers.
There is a shortage of ventilators for the critically ill, 🤒 in many parts of the world.
On the news, we see refrigerated trucks for the dead, outside hospitals in the USA 🇺🇸 Italy 🇮🇹 Spain 🇪🇸 and China 🇨🇳 etc and we see the mass digging of graves (even in the UK).
Panic buying 🛒 sets in and we have restrictions on toilet paper 🧻 disinfectants, paper towels, basic foods (like pasta, rice and bread),🥗 as well as hand sanitiser.🧴 Flour is hard to find, because the packaging comes from China 🇨🇳 and many borders are closed 🚧
Manufacturers, 🏭 distilleries and many other businesses, 🏢 switch their production lines to help make visors, masks 😷 hand sanitiser 🧴 and PPE 🧤
The Police are given the power to impose fines for breaking lockdown rules and to disperse groups 👮🏻♀️
Stadiums 🏟 and recreational facilities overseas are opened up for the overflow of Covid-19 🦠 patients.
In some countries, Public Park 🏕 areas are being turned into caravan parks for stranded tourists to self isolate 🚐
There are daily Press conferences from the Prime Minister👱♂️ and other government 🏛 officials. We are given daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths ⚰️
There are Government 🏛 incentives to stay at home. Self-employed can apply for grants and employees are being furloughed (and can receive up to 80% of earnings). 💷
Barely anyone is on the road or the street 🛣
People are wearing masks 😷 and gloves when they go outside 🧤
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work 👮🏻 👩🏻⚕️ 👲🏻
Medical field workers 👩🏻⚕️ are afraid to go home to their families 👨👧👦
Every Thursday evening at 8pm we all stand outside our front doors and clap the NHS and Carers, to show our gratitude for what they are doing.👏🏻
Many people have rainbows visible 🌈 in the windows of their homes, as a way of spreading hope.
There have been 1,502,618 deaths globally so far.
Why, you ask, do I write 📝 this status?
One day it will show up in my memory 💭 feed, and it will be an annual reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted 💕
We have so much! Be thankful. Be grateful 😌
Be kind to each other – love one another – support everyone 🥰 🌈
