Seaside idyll
Back to the orca in the swimming pool.
'We’re a city that loves socialising, but right now we have to put that on hold' #COVIDIOTS https://t.co/NlSbfhTxfP
— Brighton Argus (@brightonargus) March 22, 2020
More pictures from #Brighton seafront today. The Prime Minister has reminded people to keep apart or he will have to introduce new #SocialDistancing measures #UKLockdownNow pic.twitter.com/CuHrp1mEOG
— Brighton Argus (@brightonargus) March 22, 2020
Maybe these people all missed the memo from 10 Downing street where the whole official “herd immunity” thing was now not on? Or perhaps they’re just really keen on seeing what happens when a quarter of a million* of their fellow Britons die.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf_yoi4VUnA
We set up a WhatsApp group for our street because there are a few vulnerable people and while we’re symptom-free we can do essential shopping and other jobs, reduce the number of journeys being made to supermarkets and so on.
The traffic on the group has been quite interesting. One neighbour said yesterday that their family had visited the local (and usually quiet) seaside town of Sandsend and they couldn’t believe how busy it was and how irresponsible all those other people were for going there.
There’s also a seemingly strong belief that it’s only panic buyers who spread the virus in supermarkets and ordinary well-behaved buyers are somehow OK.
Cognitive dissonance could prove more dangerous than the virus itself.
On the other hand, I went out the other day on a totally unnecessary errand that my boss was requiring, and our town is like a ghost town. Except Walgreens, which is as busy as ever. The grocery store parking lot had only about half the usual number of cars, which is a change from the week before. My husband and I have tried to adjust our shopping habits to not be out with the crowds, but apparently everyone else had the same idea and showed up at the same time we did.
I suspect there are few in our town who will admit to believing that coronavirus is serious; this is Trump country. but the state of our streets suggests that most of them do believe it at their core, and are going to remain home wherever possible. The rah rah meeting our president held about it (fortunately, over the remote system so I could attend from home), the we can lick this thing by the end of spring break type words were belied by the policies implemented to permit distance learning and small groups only until the end of the semester.
And my father, who usually follows Fox News and Trump anywhere they want to lead is concerned enough to call and check on me. Perhaps the fact that his retirement center put them under strict lockdown convinced him the doctors were taking it seriously, and perhaps somewhere he realizes that Fox News and Trump are not medical experts. I’m glad. I was worried about him.