To help support the community at this time, The Tokyo Life has reached out to friends to get COVID-19 stories from around the world. In these updates, we hope to bring our readers the raw experiences of people in different countries and share how their communities are handling the abrupt changes to daily life.
*Check out last week’s submissions here.
I’m Gonna Be – Tia (Canada)
My beloved bicycle broke down on me a week or so ago. It was my only means of relatively fast solo transportation to do my everyday errands. Consequently, I have been rained on twice in the past 10 days because it has taken me much longer to walk to places and, without my bicycle, I have misjudged the time it takes. I had a friend ask me why I don’t just take public transit, but as I have explained in past entries, public transit is a bit iffy. I have some friends tell me that taking public transit isn’t that bad and to “wear a mask and you’ll be fine!” But anxiety is rarely rational and, more to the point, riding public transit is the fastest way to be in contact with the largest number of people—and that’s a risk that I would like to avoid if I can.
Most of our forms of public transit issued a mandatory mask policy from a while back, but there were a couple that only issued it in the past week, which I find absolutely mind-boggling. And that really doesn’t help me quell my nerves about being on a germ rocket. We have city bicycles that you can rent which are great because I can wipe them down, but you’re only able to use them for 30 minutes at a time for the same rate as a single 2-hour ride on the bus. So until I can find a new bicycle, I will be using the ol’ feet to get me to where I need to go. If anything, it’s a great way to get some good exercise in!
Getting Tested – Shannon McCarron (United States)
Since we had gone out for a short trip last week, we decided to get tested for COVID-19 this week, just in case. Luckily, there happens to be a small walk-in clinic just a few blocks from our building, so we didn’t have to travel far. The indoor waiting area of the clinic had markers on half of the seats so patients won’t sit too close to each other. There was also a sign on the door asking patients to wait outside if it was too crowded to maintain a healthy social distance inside. The sidewalk outside was marked with spots where we could stand, each 6 feet apart from the next. We didn’t have to wait long before we were waved in by a receptionist. There were plastic panels propped up on the desks so that the receptionists were shielded from the patient. The panels had small gaps at the bottom so we could exchange forms and other documentation.
Although my wife and I have health insurance, we had forgotten our insurance cards at home. I was worried at first that we would have to pay an expensive fee, but it turned out that they only needed our information in the case of future visits. All testing for COVID-19 is now free in New York, even if you are uninsured. We were each tested for both COVID-19 and for antibodies that would show whether or not we had it in the past without knowing. Overall, the trip was quick, painless, and free, so it was easily the most positive medical experience I’ve had in America!
New Case Numbers – T.H. (Australia)
Another relatively quiet week here in South Australia with no new cases recorded.
Unfortunately the same can’t be said for Victoria. This past week has, yet again, seen a huge number of new cases recorded and a record number of daily deaths at 10 today.
New South Wales has also seen a worrying number of new cases being recorded. Although not as bad as Victoria, these numbers are a concern to local and federal governments. The reinstatement of some restrictions in New South Wales is a strong possibility.
Solidarity – Meagan McCarron (France)
This week, masks are once again required inside all public spaces by federal ordinance. The recent spike in both cases (likely due to increased testing) and COVID-related deaths in France led Macron to issue the order. While many shops and restaurants had already employed this rule and the public transit systems had been employing the same rule since March, the new ordinance makes it easier to enforce the rule.
The rule is also a good reminder to the general population that the pandemic is far from over. I even happened to see a group of citizens pretending to be cops to pressure a woman into wearing her mask after catching her exiting a bakery without one. As she made an excuse that she was going only from her car to the bakery and back, the men gently urged that she should still try to maintain “good reflexes”, mirroring the message from the government which tells us to wear masks, wash our hands, and socially distance. While the woman didn’t respond as pleasantly as one would hope, there was no shouting or fussing, and from my point of view, she even looked as though she felt a bit guilty.
This situation was of course random and a bit extreme, but I think it served as a good reminder for me and hopefully others to keep up good reflexes when it comes to protecting against the virus. We’re all in this together, so let’s remind each other to do what’s safe, not only because we could be fined, but because it’s in all of our best interests. Take care 🙂
Online Platforms – Christopher Temporelli (South Korea)
This Saturday, there were two instances that stood out to me as a mark of the recent COVID-related trend. First, the number of newly reported cases rose quite a bit to over one hundred new cases, from what I read. A lot of the cases were imported, so I would assume that the patients will be more easily quarantined or that ramifications will be more easily dealt with.
Also on Saturday, I hosted my first online personal development seminar. I had been planning to hold seminars this year, but I had not considered a virtual platform so much. It was a small meeting, but we had attendees from the continental US, a Carribean island, Korea, and Nepal. Of course, there are great aspects to meeting in person, but the geographic range and other benefits of online platforms and meetings has really come to the forefront during this period of the pandemic. As we watch to see how the world keeps unfolding, it feels satisfying to find the options we have now and to do the best we can under current circumstances.
Christopher Temporelli is a musician, educator, host, business entrepreneur, media personality and master life coach. www.christophertemporelli.com www.apollonatur.com
The Need to Contribute – Yoko Furusaki (Ethiopia)
The internet finally came back on July 23rd! It is great to be back online. I really hope the internet stays accessible this time!
With no Internet due to the shutdown and no classes due to COVID-19 for more than 3 weeks, I was not able to get much work done, except for some report writing and editing of a conference’s proceedings. As the initial panic of having no internet faded, I was starting to become resigned about staying offline and felt myself becoming decidedly lazy.
Although being lazy felt nice for some time, I guess I was missing the feeling of making some contribution. And I think that was why I decided to try blood donation for the first time in Ethiopia. As the donation center is located in an open tent, I figured that it was not so dangerous in terms of Covid-19. I had only donated 200ml in Japan, so donating 300ml which is the only option in Ethiopia was new to me. I am rather close to the minimum weight limit for blood donation in Ethiopia, so I felt dizzy for some 10 minutes after donating blood. But it did feel good to make this contribution. Donating blood had been unthinkable while I was following my hectic schedule in the pre-COVID-19 days, so I could say that COVID-19 allowed me to have this new experience.
What’s the situation like in your home? Have you checked on your friends and family lately? Share your experiences with us down in the comments below!
Featured image by Tiffany Nutt on Unsplash
