New school

(Part of an ongoing account started on March 13, 2020 of how the spread of COVID-19 in our country and our government’s response has affected our lives.)

I feel sad.

I am preparing for the enrollment of my daughter for the schoolyear 2020-2021. She’s transferring because her old school does not offer her track of choice. Like all schools during this pandemic, her new school offers blended learning - a mix of online and offline methods.

Illustration by Bianca Bagnarelli
for The Economist

We know, though, that we cannot realistically expect face-to-face learning to resume any time soon since a vaccine has not yet been developed. This means she will have very limited interaction with people her age.

I feel sad because my daughter belongs to a generation that will grow up without all the perks (and disadvantages) of spontaneous social interaction in a physical setting.

Quarantine classifications and interventions

(Part of an ongoing account started on March 13, 2020 of how the spread of COVID-19 in our country and our government’s response has affected our lives.)

Everyone in the Philippines is under quarantine, whether it is Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), Modified ECQ, General Community Quarantine (GCQ) or Modified GCQ.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases took back its announcement on Tuesday that areas deemed as low-risk will no longer be placed under any form of community quarantine starting May 16.

This, after the local government officials of these low-risk areas expressed fears of a surge in COVID-19 cases, should all restrictions be relaxed.

So that’s it. Effective May 16, Metro Manila, the Province of Laguna and Cebu City will be placed under Modified ECQ.

Too soon

(Part of an ongoing account started on March 13, 2020 of how the spread of COVID-19 in our country and our government’s response has affected our lives.)

Aside from developments in Manila, I try to keep abreast with news in Cebu, where I have family.

I notice that as of 4 p.m. of May 5, 2020, Cebu City ranks second among cities with the most number of COVID-infected in the country with 920 cases, second to Quezon City’s 1,435 according to data from the Department of Health. 

I call my sister’s attention to the figures and am surprised when she acknowledges the data but says that Cebu City is scheduled to relax its quarantine status from Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) on May 16.

“Tingali baya ug gadahum ka nga mag GCQ na mo (You might be under an illusion that you’re transitioning to GCQ) by May 16,” I respond.

"Caution Fatigue"

(Part of an ongoing account started on March 13, 2020 of how the spread of COVID-19 in our country and our government’s response has affected our lives.)

We went through a three-day weekend since Friday, May 1, was a holiday.

But these days, it just seems like there’s nothing to define holidays from regular days, weekends from weekdays or day from day, if not for night.

Yes, I am getting depressed.

I know I do not show it. I get up and get all the things that need to get done. These days, meals are the only things that break up the day. We have breakfast before hubby starts working; I interrupt him at noon so we can have lunch; he wraps up the day’s work when I call him for dinner.

It’s the same with daughter. I interrupt whatever she is doing for the day for meals. They welcome the breaks. Otherwise, it would be just one long, uninterrupted flow before night fall.