Two weeks ago, I reached out to my high school alumnus don who is in Italy pursuing further studies.
Given reports of a lockdown in the country because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I wanted to ensure that my friend was well.
I was also curious about living in a red zone at a time of a lockdown. While his feedback was reassuring, it was also loaded with caution.
Covid-19 had altered life, not just in Italy, but all over the world. His parting shot was that everybody has a role to play in stopping the spread of the virus.
I live in Long Beach, a city within Los Angeles County in the State of California. I call this my second home seeing that I am a transplant from Baricho, Kirinyaga County.
However, in the past few days, the situation has changed and the threat of the virus has the entire state in panic.
STAY AT HOME
California has a population of 40 million people and with the daily rise in the number of infections, Governor Gavin Newsom wrote to President Donald Trump, seeking federal help to avert what he described as an unprecedented apocalypse.
In his letter, Governor Newsom noted that if California does not contain the spread of the virus as soon as possible, there is a likelihood of 26 million people being infected in the next to months.
As of Friday morning, California had 1,030 confirmed cases and 18 deaths, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Scary!
The governor issued an order to shutdown the state, forcing the closure of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, gyms, public gatherings, and convention centres.
Services and businesses deemed essential such as gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, banks and laundromats remain open as well as law enforcement and offices that provide government services.
Above all, people have been asked to stay home to minimise interaction.
The shutdown is a welcome measure. Experts say that four out five people infected with the virus got it from someone who did not know they had it.
PROPER COORDINATION
Limiting people’s movements and interactions helps in curbing the spread of the virus.
As a California resident, I have observed the great coordination between the governor’s office, elected officials, and the private sector.
Everybody is playing their part, with public service being the ultimate guide.
Clear and precise information has been communicated to everyone, and people have been following the directions provided, knowing that doing so is for the good of society.
The virus has altered the way of life for so many people. The virus is teaching us to appreciate services that we often take for granted.
For example, I get a haircut every week but it has been three weeks since I last visited a barbershop.
With the indefinite closure of schools, many parents are having to make difficult choices. For example, they have to make arrangements for childcare as well as ensure that children continue learning from home.
While most employers have been lenient in giving parents time off to be with their children, there are instances where parents are having to quit their jobs.
OPPORTUNITIES
Venturing out of the house feels strange as streets look empty and desolate.
There is no longer the occasional fist bump with a stranger or a nod from an African American, acknowledging our existence as black human beings.
While shopping malls have remained open as they fall under the category of essential services, they are deserted without the usual traffic.
Attendants are friendlier, perhaps out of an abundance of caution, as they fear an irate customer might cough in their face.
After spending hours on end in the house, basking in the sun or simply stretching has become a necessity.
The dollars that taxpayers remit to the state have been put to great use in California, including setting up neighbourhood recreational parks.
Close to where I live is a soccer pitch and with the closure of gyms, this provides a safe space to exercise and juggle the ball.
In addition, an optimist sees an opportunity with every difficulty. My opportunity amid the virus has been catching up on my reading.
I am preoccupied with reading Ken Saro Wiwa’s detention diary: A Month and a Day.
SOCIAL MEDIA
According to the American Census Bureau, California has the second highest number of Kenyans living in the US.
Most events that bring Kenyans together have been postponed because of the danger presented by the virus.
Churches run by Kenyans, which offer Kiswahili or Kikuyu services, have been cancelled as they do not fall under the essential services category.
The Kenyan community in California is not very organised, but amid the crisis, people have been checking on one another via WhatsApp.
People are also having to postpone very important or personal events. A friend had to postpone his wedding scheduled in April.
Another has waited for 20 years to become an American citizen and his naturalisation ceremony, which was to be held next month, has been postponed indefinitely.
Others are postponing birthday parties for their children.
Most inauguration ceremonies are normally held between April and June but with the current pandemic, they will be rare.
There was a naturalisation process that has been postponed. No one knows how this will end, but what we know is how to stop the spread.
What Covid-19 has presented is a routine that includes taking personal hygiene to a higher level and sanitising hands and surfaces, as the germ tends to survive on surfaces for a while.
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