Lockdown, Hungarian style

[wiseheart]

Well, the schools have closed today, with the intention of the kiddies staying at home and not spreading the virus under the clueless elderly population. Probably for similar reasons, the playground are now closed, too.

Instead, when I went to Lidl at ungodly 7pm, behind me in the queue to the cash counter stood a benighted mother with her two children, one teenaged, one about seven or eight, both coughing a bit. Benighted mother told her friend? neigbour? acquaintance? proudly: I don't leave my kids home. Later today, when I was standing in the queue in front of the herb/bio shop, behind me - fortunately at some distance - stood another benighted mother, with three (!) children, none of them older than 4, I think. The middle child was coughing with enthusiasm and told everyone around him that the grandpa of one of his playschool mates died of the corona virus.

The kid probably interpreted the term "mates" a bit broadly, as so far is only one known casualty in the entire country, but still. Even though I was wearing gloves (for the first time since early childhood) and a shawl bound in front of my mouth and nose (hand sanitizers and face masks are currently unavailable for the normal population), this made me more than a little uneasy. Not mainly for myself but because I could bring the virus home to Mum, and that could be a real problem.

Now, I know it might be a problem with the kiddies being at home, underfoot. I also understand that mother #2 didn't want to leave three small kids alone. But there are such things as food delivery, or even neighbours who could buy a thing or two and leave it on the doorstep. Fortunately, this is a big city with a grocery shop on every corner. I find it irresistible how people don't even try to think of others.

I had to go to several places today, including the bank, the mass transport company (to renew my senior pass, as it was running out), to a local clinic to pick up Mum's description (which I couldn't, as the clinic has shut down, treating only the acute cases), to aforementioned herbal/bio shop (to pick up stuff for lessening the effects of my mild rosacea), to the newsagent's and to different grocery shops to find such complicated things as milk, yogurt, cheese and the likes. All these places (with the exception of the grocery shops) took precautions, not letting in more people than one for each clerk to deal with, a security person opening and closing the doors and so on. Even on the bus, the first door is cordoned off to protect the driver, although he has his own small cabin. But all that would do us little good if the people are complete morons.

I'm really happy that I won't have to leave the house for a few days. Thursday will be the earliest time I'll leave again, save for unexpected emergencies. *fingers crossed*

Comments

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Some people are just jerks.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Too true for my comfort.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Hope you stat safe.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I'm doing my best, but as Monsieur Poirot said, it isn't easy to protecf a city full of sane people from one madman. And we've got more than just one idiot in our city.

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

Smart idea to protect the bus driver! But your mum's prescription?

Argh the kids! The UK is still not shutting down schools even though it is becoming apparent that adults (and children) are being infected via the schools. Arrgh!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Mum won't need her meds for another fortnight yet (it is against osteoporosis), so we hope they'll find a solution until then. It's said that the local GPS will be entitled to prescribe the stuff someone has to take regularly. We'll see. As for closing the schools, the fact that the kids are now everywhere doesn't really help things.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Not mainly for myself but because I could bring the virus home to Mum, and that could be a real problem.

I really sympathise. I think this is one of the reasons that our government is currently keeping schools open - although all of us who collect children from school are beginning to stand further apart, and I am trying to get Charlotte used to me waiting outside rather than coming into school - and I hope to soon get her used to the idea of coming across the road to the car - she is quite capable of doing this, but is used to me waiting in the entry way where it is warm and dry.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I understand that. OTOH, of course, here in the big city we have large schools, sometimes with over a thousand children, so spreading the virus all over the city is a real danger.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

We are at different stages at the moment - I think you are further into the outbreak.

The school Charlotte's brother goes to has over 1,500 pupils aged 11 - 18 (the size tends to surprise people - but there are only 5 secondary schools on the island and a population of 85,000 - and Balla is the biggest one) - but then we are still at the point where there are no known cases on the island and so, as far as we know, there is no chance of them spreading it. So they are keeping things as normal as possible for as long as possible. But as soon as there is any evidence of the virus being here I think this will change.

However, if it was to get into the school, the pupils come from anything up to 7 or 8 miles in each direction, so it might spread a long way quickly - I have a feeling that, even if there are still no known cases by then, the schools will not reopen after the Easter break.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That is a huge school indeed! It would be understandable if the wouldn't reopen after the Easter break, with so many kids from all over the place.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Good luck staying safe, especially for your mum!

The school thing is a real issue - here on the last I heard the government hasn't closed the schools, but quite a few are closed due to lack of teachers and so forth.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

It is hard to tell what's the lesser evil. Schools are the breeding place of every infection; if the parents would be sane enough to keep their offspring home, closing them would work. But since they aren't...

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

We have the idiots over here, too and the same problems for parents with young children. I hope everyone stays safe.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

So do I. Although there are moments when I'm scared shitless, to be honest.