N  106   Covid 19 and Me

2020   is a disastrous year for everyone because the whole world is suffering from the Covid 19 pandemic. Only some countries in remote areas like Bhutan, N korea and some island states do not have impact from the pandemic.

The pandemic emerged in late December in Wuhan, China, and it was  named Covid !9. Since then it has spread across the world at an alarming rate topping 10 million cases until now . The virus is everywhere.

Our country , along with a few neighbouring countries like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam is fortunate that it doesn’t  has  an outbreak. But anyway the central  government  and district administrations are taking precautious measures to prevent and face it when there is one.

We, the people are asked to wear mask and stay at home. Even if someone has to go out to wear mask and keep a distancing space from other people, so as not to catch the virus.

During the early period the outbreak is not so alarming that I sometimes went out as usual. The last time I went out was the 23^rd of March and it was to buy offetries to monasteries during Thingyan. I usually buy them  beforehand as the shops are overcrowded when it is near. After that day I was not allowed to go out because warnings said that old people are more vulnerable to catch virus.

But  young people in my household like my 2 daughters and son in law go out when they have to. My son in law is a member  Covid 19 relief committee set up by the chairman of KBZ bank U Aung Ko Win.So He often goes  out to help with the distribution of relief measures at their centre and accompany the chairman on donation trips. My hubby also go there sometimes to help out or donate food to the volunteers working there.He also went to Kunhing with the chairman once. I couldn’t  help thinking ….. what difference would it make if they are going out and only some of us  stay at home.

But it is fortunate that there isn’t many covid cases in our town. According to news released by the health ministry  there are only 299 cases as of today (30^th June )in the whole country. Among the afflicted there are 6 casualties and the number recovered is 215.

But if we look at the whole world it is disastrous. I learned from news that the number afflicted by the virus has topped 10 million , and among this number more than 500000 had perished. the number  recovered is 5.5 million .The hardest hit countries are developed countries such as USA with 2.5 million afflicted and 126893  fatalities, followed by Brazil, Russia, India and  nearly every countries of the world.

Until today it is not showing signs of slowing down, but still surging. So lockdowns of countries and cities are not coming to an end but still extending.

There is no need to say that the virus had hit all economies. Many governments have to help industries and businesses to keep them going on. Even in our country the government is giving out loans to hard hit businesses, but many may have met their end.

Everybody can see that the hardest hit are the grassroots people. People who are daily wages earners. Most grassroots people in our country live on the daily wage of the breadwinner. They have no savings, no insurance,not even decent places to live. So if the head of a household cannot work for some days the whole family will have nothing to eat.

But the good thing in our country is people who are rich, who are well off like to donate, to share to the have nots.Rich people  like Saya Kyaung, Max Zaw Zaw , Sai Myo Win and many others donated every needy things like PPE suits, masks, ventilators, testing machines, and so on. Our country also received these things as donations from other countries. So far I haven’t heard about people going hungry and have nothing to eat.

As for me I am not rich enough to make big donations. The 20^th of March was my daughter’s birthday and as she wanted to make some donations we went out together to do so.   We each donated 500000 kyats to Nam Kone  charitable foundation   (which will be busy if there is a breakout in town ) and 500000 each to Sao San Tun Hospital to buy PPE suits or use where necessary. Later I also bought some  food to make food packages for donation. But as I didn’t see much people in need around me I donated to 10 household only.

.Taunggyi is still locked down  like other towns and cities, there is not much difference with other times. Only the shops of Myoma Zay are allowed to open alternately according to their numbers. If even numbers open today odd numbers have to open the next day. So only half of the shops open on each day. Other markets also have to move to larger place and keep at a distancing space of 6 feet apart.

 But I notice that Taunggyi people are not so scared of the virus now and are going about their activities as before, some wearing masks while most don’t. I also started to go out sometimes when I have to after staying home for about two and a half months. But at the present because mass gathering is banned there are no weddings, no parties, no religious gatherings and such things. Many businesses had come to a stop and surely people are hard hit.

Covid 19 had a dreadful impact on people’s lives. Everyone cannot have a normal life like before. People cannot do business as usual,cannot go to religious and social events, children and students cannot attend school. People who have awareness of the danger of the virus cannot stay calm or unconcern.

So everybody including me would like to see this contagious virus which is disrupting the whole world comes to an end , so that we all can continue our lives as before.