Day 2 of lockdown due to COVID-19

Yesterday was more eventful than today. I started work at around 8.20, and ended past 6. It's understandable though because there's a lot going on, especially due to the nature of my work. But this time I made sure to take even a five-minute stretch break every couple of hours, and half an hour lunch.

A major 'casualty' of this lockdown are the community spaces, such as the Library. We tried to visit and hoard some books but were too late. My consolation is that we have other books here at home that we can read in our free time anyways, so all is not lost.

Someone started this trend of displaying stuffed toys - primarily teddy bears - by the windows of homes. Kids in a lockdown situation may well find it difficult to cope with staying indoors all the time, and even when they're outside, there's a limit to where they can go. So these displays are a cool distraction. My wife and daughter decorated our window with some of our stuffed toys, with each one representing us. Guess which one is me.

Yesterday was such a bright, sunny day that even if I ended work at past 6, there was still enough light outside for us to do a little gardening. I repotted a couple of plants and weeded out our small patch of garden.

Yesterday we also dared to walk a couple of blocks down our main street. This is not a violation actually, because people are allowed to take a stroll for exercise for as long as you stay local. We passed by a couple of cyclists, someone walking their dog, and a family of 4 who waved hello from a distance. Today was a bit gloomy so we stayed inside most of the time.

Tina and Christine are having a nice time with their cooking session, and they even brought me piping hot coffee and this banana toast concoction they love making. Yum. Must take a photo next time.

Today there are 85 new cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand, with a man in his 70s in intensive care. There have now been 368 cases, with 37 recovered and 8 in hospital.

This is a far cry from just the 5 cases we had less than a month ago. That time seems so far away now.