اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية
Dear Diary,
For two weeks now, I have been following up on the coronavirus pandemic spreading all around the world. It is very sad to see how this pandemic is directly affecting peoples’ lives as well as the socio-economic sectors. Worldwide, governments start taking specific measures for lockdown in an attempt to prevent the spread of the COVID19.
In Lebanon, during this stressful period of time, some volunteers trained by WHO are raising awareness on how to prevent from getting COVID19, so I got my first COVID19 safety tips flyer.
The cultural gatherings and seminars that I attended started taking into consideration strict measures for preventing and raising awareness about COVID19 pandemic. Non-governmental organisations and municipalities postponed some of their projects implementations, stopped conferences and workshops meetings, we had online meetings to get some work done.
The stressful news of COVID19 had led people to panic purchase for provision facemask and hand sanitizers and crowding in marketplaces.
Today marks March 23, I woke up hearing the loud distinctive “thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop” sound of a helicopter. I watched the news: “Responding to the coronavirus outbreak, the Lebanese government ordered a nationwide lockdown, closing down businesses and limiting the movements of people”.
The ministry of health, international organisations and the disaster risk management unit have designed an emergency National Response Plan (NRP) to properly choose and manage quarantine areas.
The ministry of education prohibited the students from physically attending schools and universities. Some in the educational sectors started online courses for their students. Restaurants and clothes shops are closed, supermarkets are open for a specific time. They serve their customers but don’t allow them to enter. Frustration was increasing over the growing economic hardship due to the national currency depreciation and the quick increase in purchase prices during the pandemic. The lockdown has exacted severe tolls on Lebanon’s poor and marginalized communities.
I notice loudspeakers keep coming from army helicopters, hoping to raise awareness and remind locals to abide by coronavirus measures.
Watching the streets from the balcony they are empty. Pedestrians are very few and cars are allowed to drive depending on if their number plate is odd or even. Specific days were marked for each type of plate number.
We've been forced to quit all the "non-essentials activities." For all of us, we’re not supposed to go out other than to shop for food essentials, pick up medical supplies, help a vulnerable person or for a walk or exercise.
Family gatherings and events during this pandemic are made through social media, to know and appreciate the importance of being and staying positive both for ourselves and each other. We communicate solely to provide support, tips and ideas to get us through this uncertain time.
There haven’t been many bright spots in the coronavirus pandemic, apart from the apparent return of nature as the frantic pace of modern life has slowed. In fact, with many factories and businesses closed, flights other journeys cancelled and combined with fewer cars on the road and fewer planes in the sky, our natural environment is recovering considerably. Furthermore, the COVID19 lockdown has led to cleaner air: It's been widely reported that COVID19 could trigger the biggest fall in anthropogenic carbon emissions (emissions created by human activity) and it’s offered a taste of the air we might breathe in a low-carbon future.
Furthermore, it raised awareness about personal hygiene and the benefit of social distancing. Digital transformation of workflows continues to pick up pace, and social interactions are increasingly going online. In the post-COVID19 phase, social distancing will be a key priority for redesigning public spaces, urban planning and processes. businesses and Start-ups should be successful while also adaptable to the changing realities on the ground.
Despite all the dark spots in the coronavirus pandemic considered together, it made me appreciate the simple things in our lives and to always be grateful. For instance, social-media and online meetings are useful to a certain extent, but I’m still looking forward to visiting my family members and meeting my co-workers in person.
Sara Captan, Master in Environmental Engineering, Lebanese living in Al Mina, North Lebanon
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash