We’ve progressed from nervous laughter to just plain nervous.
Here in Otherstreamland, all the bars are closed and the restaurants have moved to takeout-only mode per a statewide order. The schools, libraries, and museums are closed. The theatres, if they aren’t closed already, might as well be. The supermarkets seem better stocked (and less crowded) here than in much of North America, but there’s still no toilet paper, hand sanitizer, nor disinfecting spray cleaner. Nor alcohol (of the rubbing variety), for that matter. Beer is plentiful, at least.
The university where I work got what is more or less an “abandon ship” order today. Dorms are closing, except for students who have no other options. The library may or may not stay open, but most of us have been ordered to start working remotely by tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got my VPN and my remote desktop client (and a huge external drive just in case) and I’m set to work at home for the foreseeable future. I’m not really looking forward to it, but at least I still have a job.
I no longer visit my 91-year-old aunt next door because Great Pumpkin only knows what I might be carrying around from the petri dish where I work.
And there is nothing about this that anyone else in the country (nor most of the world) would probably find all that unusual right now.
