After an alarming increase of Covid-19 cases in the country, the President announced with a heavy heart a month-long "community quarantine" in Manila that took effect last March 15. However, two days later, an "enhanced community quarantine" in the whole Luzon area was then announced involving stricter measures, not for any other reason but, "to protect the public interest and public health from the threat of Covid-19.
As guidelines on social distancing and restrictions are laid for the "enhanced community quarantine", have you asked yourself what you will do for the next 30 days?
Well, for one, you do not need to panic. In the words of Stephen King, "Panic is highly contagious especially in situations when nothing is known." So what you need to do is to find out what is really happening; be fully informed. Watch the news and read on what is really happening (be wary of fake news). After all, life goes on - mornings will continue to come. So the best thing to do is to keep calm and move on.
Here are ways on how technology can be your friend in this isolating time.
- Humans, by nature are social beings that is why keeping them socially distant from one another may be quite difficult to imagine. Staying home for long periods of time --- let alone 30 days --- can drive all the members of the family stuck at home crazy. But thanks to social media, you won't feel really isolated. Here's how...
- Now that Netflix offers their new mobile only plan, this is the best time to get on the (CLOY - “Crash Landing on You”) bandwagon. Actually, there are a lot of video streaming services and each has a gold mine of movies, TV shows and series to binge on. So whether you are into the K-drama craze or not, there is plenty of content to stream on.
- I know travel plans this summer have been put to a hold; but If you are a travel bug, there are a lot of museums, national parks and even art exhibits around the world that you can virtually visit. Some of the most popular museums around the world offer virtual tours that you can take in the comfort of your home. There is the British Museum in London, Guggenheim Museum in New York, Pergamon Museum in Berlin and others. Thanks to Google Arts and Culture, you can virtually explore the outdoors in parks like the Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii.
- Now that we all have time, why not stay fit? You and the rest of the family can engage in some form of exercise every morning. If walking or jogging around the village isn't possible, you can find hundreds of exercise videos on YouTube. Moms can do her usual Zumba exercises and dad can still do his HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training (if joints still permit) like what he usually does in the gym.
- Engage in a new hobby; Matisse Thybulle did! Since NBA games were put into a halt, this NBA player explored Tiktok and did it with flair. Thanks to the internet, some moms who do not know how to cook or bake can now whip up some magic in the kitchen. Who knew painting or playing the piano was easy! It is never too late to take up a new hobby.