France’s lockdown has been extended until 15 April. But, let’s face it, it could well be longer than that and with a 95-year-old mother in the house I will have to continue being ultra-cautious as long as there’s a risk of infection.
We went through our daily reminder of the necessary precautions this morning and Mum asked, “Why all this concern about hygiene all of a sudden?”
She’d forgotten about the virus, although she did remember that she had to cough into her sleeve. Remembering is one thing, observing the rules is another, however.
I woke up at 6.50am, worrying about an itch in the throat that has lasted about two days. No temperature, no more coughing than usual. That doesn’t stop grim scenarios playing on your mind.
One of our neighbours had the same problem. It turns out that Champigny town council has set up an emergency health centre in a gym and as many as 100 doctors have volunteered to work there some of the time. Tents have been erected inside for consultations, which are strictly by appointment.
Our neighbour called the hotline and was told the problem is a “seasonal thing” – hay fever, in other words.
On a less happy note, two employees of the town’s private hospital have been arrested, alleged to have stolen respirators from emergency and offering them for sale online.
Equally incomprehensible are the people who post fake medical advice online – blow a hairdryer up your nose to kill the virus, gargle with hydrogen peroxide, the sun’s rays kill the virus. Pure malice!
Bakery visit yesterday and supermarket today. The excitement never ends!
Municipal blossom on the square opposite the mairie was a reminder that we’re spending a beautiful spring indoors, if we aren’t in our country houses.
Fortunately there is no rain, sleet or snow. I had to queue over half an hour outside Monoprix, which is conscientiously enforcing social distancing. The Chinese-run greengrocers on the opposite side of the square appears to have closed for the duration.
France is to take delivery of 600 million face masks from China over the next 14 weeks. They had difficulty finding flights to transport them at first, apparently, but the first will take off tomorrow.
China has taken the lead in helping other countries but the soft power drive has been marred by an embarassing hiccup. Test kits sent to the Czech Republic and Spain have been found to be defective. An official investigation into the Shenzhen laboratory that produced them is underway.
The Covid-19 recorded death toll in France is 1,995, up 299 on Thursday. There are 15,732 people in hospital with the virus, 3,787 in intensive care. Since 1 March 5,700 people have been given a clean bill of health and discharged from hospital.
