Hope In Paradise #WriteTogetherChallenge2020

Island Locked-in #Challenge3

It was a normal week like every other, but slowly, the people of the island was querying and beginning to panic. Listening to news cast of what was happening round the world could do that. Me on the other hand, went about my week as normal as always, listening to my lectures talk and then to the students, much younger than I am, try not to respond to them.

The weekend finally came about, and I welcomed it with gratefulness. I looked forward to getting a rest from my busy life schedule - being a working person and a college student was taking its toll for that week.

Saturday came, it was a sunny and peaceful day. I went to church, worshipped and felt refreshed. It was during the evening broadcast, when the island's Prime Minister addressed the nation that i'd made up my mind fully to not return to classes the following week.

Measures were put in place to screen travelers to the island to test for the virus. It was then announced that we had a couple cases and they were quarantined at the government established hospital while was self quarantined on his own by himself.

On Sunday evening, the nation was advised that country folks were advised to exercise cautionary practices such as: wearing protective masks, hygienic practices of washing hands and covering when sneezing, etc. The high risk persons with health issues and the elderlies, were asked to take every precaution and to stay home.

Citizens and the opposing party called for a total lock down of the island. I was beginning to get irritated by my WhatsApp status and Facebook feeds which were literally filled with negatives all over regarding this virus.

It was finally to the middle of the week when other Caribbean islands had begun closing their borders and cruise ships were asked to stop docking did things got a big more tense of the island. The Prime Minister addressed the nation that Wednesday evening in March, informing the public and the world, that our borders are open until the weekend to allow citizens of our country who wanted to return home, could do so. As well as those citizens of other countries who wanted to leave and return to their own country could do that as well.

On Friday evening, the borders was announced to be closed and only open for medical supplies and food trading. The people of the island was told that the island would be under these measures. Curfew on week days - from six pm to 6 am, and Lock down on the weekends - six pm of Friday evening to six am Monday morning.

Businesses that was considered frontline entities such as supermarkets, pharmacies and shops were given a certain time to operate during the curfews and was asked to implement cautionary measures to protect themselves and that of their employees as well as the customers.

Each week the public was informed with discussions via radio broadcasts on covid19 and necessary measures taken and what's to be expected. At the end of each week, an update was given to the general public regarding the numbers of person tested, found infected, quarantined and recovered.

Thankfully we never had any deaths because everyone adhered to the social distancing measures. In between, you'll find those who for some reason or another just wanted to disregard protective measures and break curfew but other than that many persons respected those measures taken to keep everyone safe.

Schools, churches and various other organizations were closed. However, Churches and school commenced online, a new initiative for the island. We are a slowly developing island in terms of many areas but a treasured gem in the Caribbean.

Presently, school is somewhat opened But students are asked to remain at home and continue their education via online facilities used (google classroom, zoom, school websites, YouTube, etc). We are fully recovered from the sixteen positive cases had, all are now returned to their various homes to be with their families. Now community testing are being done to ensure that no other persons had been infected with the virus.

Social distancing and all the necessary precautions are still in place. However, the steep curfew we had is now a bit slacken. Lots more businesses are able to be opened such as: salons, stores and boutiques, barbershops, etc. Country folks are still asked to wear their masks for entering businesses and to ensure their safety. Hygienic practices are strongly implemented.

College students, the classes which were suspended has now resumed via online and learning been good. Being confined to home was nothing new to me. I can be called an antisocial (introverted) person and I won't deny being introverted, but I will deny being antisocial because I know I am a bit extraverted as well. But I always love staying home, and being productive. I was practically working from home before so working from home was nothing new to me as well.

I love that this pandemic happened because it sped up a lot of stuff I needed to happen such as online classes from college, working from home (wasn't new), and achieving quite a few goals I needed to achieve. It has helped me put my writing into perspective and I've accomplished a vast amount of poems for my collection. It's also helped me realized that I may have not taken much of my goals seriously. My family life was much more strengthened but then it was only a continuation of us already accustomed to staying home.

If you look between the lines, you can find a lot of blessings. My advice to anyone is don't let covid19 damper your mood. Don't let it frustrate or get the best from you. Don't let it remain a negative impact on your life. Make it into something positive. Use the moment to build something whether it be in your family life, work life, school life, and or spiritual life, let it help you grow stronger and firmer in your beliefs and give you hope to go after your goals.

For now the island's lock down is only from Saturdays evenings at six pm to Monday mornings at six am. Curfew remains at six pm to six am Mondays to Saturdays. I'm thankful my fellow country persons took this serious and adhered to the measures put in place. Now we are literally covid free and wish to remain so for the rest of the year. We're hoping that the community testing's they doing don't turn up with no positives so we can return to a slightly changed normal but normal all the less.

Hope this brought a positive view to you my readers!! Can't all have a Sombre view.

Just so you know, I'm from the Commonwealth island of Dominica. Known to all as the 'Nature Island of the Caribbean". Its a small unique - mountainous and green - island that Christopher Columbus re-discovered from the indegenious people who lived there. This island is located between two French islands - Guadeloupe and Martinique. We're directly in the middle of the Caribbean. We're part of the Windward islands.