It's safe to say things didn't turn out the way Zach and I expected when we left New York. But that's okay because in spite of a few ups and downs over the years, we've been each other's support system. And that's been very important during this quarantine that took effect in March.
We drink, eat and laugh together. We also spend an insane number of hours playing classic video games like Baldur's Gate and Champions of Norrath on the old PS2. On occasion, we'll hook up the old Nintendo WII and play Super Mario Bros. But I'll tell you that World-9 is a pain and we end up cussing each other out every time we lose. And when we're not playing games, we pass the time watching re-runs of our favorite shows like Grey's Anatomy, The Closer, The Nanny, Golden Girls and Are You Being Served? Oh and we recently binge watched three shows called Control Z, She-ra and the Princesses of Power, and Sweet Magnolias on Netflix, which I highly recommend.
Of course, everyone has to work, and fortunately, we're able to make a living working from home a couple of hours a day every week. Although the pay isn't what we'd like, our needs are very simple, especially now that we can't travel or go shopping.
But I'm not going to lie, things can get very stressful, too, more so for me since I tend to worry too much. Over the last couple of months, I've been monitoring the progress of the virus through online Argentine media sites like La Voz Del Interior. And some of the reports have given me cause for concern.
Initially, there were only a handful of reported cases in the country, mainly in the city of Buenos Aires. You can check out the timeline here. But suffice it to say, the number of daily cases were initially minimal during a time when the virus was causing so much pain and suffering in other parts of the world, like in Italy.
But when the Argentine President Alberto Fernandez ordered the country to go into a mandatory lockdown, some of the locals weren't happy about it. In fact, by day 57 of the mandatory quarantine, there were a reported 24,000 people detained by police in Cordoba City for violating the quarantine. Some locals were even getting together to throw birthday parties, which led to more arrests. And then there was the group of friends in Cordoba City who also got arrested but claimed that they would rather get the virus than stop hanging out.
And as the president was forced to extend the quarantine numerous times, business owners got antsy and started protesting the restrictions that were making it impossible for them to earn a living. And although it's obvious that the quarantine was extended to ensure public safety, even doctors started criticizing the necessity of the quarantine. And as if that weren't bad enough, the number of reported assaults, and in some cases, murder of women increased. Towards the end of March, there were over 60 arrests related to violence against women during the quarantine in Cordoba City.
But fortunately, the number of infections seemed to stabilize, at least, that's what everyone assumed. So, the health department and the government started doing what they call progressive reopening in certain provinces like Buenos Aires and Cordoba City. But then our host province started experiencing a spike in infected cases brought on by the reopening of a commercial zone called Mercado Norte. They eventually got it under control, but there have been several other minor outbreaks in Cordoba City. However, no province has been hit quite as hard as Buenos Aires.
In May 19, there were 438 new cases of infections nationwide. That was more or less the typical daily rate. But as of June, the number of daily cases have ranged anywhere from 1,200 to over 2,000 in the entire country. And most of the infections came from the country's capital.
In June 19, there were 2,060 new cases of the virus in Argentina. And as of June 20, about 41,204 people have tested positive for the virus. But of that number, 12,193 people have recovered and the total number of deaths are at 980.
As far as Cordoba City is concerned, the number of daily infections remains quite low. On average they range anywhere from 0 to 30 cases per day. But I worry that with the reopening of the malls, that number will likely grow within the next 14 days, which is pretty stressful to think about. But with so many new cases popping up, I started to wonder whether people were actually adhering to the health and safety protocols.
So, a few days ago, I went grocery shopping to find out and was glad to see that some people are still using face masks and obeying the social distancing rules. But not everyone's doing it and that's pretty sad. For now, the number of people that are allowed in the pharmacy at a time is limited to 4 (though this varies from pharmacy to pharmacy). And you can't walk into a store without a mask.
I took some videos to share how things were like right now in Cordoba City. Now this isn't the downtown area. It's just a semi-quiet neighborhood with the occasional drama, like when one man tried robbing a health store. Well, actually, I'm not entirely sure what the details were. He was either trying to rob the store or someone who was waiting in line to get in. The point is, he got the crap kicked out of him and a huge crowd gathered around while the cops assessed the situation. The man's eye was swollen, and he was in a lot of pain, too, but no one was feeling sorry for him. Here's a brief video I took. Focus on the man sitting in the middle of the screen while the cops stand over him. It's a short video so if you blink you'll miss it.
Here are some other videos of the area. As you can see, traffic is pretty hectic and there are a couple of stores open. It's almost as if there was no quarantine in place.
I took a photo of the bakery in the photo above, which was open. But customers could only order at the counter, grab what they bought and leave. The chairs have been put away so that no one will sit down and drink their coffee or croissants.
Well now that you're all caught up on what's been happening in Argentina, I'm going to address what's been happening in the States lately. Things have been pretty tense with all the protests, which will hopefully lead to some positive changes in our society. Then there's the skyrocketing number of infections, which has left us very worried for the safety of the people we left behind. But Zach keeps reminding me that we need to focus on staying alive where we are. And it's true. For the moment, all we can do is get by one day at a time and hope things get better for the world very soon. While I'm at it, I plan to get back to my writing.
Now I know I've been pretty absent on my blog these past few weeks, but that has more to do with me than anything else. As I said before, I've been pretty stressed (We all have!) and maybe a little depressed over what's been happening with the world. I also think that my sour mood has to do with the fact that I'm turning 43 in a few weeks. But I am looking forward to one positive change that's happening very soon. Unfortunately, I can't talk about it right now. Sorry! You'll just have to keep reading my blog to find out what it is. In the meantime, expect to see me pop back up next month. For now, stay healthy and safe! I'm sending you all a big hug!
