No Kisses until We have a Vaccine
There is a pressing question on my mind. Will we go to the beach this summer? I can hear your disapproval. People are dying, healthcare systems worldwide are on their knees, economies are crumbling, and I am worried about getting my suntan? Call me a criminal. I dream of stepping onto my terrace and, instead of the cityscape before me, being greeted by an infinity of blue. I dream of dipping into the sea. I dream of drying in the sun and having the sea-salt form into a white film on my skin. I dream of licking my lips and tasting the salt.
This morning I was listening to a minister being interviewed on the radio stating that we won’t go back to hugging and kissing our friends until there is a vaccine. Who cares about kissing? What about the beach in August? Will I have to wear a mask with my bikini? When can I leave Milan? My tolerance for the status quo has its limits. Mine is called August. Yesterday’s bulletin showed that the increase in infections was only 3,5%. Deaths were at their lowest rate since mid-March. Unfortunately, in Milan itself the curve is not flattening as much, and we are still on very high alert. As of yesterday, masks are mandatory. But this mask thing continues to strike me as a farce. For one, masks are impossible to find. Once you do find them, they are being sold at extortionate prices. Though, apparently, there will be a free distribution as of tomorrow. Then, let’s talk about how they are being used. Yesterday I ran into a man wearing his mask (the high quality medical type) on his forehead while smoking a cigarette. I glared at him from behind my sunglasses and scarf.
Talk about “Phase 2” keeps getting louder. Now the magic date has even moved forward to May 4th. I like the sound of “Phase 2” but in reality, it doesn’t promise to offer much more than “Phase 1”. Certainly, it won’t allow for any situation in which people can’t be kept at least one meter apart. Yesterday Milan’s mayor Beppe Sala cited the much talked about article in the MIT Technology Review that posits that for the next 18 months we might be looking at social distancing needing to be “in force two-thirds of the time - roughly two months on and one month off—until a vaccine is available.” Indeed, there are rumblings of schools not reopening in September. Don’t tell my kids.