Lockdown

Zinnias at Munici-
pality Square

1464 cases of new infections in the last 24 hours. Lockdown in several towns and neighbourhoods around the country begin in half and hour. The govt is avoiding a wholesale lockdown as it doesn't want to affect too much the economy. However the rampant infections in East Jerusalem and the Old City is not being addressed. Sick people continue to walk in the narrow streets and not wearing masks. And the police are not enforcing the law in this part of the City. It's frightening. I just learned that Jack our christian pastry chef who has a small shop in the Christian Quarter is positive with the virus. No one knows how many more christians are infected. I'll have to avoid the narrow streets when going to work ... better use the major road outside the Old City.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/government-shutters-virus-hit-neighborhoods-in-5-cities-as-cases-hit-new-high/

I've decided my english classes will now be taught over Zoom. I don't want to meet my students in person ... not just that I don't want to catch the virus but more so that they don't come into the Old City and get infected. Arab news say the Old City is rampant with carriers and is a medical keg waiting to explode.

Few people in
City Centre 

So much negativity ... it's depressing. I've stayed home for 2 days now. Did some gardening this morning to get my mind off such dreadful news ... and prayed for friends who are ill right now. A couple of poor families have called to say they need food. I told the MC sisters to provide food for them and I'll reimburse them later. Another family called to say they cannot pay the school fees of their daughter for the Spring semester. I'll have to gather some donations to sponsor this case.

And to top this all, I want to continue reading and studying. It's my summer plan and it makes me very happy. Lockdown can be fun ... depends on how you want to live it.