New week

Empty streets today

 Riots broke out in 3 major cities ... ultra-orthodox jews battling police who came to close their schools for breaching lockdown rules. One police had to fire in the air while tear gas were used. Stones were thrown and dumpers burned to block roads. It was mayhem. That is the price for having allowed them to flout the rules in the first 2 lockdowns. Emboldened, they feel privileged now and attack law enforcers with impunity. No one, not the govt nor the police nor the courts dare to defy the rabbis. Which is a terrible pity because infection rates are falling and the vaccination seems to be working. The danger now is allowing the new strain to spread and so the lockdown is necessary. In fact just now, we learned that the airport will be closed for a week.

Inside Damascus Gate

I went out this morning to bring some encyclicals to the MC sisters. It's a short walk near Damascus Gate inside the Old City. The streets were empty. Only 2 vegetable and fruit shops were opened. People are afraid ... the new strain is aggressive and could be deadly. No one knows. Caution is the word. The greeting "bye" is now replaced by "stay safe".

On the way home, I went to the bakery at Musrara and then took the long route home. Lack of exercise has made my legs weak and walking 1km is quite an ordeal now. Pathetic. Anyway I feel better than last week but I'll still go for a covid test tomorrow.

The weather is frigidly cold still though the sun was shining and the thermometer read 12 degrees, it felt like zero degrees indoors. A new week has begun and soon this cold will give way to hot summer. But we're all hoping for one final rainstorm before it does. We need the rain,