I feel like I’ve been an irresponsible citizen by ignoring the COVID-19 drama while hosting a foreign visitor and then taking a 300 km road trip to fulfill a promise to help a friend.
Being out in a city filled with people, away from our sparsely populated rural paradise, I felt pretty vulnerable. Even though Japan’s infection rate is low (1086 confirmed cases as of this morning) it is increasing each day.
Citizens in Japan are not taking many precautions beyond the usual seasonal masks. Schools closed on March 3rd, sports events are playing to empty stadiums, and theme parks closed. Some businesses are encouraging telecommuting. But mostly, life is going on as usual, with full restaurants, packed trains, busy gyms, and scheduled club meetings going on.
I am looking forward to teaching yoga via Zoom every morning (contact me for the link), getting some artsy projects moving along, doing a bit of work, cleaning and improving the house, and spending my time not potentially spreading this virus to my friends and elderly neighbors.
