Lockdown diaries: Kill the virus by listening

Most of us were hopeful when the national lockdown was announced. People can now only go out when necessary: buying groceries, getting medicines or social grants and, for those like me who are delivering an essential service, going to work.

It’s just over a week since isolation and seeing the images on television and social media, I can’t help but see things differently. I am starting to wonder if this lockdown will really be effective.

I just got off a video call with my girlfriend, who is at a mall trying to get groceries. She is number 200 in the queue and, she tells me, social distancing is not maintained there.

I understand people are social beings by nature, but if there is anyone in that crowd who has the virus, chances are they will spread it.

People talk and laugh all the time, particularly when they see others, and those laughter droplets can travel up to two metres – I’ve read – before they drop to the ground.

May they please miss my girlfriend.

People going to the malls come from different places: suburbs, townships, you name it, so it is vital that all adhere to especially social distancing.

But then again, not everyone is privileged enough to be able to stay indoors. I know people who live in an informal settlement with families of more than five in a house. Imagine if one living in an overcrowded house gets exposed to this deadly virus that spreads like wildfire? They will pose a great danger to their entire community.

Some police officers are breaking the law, forcing foreign shop owners to close their spazas, claiming only locally owned shops are allowed to operate.

The upshot of their action? People must now leave the safety of their homes and join long queues at supermarkets. They now have to use a Spar or Checkers just to buy a loaf of bread because their local spaza was forced to close.

That is when my hope of curbing this rampant virus fades. As long as guidelines such as social distancing and staying put are not adhered to; as long as the police and soldiers are forgiving to those that don’t abide by the rules, the lockdown will fail.

We need to kill this virus – and the only way to do this is to listen, people.

Tebogo Nkadimeng.

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