As long as everything flows the regular way, people flow also in the same direction. We have a routine, we go to school and work and we have a long term vision of things. In many aspects we live on the day to day searching for income, securing food, changing travel arrangements and the immediate priorities along with pleasing our bosses, teachers, family and partners.
Article written by Lucas Evangelista.
Coronavirus Pandemic has given us a bigger threat to think about, however, at times uncertain as our regular priorities conflict with the overwhelming news and new reality creating a lot of confusion. We are not designed to change course on the go, although, as everything else in life, it is trainable. Governments are implementing different actions in order to reduce risk and make consequences more certain and immediate so that we pay attention and care for ourselves, guide us to a more secure regimen. Other countries can no longer avoid ignoring the issue at hand, as when the virus starts to circulate openly, certainty sets in. Many others, try quite the opposite of the consensus, driven by alternative motives and other more certain and immediate causes, like the full stop the heir economy.
You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore
the consequences of ignoring reality.
In the last month we have seen how countries like the UK, The Netherlands, and still Mexico have implemented directives to not affect the status quo of the regular flow of their people. However, this was after given directives of self isolation, work from home and closings of restaurants an other places where people can gather and be around each other in close proximity. However, going for a run or a walk in the park has not been limited. Italia has been seen as the melting pot in Europe.
When Chinese doctors arrived in northern Italia with experience and advise from their own situations in Wuhan, they realized that the Italians were talking about a mandatory quarantine, but in application it was very soft. This has been recognized as the main cause of the cases or the curve to not be under control or in process of mitigation.
In Argentina for example, first self isolation was demanded from travelers from abroad, and in under a week, a soft quarantine became a mandatory lock down, preventing people from waling in the streets, allowing restaurants to only do take out and delivery and fining and penalizing those who where found in the street without good reason to be. Resembling a police state, this approach replicated from observations from China, Japan and South Korea has been seen to have the better effects on the spread of the virus, flattening of the curve and successful management of the pandemic.
However, in all aspects involving humans, human behavior has to be accounted when imposing any kind of restrictions and regulations, even when it is in the benefit of those same people being restricted. When the president in Argentina advised schools to close for class and have leave to workers over 60 and non essential government workers, the believe was that since it was still the end of the summer, it was a great opportunity to go back to the coast and enjoy a few more days of vacation. On the road to the coast, check points with temperature measurement were implemented right before a massive amount of families got on the road hours previous to the official start of the lock down. Here is where many positive cases of Covid and people from recent arrivals from infected regions weere found looking to leave towards the coast, where the local municipalities were discouraging people from massively driving to their destinations, as the coast cities do not have any mayor hospitals nor intensive care units.
Once again, selfish human behavior and lack of cohesion was observed in a country like Argentina that for many decades has broadcasted in every government action thru corruption and a unresponsive justice system that there is no consequence to the behaviors of their own people, even less so, when crisis comes. Additionally the government has not been there to take care of their people because of anterior motives concerning political power.
This has become the best opportunity to reflect on ourselves,
and then grow.
The same is true at the beginning on those that have complied with the governmental imposed new reality designed to protect their people and citizens and for those that understand the reality of self care and isolation. However, with the wide spread stop to the economy, those living on the day to day start to feel the hunger becomes a more immediate and certain challenge, then the virus threat becomes a secondary priority and human behavior once again changes. This dictates that those in precarious social situations, mainly in under developed countries, will start to behave in different ways than the overall reality demands.
As unmet social tension raises, many people leave the safety of their home and safety of quarantine to look and secure food sources, many times in not so happy ways. Unable to secure and maintain savings for the downturn after years of government prioritizing other more immediate things at its time, this will make the procurement of resources a priority. With businesses and stores closing down, the availability of food becomes more scare. If the government does not respond, then the situation will become worse by the day, until the kettle has to blow it steam.
For those living, studying or working in many places around the world, you may start to notice this if you are attentive. Perhaps you have not been in a situation like this before. In many first world countries, the institutions tend to work and people rely on the government for response, which eases the tension of the population, and if needed, repel any attempts of social unrest using institutions and services to reach the people. However, the same order may not be possible in under developed countries, where the social structure is held together by a fine line.
Developing an exit strategy plan many be a not desired but needed in the new and reality. We all start to see and feel the unpreparedness of people which comes from their awareness and attentive behavior to other things. Hopefully you never need it, but having an exit strategy may be needed.
In the days in which the Argentina government announced a soft quarantine and the enforcement of the full country lock down a few days after, 30,000 residents left the country encouraged by cheap airline prices to destinations in already declared infected countries or remote vacation locations that lack proper medical services for what is now seen as a pandemic with high strain on health systems across the world.
Here is a list of things to consider when planning an exit strategy where ever you are:
Check daily list of flights going out of the local airports and ways to get there.
Target your destination as going back home or to a more developed country.
Don't go into a city just because is more populated, this can back fire as cites have been built on logistics that are now being affected and disrupted by the disorganization of the pandemic (or other mayor event) and the lock downs.
You may have to purchase a ticket to any destination, the cheapest one possible, as long as is ro international destination just to access the international terminal of the airport, possibly the safest place to situate yourself as your resolve or wait for other flights. If you choose to do this, you will eventually need food so bring it with you in the form of snacks. Don't bring water as it will be rejected at the security checkpoints.
A filtration water bottle can be a life saver.
If your money is low, get in touch with family to understand how they can help or if there are other relatives around or abroad.
This is a good time to check on all you cards and airlines reward programs, you may have some cash or points waiting for your here.
Check with friends if you are travelling with them, and check with other travelers to see about their plans. Being on the same page will make things easier when travelling in groups, but always develop your own plans. The reality is that others can't take care of your although they may offer to help. Also don't feel like your plan is not good enough because others have others plans that may sound better or more comprehensive. This is an opportunity to observe an grow, others may share situational awareness of alternative places that can useful information for your own decision making process. Trust Yourself!
Check visas requirement for entry in different countries for your passport. Some applications take days to process, but allow you entry for an extended period of time if you need to use it and process with time. Islands like Singapore have always have concerns about getting diseases into the island territory so they have always had efficient health controls at the entry points. Other places like Australia will immediately close their borders and you will be stuck in between.
Do you have Travel insurance? I usually have a year round insurance by Allianz Travel and I also get a complementary one by Global Rescue for when I make plans to go hiking of the grid or into remote locations. They are both cost effective and easy to get.
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