02A0C: Back in Lockdown

Lockdown Eggs

 Metro Manila Community Quarantine - Day 510

Well, Metro Manila is back under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), which is the strictest form of quarantine we have in our arsenal against COVID-19. Conversationally speaking, it means a lockdown since it severely limits who can leave their homes in order to stem the spread of the virus. 

On the surface, not much will change. Tobie and I have largely been staying home regardless and so the shift to ECQ doesn't impact us in that sense. Entertainment venues like O Bar have been closed, regardless of quarantine level. Cinemas and theaters haven't been open either. You get the picture - we haven't been going out before and we still can't go out now. Our building hasn't allowed guests since the last return to ECQ so that also remains status quo in this latest repeat lockdown.

The complications come for the limited reasons that we do need to go out, which primarily consists of our supply runs. Tobie has been handling grocery shopping alone again ever since we returned to ECQ earlier this year because only one person is allowed out and we figured to play it safe with things like the delta variant out there. It also means that I have to severely limit going out as well to just the most essential trips like helping my parents with their resupply efforts. Not sure if this time around that'll lead to complications since Taguig has decided to release a new quarantine pass to replace the ones they issued last year.

We're lucky that things won't change too much for us apart from longer lines at the grocery store and maybe more limited food delivery options (should we decide to even do that). Other people are literally out of a job because they work in industries that are dependent on in-person customers and things of that nature. Other people who still have to report to work at essential services like grocery stores and drug stores now have fewer transportation options than they did previously - which were already limited due to the government's convoluted interpretation of how to implement social distancing when it comes to public transportation. 

This shit is crazy.

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