Grace, who was on holidays in South America, was able to secure a flight home, but will now be spending the next two weeks self-isolating to ensure she does not have coronavirus.
Pat Patt will be writing a column for The News every day, revealing how she is passing the hours.
I opened my wallet last night and realized it is nearly a week since I spent any money, entered a shop, or had a face-to-face conversation with anyone (other than my fellow detainees).
I think I am finding this easier than Jeremy and Grace, and as a friend said in a recent email, I am almost enjoying my ‘safe boredom’.
Jeremy has always worked in a job that involves going out and talking to people, so he is missing that freedom and interaction.
Grace is used to having her own space, heading to the shops or supermarket whenever she needs, being at work all day and going to the gym.
Being unable to zip to the shops whenever we feel like it has made us explore the contents of the freezer — in fact, we went so far as to make a list! (Very organised for us).
We discovered a large stock of sweet chilli chicken tenders (I must have bought them when they were on special — at least twice), so we are trying to come up with ways to eat them when we have no salad ingredients.
They made an interesting combination with pasta bake.
With so much doom and gloom around I think it’s a good time to summon up one’s personal Pollyanna.
Even the most dire situations could be worse (we aren’t being called on to send our sons and daughters off to war) and everything has some positive outcome.
The lack of air traffic will be reducing the amount of CO2 we are pumping into the atmosphere and will improve air quality.
Families are getting to spend quality time together without rushing about madly, and we are reappraising what are the really important things in life: family, friends, community, good health and home.