Practicing Social Distancing is Tough!

The Corona Times – March 28, 2020

by Rhonda Gunter
Chair of the Board of Directors of the MCHS

NOTE: On Friday, March 27, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper issued a statewide Stay At Home order (Executive Order 121) that directs people to stay at home except to visit essential businesses, to exercise outdoors or to help a family member. Specifically, the order bans gatherings of more than 10 people and directs everyone to physically stay at least six feet apart from others. The order is issued to be in effect from 5:00 p,m. March 30, 2020 until April 29, 2020 and can be amended based on circumstances. Rhonda Gunter does a great job of capturing the disruption to daily life COVID-19 has caused.

Rhonda Gunter and Car

I’m ready to go somewhere!

Here’s a confession for this Corona Virus journal: I’m not doing well with social distancing. For sure, I’m unhappy about cancellation of events to which I was really looking forward – Mitchell County Historical Society’s annual History Bee, Holy Week services at Spruce Pine First Presbyterian Church, and a cruise in April, in particular. I’m also having trouble adjusting to other parts of my life that have been put on hold: eating out with family and friends, regular game nights, and volunteer work, just to name a few. And I miss work! As a retiree, I only worked two days a week, but I miss seeing my co-workers and the students. I’m not saying I was a social butterfly, but I was used to going where I wanted and doing what I wanted when I wanted.

And being stuck inside my house is the pits. I live alone with just my dog Rocky to keep me company. Talk about cabin fever! At least it has been nice a couple of days this week, and I was able to get outside for yard work. Otherwise, I’m reading, watching TV, and doing some genealogy, which are all great pastimes, but the same things day in, day out? Yeah, yeah, I know I could clean house, but I’m not that desperate yet! LOL

Okay, I’ve gotten all that out of my system now. In reality, I completely endorse the necessity to self-isolate, avoid contact with as many people as possible, and observe all recommendations for social distancing, hand washing, etc., which are certainly only common sense. As of 5:00 PM Monday, there will be more restrictions; Governor Roy Cooper has ended non-essential travel in NC. Hopefully, if we all follow the rules, we can “flatten the curve” and prevent the acceleration in the spread of the infection that would bring to NC the medical crisis that other states are experiencing.

So, I’ll reserve my right to whine about my “new normal” (one of my privileges as an American!), but I will for sure do my part by limiting social interaction in all the ways mandated. Not only will these adjustments protect me, but also the family and friends that I plan to socialize with when all this is over.

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If you have stories, images, or videos that you would like to include in The Corona Times, please e-mail mitchellnchistory@gmail.com with your stories and files for inclusion. If you have problems sending us videos, please e-mail and we will make arrangements for you to upload the video to us.

About the Numbers

You will note a series of numbers contained in the blog. They document the spread of virus through confirmed cases by the federal Centers for Disease Control and by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. These are the official totals provided by state and local government at the date of the post and do not include estimates or cases not confirmed by these agencies. This is our effort to provide an accurate gauge of confirmed virus spread as it continues during the pandemic.

935

Cases in North Carolina
3/28/20

87

North Carolina Hospitalizations
3/28/20

79

Cases in Western North Carolina
3/28/20

4

Deaths in North Carolina
3/28/20

103,321

Cases in the United States
3/28/20

1,668

Deaths in the United States
3/28/20