So it is 9th of May 2020. I no longer keep track how many days it has been since Malaysia started the Movement Control Order or MCO on 18th March 2020.
We are now in Phase 4 of the more relaxed MCO or CMCO- Conditional Movement Control Order which means a lot of businesses and shops are allowed to reopen and more people are allowed outside.
Anyway, I just wanted to pen down how I really feel about this situation, what I felt when all this started and how I feel right now that we are allowed to resume our life again albeit with a whole lot more procedures.
At the Beginning
Like a lot of people then, I couldn't care less about the "Wuhan"virus affecting China back in December. I didn't even bother to click on the news because I honestly thought it's a "thing" in China. I had just gotten back from Tokyo with my husband and everything seemed normal.
Then slowly when the virus got closer to home i.e. Singapore had its first came, I kind of knew at the back of my head it would eventually get to Malaysia seeing how close our borders are. Then my friends and family members started sharing articles and concerns about the Virus, I started getting a little bit more conscious but still tried to push away the thought of how contagious this virus could be. My aunt had then suggested we get face masks and sanitizers and then I saw a video by WHO which said that Mask would not help and so I was telling my aunt that perhaps she was overthinking this whole thing.
By then, my husband and I were already planning for our yearly Sakura Trip to Japan and we really didn't want to cancel our trip. We were watching news from Europe and also WHO trying to gauge the situation because u know we seemed to think that the Western world would surely know better right? We convinced ourselves that we would be alright.
And then we got our first imported case. I remember clearly because I was already following the news closely. It was a Chinese national who had entered our border from Singapore. And he was discharged a week or so later. So that gave me hope again.
And then the numbers jumped to 26, and it turned out that a lot of people knew who patient 26 is as he is a corporate figure in Malaysia. And unfortunately he had spread it to a lot of people and one whom I knew personally from work (not in my office). Hearing this news made me worried because I had met people who had been in contact with the positive case. It was a pretty intense week at work, no one could really focus as we were all scrambling to get ourselves protected and if our office is going to close.
You know on hindsight, it felt like Malaysia will never be able to close all office and allow employees to work from home or schools being closed. I didn't think it was economically and socially possible....By then we have seen how crazy the situation was in China.... I didn't think we will ever be in a lock down situation albeit not a full lock down.
During the Lock-down
Then the Government made the announcement on National TV. I have not watched the national news so diligently ever in a really long time, so it did feel somewhat scary, it's unprecedented. It did feel like Hollywood film about viruses and pandemic and you need to hide from the virus. Do u think I was overthinking back then?
The first night of the MCO, the roads were quiet and almost empty it was unreal. On the 3rd or 4th day I had to pick something up from my mum's place and we drove around at night and the roads were empty. Nothing we've ever seen even during long holidays..
Then slowly the MCO got more restricted, the Government were employing the army and police to conduct roadblocks and to enforce people to stay home in the bid to fight this virus. Then came all these new terms Social Distancing, Lock down, Pandemic, New Normal , Stay Safe. Social Media was bursting with all the Covid-19 information.
While at home, I was constantly checking if I had sore throat or fever because I am Alhamdulillah someone who does not get sick easily. But during this time, any sniffles or slight uneasiness or tightness in my throat had me on feet. I would constantly check with my sister who is in Dublin if she too had felt what I felt. And then we had a concall with my mum and found out that my mum was as paranoid as we both were. That was probably the first time in a long time that we had a laugh about this whole pandemic.
to be continued.....
We are now in Phase 4 of the more relaxed MCO or CMCO- Conditional Movement Control Order which means a lot of businesses and shops are allowed to reopen and more people are allowed outside.
Anyway, I just wanted to pen down how I really feel about this situation, what I felt when all this started and how I feel right now that we are allowed to resume our life again albeit with a whole lot more procedures.
At the Beginning
Like a lot of people then, I couldn't care less about the "Wuhan"virus affecting China back in December. I didn't even bother to click on the news because I honestly thought it's a "thing" in China. I had just gotten back from Tokyo with my husband and everything seemed normal.
Then slowly when the virus got closer to home i.e. Singapore had its first came, I kind of knew at the back of my head it would eventually get to Malaysia seeing how close our borders are. Then my friends and family members started sharing articles and concerns about the Virus, I started getting a little bit more conscious but still tried to push away the thought of how contagious this virus could be. My aunt had then suggested we get face masks and sanitizers and then I saw a video by WHO which said that Mask would not help and so I was telling my aunt that perhaps she was overthinking this whole thing.
By then, my husband and I were already planning for our yearly Sakura Trip to Japan and we really didn't want to cancel our trip. We were watching news from Europe and also WHO trying to gauge the situation because u know we seemed to think that the Western world would surely know better right? We convinced ourselves that we would be alright.
And then we got our first imported case. I remember clearly because I was already following the news closely. It was a Chinese national who had entered our border from Singapore. And he was discharged a week or so later. So that gave me hope again.
And then the numbers jumped to 26, and it turned out that a lot of people knew who patient 26 is as he is a corporate figure in Malaysia. And unfortunately he had spread it to a lot of people and one whom I knew personally from work (not in my office). Hearing this news made me worried because I had met people who had been in contact with the positive case. It was a pretty intense week at work, no one could really focus as we were all scrambling to get ourselves protected and if our office is going to close.
You know on hindsight, it felt like Malaysia will never be able to close all office and allow employees to work from home or schools being closed. I didn't think it was economically and socially possible....By then we have seen how crazy the situation was in China.... I didn't think we will ever be in a lock down situation albeit not a full lock down.
During the Lock-down
Then the Government made the announcement on National TV. I have not watched the national news so diligently ever in a really long time, so it did feel somewhat scary, it's unprecedented. It did feel like Hollywood film about viruses and pandemic and you need to hide from the virus. Do u think I was overthinking back then?
The first night of the MCO, the roads were quiet and almost empty it was unreal. On the 3rd or 4th day I had to pick something up from my mum's place and we drove around at night and the roads were empty. Nothing we've ever seen even during long holidays..
Then slowly the MCO got more restricted, the Government were employing the army and police to conduct roadblocks and to enforce people to stay home in the bid to fight this virus. Then came all these new terms Social Distancing, Lock down, Pandemic, New Normal , Stay Safe. Social Media was bursting with all the Covid-19 information.
While at home, I was constantly checking if I had sore throat or fever because I am Alhamdulillah someone who does not get sick easily. But during this time, any sniffles or slight uneasiness or tightness in my throat had me on feet. I would constantly check with my sister who is in Dublin if she too had felt what I felt. And then we had a concall with my mum and found out that my mum was as paranoid as we both were. That was probably the first time in a long time that we had a laugh about this whole pandemic.
to be continued.....
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