RICO’s DIGET – As we begin the month of March, I can’t help but think back on what we have been through over the course of the past year. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.
On March 16, Costa Rica declared a national emergency n response to the coronavirus pandemic, sending many scrambling to stock up on household supplies. The run on toilet paper is still amusing to me. I wonder who was hoarding all the toilet paper.
On March 18, the country shut down its borders to foreigners and non-residents, applying to the country’s ports of entry via land, air, or sea.
Fortunately, the vaccine roll-out seems to finally be on track toward creating herd immunity. However, it does appear that we will be wearing masks for the foreseeable future. I’m okay with it now. It’s as normal as putting on socks before I put my shoes on.
You basically know that if you are going inside any building or will be around any people that you must wear a mask. I don’t find it difficult to remember it anymore. I had to walk back to my car more than once to retrieve my mask in the early days of the pandemic and that was frustrating.
It has been a remarkable journey for all of us.
From here we have to move forward towards what we hope will soon be a post-pandemic period and to extract from the challenges we faced, the lessons learned, which of the ‘temporary’ changes that were made we can — and should — adopt more permanently.
