One more day in the Weird World

Oh how the advice flows in. Actually I welcome it since I am basically sifting sand through my fingers looking for lumps that I could examine more closely. Clearly things are changing in Oaxaca, unfortunately it is not so clear as to how they are changing. A variety of institutional settings have been bailing over the last few days. Schools closed Friday, date for reopening not announced. I think it is the same for the universities but since they are almost out on some sort of strike it is hard to tell. Museums and Galleries have been slowly shutting down over the last few days.

Some awareness of social distancing is emerging but at a fifteenth birthday event ceremony ( a big deal for girls in Mexico) in front of the Santa Domingo church tonight there was a lot of hugging and an absence of elbow bumping. I noticed that one of my favourite restaurants had the gates locked with a sign saying we are closed except for takeout or UberEats. My local pub was deserted so I stopped for a beer. Not long after, the regulars, lovely people, arrived and I left.

If we can believe what my phone tells me the rate of increase is still surprising slow in Mexico. The federal Govt has declared Monday as the day in which serious constraints will be put in force. Hard to imagine what this will look like. For a lot of families life is a day by day and hand to mouth operation. An incredible number of people survive in the informal economy, there is a public health system that can be accessed, but I think. that for many of these people access is limited.

So tomorrow is Sunday, the tourists, all be it, a reduced population will wander the streets and on Monday we shall see.