Scenes From the New Normal

The new normal can be summed up in one word: Stupid. Everything about it is dumb. All the plastic. All the masks. All the social distancing. It's all dumb and it's effectiveness is questionable as the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines continues to rise. For instance how is sanitizing a vehicle's wheels going to stop the virus?

Is the coronavirus wiggling around in the road? Are the streets a petri dish covered with the virus?

I went to two stores recently and I had to sign-in at both of them!

They wanted my name, telephone number, and the city I live in. Why? Contact tracing? At least the second store was more sensible about it and had me fill out a health questionnaire.

1. Do you have any of the symptoms below? 

Cold

Cough

Fever

Sore Throat

Shortness of Breath

Abdominal Pain

I don't feel any of the symptoms 

2. Have you worked together or stayed in the close environment of  a confirmed COVID-19 case? (less than 1 meter for 15 minutes) 

3. Have you been exposed to any one who is sick or have flu-like symptoms in the past 2 weeks? 

4. Have you travelled outside the Philippines in the past 14 days? 

5. Have you travelled to any area in the NCR aside from your home?

It's more sensible but not any less stupid. Is this for contact tracing? Is this really going to stop the virus? You fill out the questionnaire, get your body temp scanned, and get your hand sprayed with alcohol and you go right in. Are the store employees even going to remember who I am and do a follow up? If employees start coughing will they track me down?

We all know the saying: Never let a good crisis go to waste. In the Philippines every crisis is a good excuse for politicians to get their face out in the public.

These posters are all over town. The faces of the Mayor, Vice Mayor, local Congressman, and the entire City Council are beaming down at you reminding you to BE SAFE. This banner has even been reduced to sticker size and plastered inside jeepenies.

Nobody's face appears on this sticker but the Mayor's name is at the bottom. That is still epal.

I have written elsewhere about a Robinson's Supermarket which has padlocked one of their doors.

I have already pointed out that this is an illegal fire hazard. However I have more information about this situation because I was finally able ask the management about it.

The manager I spoke with acknowledged it is a fire hazard but gave the excuse that we are in the midst of a pandemic and these kinds of measure are necessary. He also said that he was confident the building's sprinkler system would quench any fire and that the security guard would unlock the door. But the best part of all that nonsense is that he said the PNP approved this illegal fire hazard!

How will breaking the fire code and putting people in danger defeat the virus!?  It won't.