Greetings and welcome to the California “Staycation” in which we have all been asked and/or encouraged to isolate our families for at least the next two weeks. Like many of you, I have devoured everything I can find on the internet or in my inbox about the coronavirus. The math and the bad examples from China and Europe have convinced me that the staycation is necessary to slow the spread of the COVID-19 and give the medical providers a chance to get a handle on how many people are infected.
Our business, like many others, has been put on a by-appointment only-basis. Open houses are off the menu and we understand that any showings will take approximately three times as long. We will need time before and after any showing to sanitize all door and cabinet handles.
Sara and I are using the time to complete our income tax preparation and dig into the piles of home improvement projects and reading that have accumulated. It’s a good time to make some chicken soup and stay hydrated.
City Hall is now closed, with all public meetings cancelled or postponed, minimizing any possibility of it serving as an infection vector. The city has more information on their website at malibucity.org. The city council meeting scheduled for March 23 has been cancelled. An emergency city council meeting was held on Monday the 16th to ratify a Declaration of Local Emergency.
We are all fortunate that Malibu has great outdoor areas to get a little exercise and expose ourselves to clean air fresh off the Pacific Ocean, while maintaining a healthy social distance.
During the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918, “fresh air therapy” was found to result in a greater rate of recovery, according to accounts from the time. Since that time, vitamin D, which we get from daylight, and exercise have been shown to positively affect our immune systems, which may help us avoid infection.
If we must go out for supplies, some believe it is important to immediately change clothing when you arrive at home and launder any clothing that may have been exposed to the general public. It looks like I will be living in sweats, eating chicken soup, gargling with salt water and saluting from a distance, rather than fist bumping, for the immediate future.
Good luck to all of you and your extended families.