These are strange times, hard times likely to become more strange and more difficult with the changes that COVID-19 has unleashed upon our lives.
We live with a measure of fear, a wrathful footnote that wasn’t there before. Those who live through this time will recount to their children and grandchildren having survived a pandemic.
Though it is yet unknown the impact the coronavirus will exact on the local and trans-border economy, it appears that a new business climate of extremes is evolving at the head-spinning speed of the virulent spread of the disease.
Thanks to hoarders, local grocery chains have seen a couple of weeks of sales that with recurring alacrity have depleted inventories. Further down the food chain, hard working restaurateurs have seen their dining rooms become the vacant space between the kitchen and the front door where take-out orders are handed to patrons who phoned in.
For the most part, I think we comprehend what’s at hand and what lies ahead. Before the first case was confirmed here, news from city after city across the country and around the world beat the drum of deadly foreboding.
A glance at a graph in a March 14, 2020 story in The Washington Post charts the exponential curve of the disease’s spread in the United States. States. In 51 days the number of confirmed cases grew from one on January 22 to 2,170 cases by March 13.
The story’s author, Harry Stevens, writes, “If the Number of cases were to continue to double every three days, there would be about a hundred million cases in the United States by May. That is math, not prophecy.”
The number of confirmed cases nationally is now at about 53,000, with 705 deaths.
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, sums up the Trump administration’s bumbling take on how to deal with the pandemic as a lurid celebration of “alternative facts,” a contempt for science and an assault on global institutions and the “administrative state.” He writes of Trump, “….at least for the moment he has ceded the argument: he cannot bend the harshest realities of the world to his fantasies. The aggressive and deadly coronavirus is unimpressed and unimpeded by the bluster of a con” and “….the time it took him to recognize the power of the pandemic that has emptied our streets, has put untold Americans at risk.”
Well stated. The president’s prolonged, indecisive dally with reality bears the cost of lives, a growing cost tabulated daily.
Many who took in the last virtual emergency meeting of the Laredo City Council on March 17, were able to see its least enlightened members argue for more than three hours against measures adopted across the country (and the world) to interrupt the alacrity of the spread of COVID-19. The primary argument of the naysayers was largely economic impact rather than implementing measures that could preclude the loss of one more human soul — the former a foregone conclusion across the world, the latter the necessity.
By the time the meeting concluded, as though the naysayers had sipped from the cup of reason or thought of their own children and elderly parents living through the pandemic, they voted unanimously to close restaurants, bars, maquinitas, bingo halls, gyms, reception halls, malls, bowling alleys, and theaters. In the end, they encouraged social distancing and discouraged hoarding. (A complete list of their decisions is attached.)
The weight of the coronavirus on our lives is palpable — a discomfiting, life-altering force with the raw power to fray the rhythm of our days and threaten the sweet, supple edges of love and purpose that anchor us to this life. It’s a force, too, that engenders — inspires — kindness and introspections about time and love squandered, things said but never meant, letters written and never sent.
These are the comments and stories of others:
NYDIA VALDEZ, 53: HOMEMAKER, CAREGIVER, ADVOCATE FOR THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION
Nydia Valdez, the mother of two grown daughters, the grandmother of two, and caregiver for her 74-year-old mother, a cancer survivor with a chemotherapy-compromised immune system, calls these “tenuous times.”
She asked, “Does anyone really know what’s going on? Does the federal government have a handle on this? No, it does not.”
Valdez said the speed of the spread of coronavirus calls for a realistic personal plan to get through the weeks and months ahead. “We have to take personal responsibility for our own safety and that of our children, our spouse, and our parents. We need to isolate ourselves to the extent that is possible. Every home should have a drill for washing and sanitizing and practice extreme caution for the family member who has to go to work every day. In our case, that is my husband, who is also auto-immune compromised, and may come into contact with as many as 100 co-workers on a shift.”
Valdez commented on the madness of shoppers hoarding and stockpiling to the extreme that it may be keeping others in need — particularly the elderly — from food to sustain themselves, such as milk and fresh eggs. “How sad was it to see that Sam’s had hired uniformed police guards to control the inventory of water and paper goods. I thought that was only happening here, but that craziness is everywhere,” she observed.
She said that even as she understands that she and her family have food and cleaning supplies enough for a few weeks, and that she has no doubt that self-quarantine is the key to stem the spread of the virus, a thought lingers
that the situation could ramp up into a more dire set of circumstances.
“We are hunkering down, and we are praying,” Valdez said.
CAPT. JOEY LOPEZ, JR., 44: LAREDO FIRE DEPARTMENT
Capt. Joey López Jr., a 24-year veteran with the Laredo Fire Department and a registered nurse at the Emergency Room at the Laredo Medical Center, is on high alert about COVID 19, not only as a public servant but also in the need to ensure the safety of his two young children.
“The news of the first confirmed case in Laredo moved me quickly into survival instinct and to formulate a plan for our household. We are prepared for the lockdown. Tricia and I have come up with creative ways to make the best of the next two weeks with our children, to provide play activities with learning experiences.,” he said.
López said he is “hyper alert” to reduce chances of exposure for his children.
“Because of my work, it’s tough thinking that I could be a high threat to my family. I do all possible to decontaminate my work site before I come home. Once I’m home, my work clothes go into a plastic bag and then to the washer and dryer.”
He said he is happy to have planned in advance to spend spring break with his kids. “This worked out. My focus is on preparation, and even as I prepare, there is a nervous uncertainty about this time. As parents we try to do our best for them, but we find ourselves in a situation beyond our control.”
He described the life span of the coronavirus on different surfaces. “It remains intact on metal almost 24 hours. It can be cleaned with disinfectant. On clothing it has a mean time of about 12 hours. On skin it has a life of 15 to 25 minutes. It’s important to lather hands and arms for 15 to 20 seconds, including between fingers and to wash the face,” he said, adding that the particles and droplets of a sneeze 10 feet away can float in the air for up to three hours.
“This information is a good argument for social distance and self-quarantine for this interim of uncertainties,” he said.
MARU PORTILLO ALEXANDER, 61: ARTIST
Maru Portillo believes the flip side of the coronavirus’ looming, dark reality is a cognitive moment of understanding what has value in life. The pandemic and all the insecurity of it, she said, have made the world smaller. “No one is spared the life-changing impact of this event,” she said. “There is no world order. Each country is doing what it needs to do to survive.”
Portillo and her husband Rodolfo are in self-quarantine. “With our social life with good friends on hold for this time, we have continued to spend time en el aire libre outdoors walking, cycling, or kayaking on Lake Casa Blanca at daybreak.
“As we move through so much beauty on the water, each of us in our own kayak — the vista, the smell of fresh water, the coolness of the morning, the birds, and the sunrise — there is much silent reflection, but there are also conversations about what humankind has done to the natural world and about the need to re-seed values that protect the Earth.”
Calling off a large family event that would have drawn travelers from Canada, New York, and Mexico, was stress-fraught for Portillo, as had been its planning over the last half year. “All the mounting unknowns about what would come to be called the pandemic made the decision for us. We will see each other when it is not a risk to travel,” she said.
“Because the world is on hold, because less people are in their vehicles, because they are not dumping their waste onto the ground or into the rivers, because even their bad habits are on hold — water and the air are likely cleaner these days,” Portillo said.
VALENTIN RUIZ: 52, VETERAN, SPECIAL ED TEACHER AIDE, SURVIVAL SKILLS INSTRUCTOR
Former Boy Scout Valentín Ruiz, who is also a veteran U.S. Army-trained sniper, said he is hard-wired for preparedness and that his family is staying home for the next couple of weeks.
“Our pantry will take care of us. I go out if we need something, and when I come back to our home, I take off my shoes and decontaminate them, and wash my clothes and dry them at a high heat. We disinfect our home with 150-proof alcohol, bleach, ammonia, and vinegar, leaving nothing to chance. We have our meals together and are getting used to all of us being home at the same time during the day,” Ruiz said.
He believes the federal government was slow to react to the sobering reality of the coronavirus. “Having a president who is elusive with the truth has added to the paranoia levels many are experiencing. He is not reassuring. This is not the flu,” he stressed. “What are we waiting for? Stacks of corpses in body bags like in China or Italy? Not enough respirators in hospitals to keep people alive? This complacency to ignore that our house is on fire, could well be our downfall,” he continued.
Ruiz said that food hoarders are taking sustenance from the mouths of the elderly, the most vulnerable citizens in the coronavirus equation. “The elderly really need our help. Most live on very small incomes, and many live with dialysis or the need to address other life-threatening diseases. That they have to struggle for food is just wrong,” he said, adding, “I’m glad stores are putting limits on what you can put in your cart, though that puts a crimp in what I’ve loaded up to take to an old vecina or a disabled veteran who can’t get transportation to the store. Dealing with food insecurity in the face of this pandemic is surely devastating,” Ruiz said. “Not everyone can prep, but everyone has the right to try to survive.”
According to Ruiz — a special education teacher’s aide, a private security contractor, and the owner of Ruiz Vale Tudo SWAT, a school that teaches survival skills and tactics — “the City should take responsibility for a mandated lockdown.”
MARGARITA GOVEA, 35: SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
Margarita Govea and José Cantu, who opened The Phoenix Bookstore in late December 2019 in a century-old building they restored in the St. Peter’s Historic District, face today what many other Laredo retailers do — no in-store sales.
Govea said that in the short time the store has been open, they have enjoyed building a clientele of readers and coffee drinkers.
“We look forward to seeing them again when we get through these current circumstances. We have let them know via social media that books and coffee are available curbside at the store for orders that are phoned in. We are also delivering to homes or businesses orders of $20 or more,” Govea said, adding that the Phoenix menu is on Facebook as are photos of books in their inventory.
“We will miss the art classes, the book readings, and the community gatherings that complement this beautiful space,” she said of the two-story brick building at 1602 Victoria. “We’ll be here when this passes, but I fear for many small businesses that will not be able to come back. For this interim we should all be supporting the small businesses that have made our lives easier,” Govea said.
JOSEFINA DUARTE, 51: JANITORIAL SERVICE EMPLOYEE
“I had a job until about a week ago. Our crew was dispatched to a trucking company that has bathrooms and shower facilities for drivers who have brought machinery and manufacturing parts from the northern U.S. for export to Mexico. We were told we were going to sanitize those areas and that when we got there we would be provided with gloves and masks. We were not. I worked that day because I told my boss I would, and because I needed the money. When I told her I wouldn’t go back there again, she informed me I didn’t have a job, Duarte said.
“I didn’t have time or money to prepare with food or medicine or water. By the time I got to a store, the shelves were empty. It’s like a bad movie about the end of the world — scarce food, panic, people wearing masks, stores without what we need. As if we need another reminder, poverty can keep you from having what you need,” the single mother of four said.
“I have already lived a life, but what about my children? Who will care for them if I am gone? Who will defend them?” Duarte asked.
TOMMY IZAGUIRRE JR., 41: PHARMACIST, LAREDO DOWNTOWN PHARMACT
“I worry about the elderly residents of the two downtown residential centers. They are their own communities, but it is as though they are on an island, a bit isolated and vulnerable — not all of them able to get to a grocery store, many of them certainly not able to stand in a line outside the store waiting to get in,” said Izaguirre, who fills prescriptions for many of those residents.
“We have built good relationships with them, and they trust us, so much so that when they have received a piece of mail they don’t understand, they ask us about it,” he said.
“If they took a bus to a grocery store, how will they have the energy to walk to their buildings carrying grocery bags? We can’t forget them, and more so now. Some of them no longer spend part of their day at adult day care centers which offered them a social life, breakfast and lunch, and trips to stores,” he continued. “I hope they have been advised that HEB is partnering with FAVOR for a Senior Support Line (favordelivery.com/senior) for same day grocery delivery.”
“We have served downtown and all of the city for the last 34 years. We have delivered long before Amazon Prime and have never charged for delivery. Home delivery is a vital service, and quick delivery is a priority. We want everyone who is experiencing an illness to know that they can stay home and have their prescription sent to us. We’ll deliver or have it ready for curbside pick-up.”
JORGE SANTANA, 33: SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
Jorge Santana repairs computers from a 200-square foot building at 1005 Santa María, doing business as Computer Hospital.
“People are dusting off their old home computers and upgrading them to be able to work or study at home. I’ve had a steady stream of attorneys, educators, brokers, and managers of logistics companies in here to upgrade for virtual access to their offices,” Santana said, noting that two women who work in international trade had been notified one morning they would be working from home and had to be up and running by that afternoon. “I set them up quickly,” he said.
“There’s a run on home computers. I think once this crisis passes, businesses are going to realize they don’t need their employees all at one site, that having them work from home is a model that works and has benefits for the employer and the employee,” he said.
Santana said that most of his clients who are upgrading seem to believe that the crisis will span two weeks. “I think a better guess is that we may be in for a longer run, and so I have gotten creative to adapt to the scenario in which we find ourselves. I’ve been offering free pickup and delivery. I’ve also been working remotely by logging onto their system and talking them through the changes they need made — all at the regular price. If I wait for someone to knock on the door, I could be waiting a long time. My service is in and out, some of it the same day. I can help attorneys who need remote participation in a virtual trial. I can help students at TAMIU who will be accessing their classes online,” he continued.
He has repaired computers for 15 years, 10 at his present location.
Santana reflected on the weight of the pandemic on the heart.
“The news has an apocalyptic edge to it. When this is over, what will our world look like? It’s going to be rough. How will we come back? Who will be lost? The global economy will shift in a way that affects everyone,” he said.
“It is my hope that this will open our eyes to what our necessities and priorities really are. It may make us more efficient and more practical, and it may make us stop hoarding objects we have no use for. It may make us frugal. It may make us better communicators in our families, and it may make us more cognizant of the need to spend quality time with those who love us. In my self-quarantine, I’ve been enjoying my home, which I had bought because it was so beautiful. The kitchen table, the patio, and the garden offer tranquility. There is life beyond owning a business and putting money in the bank. Life has changed over these weeks, and yet the air this spring is once again full of the soothing, familiar fragrance of azar (citrus blossoms.)”
The Washington Post: Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”
City of Laredo: COVID-19 Fact Sheet
