Tel Aviv and Coronavirus

Talk about a crazy start to Misha’s career with the State Department. First there was the shutdown. Then there were the impeachment proceedings, which included multiple members of the diplomatic community. And now this: a global pandemic.

Is it me, or does this whole situation make you a bit dizzy? A few nights ago, the sky was black, streets were empty, intense wind shook the building, thunder and lightning sent Mochi running for cover, and there were rumors Israel was getting ready to shut down the country. It felt like the onset of the apocalypse.

At this point, everyone has heard plenty about the coronavirus and containment. If you haven’t we found the below conversation between Joe Rogan and Michael Osterholm, who is director for the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, very enlightening.

To the delight of World War Z, life imitates art. Israel is all over this breakout, going above and beyond the measures taken by most other countries. They were quick to ban non-nationals from entering the country if they were coming from China, Italy, South Korea or Iran, and then quickly added to that list as the virus spread. Early last week they went a step further and said any person entering the country must go into a mandatory two-week quarantine.

Throughout the process, the Ministry of Health has released updated lists of all places where COVID patients had visited (avoid these places!). On Sunday night, most public activity was shut down, but takeout restaurants, grocery stores and pharmacies remain open. We saw early signs of panic buying just before that announcement went public, with big holes on shelves where milk and eggs should be, among other things. Social gatherings were limited, so grocery stores now turn people away at the door to limit the number of customers in the store at any one time. At this point, we’ve stocked up on dry and frozen goods and are ready to self-isolate for a while.

One big bummer for us is the travel we’re missing out on, as I’m sure many people around the world can relate. We were hoping to visit Rome in April, and when that fell through, I was hoping to meet a few friends in Amsterdam. With the cost of European travel so cheap, we were also hoping to make a trip or two over the summer. Unfortunately, listening to Michael Osterholm has made us understand that this pandemic is just getting started. In the interest of public health, we’re likely not going anywhere outside Israel for at least another six months.

Only thing to do now is hunker down with some Netflix, a few good books, and keep up with my newest hobby: vodka infusions!