Quarantine

 

We're in quarantine.

AGAIN! 

Ten days in our home near Geneva.

Let me explain.

We go back and forth from our Geneva home to our second home in Southern France in the Occitania region. Switzerland, rather than insist all people coming in from France quarantine, only insists on it for those from regions with high numbers. Good idea.

In principle I believe in quarantines. As a species, the pandemic battle must be won by humans not the virus.

How it works.

We cross the border at one of the many non-border crossings. We don't do this to sneak across a border, but they are the closest to our home. Sometimes there are guards, sometimes not. On Sunday there were none.

Once home, about a ten minute drive, there are messages on our mobile phones saying we need to go into quarantine for ten days. After seven, if we get a negative test we do not have to do the last three days.

At this point, I've had the q-tips on steroids shoved up my nose to prove I'm negative. It isn't painful and creates a couple of seconds of minor discomfort. All have been negative, a thing that makes me very, very happy.

The last test was 48 hours before entering Switzerland. From the time of the test to entry, we only were with each other, my husband and me. Walking from the pharmacy to our home, we were masked. When we stopped on route to Geneva to use the toilets we were masked. 

Add to that I'm fully vaccinated. My husband is half vaccinated with his second jab scheduled for tomorrow. He can break quarantine to get the jab.

Quarantine means staying at home unlike some places which insists people go to a designated area such as a hotel which they must pay for. I suspect room service for meals adds to their costs.

We are comfy-cozy in our flat. We can stock up on food or order in, a relatively new concept in Geneva allowing us to try different restaurants. Each of us can also decide on a different restaurant. He can do burgers, I can do Indian which if we were going to a restaurant in real time wouldn't happen. When we go out to eat as a couple, we go to the same place.

Both of us are writers deeply embroiled in projects. We are readers. We have more TV stations than we could watch over several lifetimes. There's a beautiful garden outside our front door. Since we are together 24/7 except for a golf game or a quickie errand, being together is normal and doesn't put any pressure on our marriage. 

The dog is probably the one who loses most. We can't take him to his favorite walking places such as the château ruins or the fields behind the village elementary school.

My complaints are simple:

• I'm vaccinated. I'm tested. I should be safe. There's no way to communicate this to the authorities.
  
• Big brother knowing I crossed the border through my mobile phone. 

Throughout the pandemic, the authorities have changed information. I don't get upset at this like some people. Everyone is on untested ground, even the experts. They may have studied pandemics, but studying and living through are two different things.

Compared to people who've lost dearly loved ones, their jobs, homes, businesses 10 days quarantine is nothing but an annoyance because it isn't necessary this time. The other time without the vaccine and the tests it was for the good of others.