Yesterday I made a run to my pharmacy to fill a prescription. My pharmacy is in a Publix grocery store. I masked up when entering, passed the attendant wiping down the carts with sanitizer who greeted me. It was only a few steps to the pharmacy window, someone was ahead of me and I waited behind the dutifully marked line indicating 6-feet. I got my prescription and was out of the store in 4-minutes. No lingering or shopping for what I didn’t need.
The route I took home may not have been the fastest. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has picked this age of COVID to pick up the pace of construction on Interstate-4 which runs through Orlando. I chose to take a thru road, Highway 17–92 which runs through a restaurant district in Winter Park. I remember the first days of the virus when the state was locked down except for essential workers. The streets then were almost empty, not so much now as traffic is back to normal as if there were no disease.
I got caught by a stoplight across from a relatively new trendy restaurant. The outdoor seating was packed, the waitress was wearing a mask but none of the customers were. A man with a suit eased his way through the tables, he was wearing a mask. I wondered if he was a customer or employee until he ducked under a rope and threw a box into a dumpster on the side of the building. The light turned green.
I got home and turned on the TV. My cable provider automatically turns on to a local station no matter what I was watching previously. Gov. DeSantis was doing a press conference acknowledging the daily rise in cases but dismissing that because it was almost all younger people less likely to die. He said there would be no reversing the opening up of businesses. I changed the channel.
Although I’m deemed an essential worker, I’ve been off for almost two weeks now because of coronavirus symptoms. It started with chills, then a fever, a cough, diarrhea (too much information I know), and sneezing. Before I needed it, I was assured anyone that needed one could get a test. The reality was most of the testing centers were closed and others not taking appointments. Those were the ones operated by Orange County. The City of Orlando has a rotating site open on Wednesdays. When I tried to call for an appointment on a Friday at 5:02 pm, they were closed until Monday.
I went to an ER and waited patiently for three hours before getting a test. The swab went much farther up my nose than anything is supposed to. I can’t really describe it as pain (it did hurt) but it was as uncomfortable a thing as I’ve experienced lately. The very nice hospital staff explained that I would receive a call within two days if I was positive but that nobody would call if I was negative. I could call them after 72-hours to get my results if I’ve heard nothing.
Two days later, I got a call from the hospital. I’d tested negative. I just knew I had the disease because of my symptoms and after allowing myself to breathe easy after hearing I was Corona-free, I was asked if I had any questions?
“How effective are the tests? I’ve heard about inaccuracies.”
“About 60% effective.”
My relief was gone and my symptoms continued. Since then I’ve now been symptom-free for two days now. CDC guidelines suggest being symptom-free for three days before returning to work so I guess I’m headed back next week. Florida just exceeded 10,000 cases for the first time. Gov. DeSantis was back on television praising the response. He sounds like Trump but with complete sentences.
Masks are required in public in Orange County which includes Orlando and Winter Park where the restaurant I passed was. There was a protest march in Sanford, FL about twenty miles away with people demanding their right to refuse to wear masks. If Sanford sounds familiar, that’s where George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. In Clay County about a hundred miles away. A local sheriff and several deputies made a video about what they would do to any looters in their town. Middleburg isn’t the first place one thinks of to go loot but this is Florida.
In Miami, a police officer slugged a black woman in the face. He claimed she “head-butted” him but the video told a different story. In Tampa, a 30-foot by 60-foot Confederate flag was “temporarily taken down” after protests. Miami Beach will be closed for the Fourth of July but most public beaches will be open. There is no state-wide order to wear masks because DeSantis doesn’t do “politically correct.” He trusts the people to do the responsible thing despite all the examples of irresponsible behavior.
The death rate is a lagging indicator of increasing cases. DeSantis is hopeful we won’t have increasing deaths emulating more cases because of the younger populace testing positive. Surely they won’t interact with their parents and grandparents and pass along COVID-19.
The good news is I have all my vacation days available as there has been no place to go. The bad news is there’s still nowhere to go and some places might require a 14-day quarantine if I went there because… Florida. Hopefully, there will be better news to report in the near future, after all, the President believes the disease will “suddenly disappear.”
Right.
Writer, poet, wannabe philosopher. I write about politics, history, race and social justice. Support me at https://ko-fi.com/williamfspivey0680
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Previously Published on medium