At first glance, COVID-19 hasn’t changed life on the island where I live. Our population of 436 mostly robust senior citizens continues offline as usual. Many trudge well into their golden years despite the absence of a doctor, clinic or hospital nearby.
After the recently declared nationwide state of emergency, the only visible change is that more islanders wear masks to the grocery store or when boarding the ferry to the mainland. Islander-to-islander communication remains largely maskless. While the possibility of an outsider bringing the pandemic from the mainland remains a hot topic, most residents haven’t altered the pulse of their regular routine.
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