Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Our lives are changing to fight virus threat
The nation is ordered to stay indoors to stop NHS collapse
In just a week, everyone in Kent has has been forced to change their way of life because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Britain is now in lockdown, with the Prime Minister telling the population to stay at home at this moment of “national emergency”.
Since last Wednesday, and under sweeping Government orders, schools have closed as have pubs and restaurants and many shops.
In the UK, 8,077 have contracted the virus and in Kent, there have been 79 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since March 2 and two deaths.
One of those who died was Shirley Brown, an 83-year-old grandmother from St Mary’s Platt who had been looking forward to a family holiday and theatre trips with friends.
Despite limiting her outings and taking sensible precautions she fell ill on March 11 and passed away at Tunbridge Wells Hospital on Saturday.
A 64-year-old Medway man died on Thursday at Medway Maritime Hospital. Both had underlying health conditions. The rapid spread of the virus has put pressure on the NHS, with all non-emergency operations cancelled from mid-april and retired doctors and nurses drafted back in.
Hospitals are adapting, with patients who have tested positive for Covid-19 being cared for in isolation at the QEQM and William Harvey hospitals.
Across Kent, as customers retreat inside and surf the web for bargains retail workers worry about their future.
Supermarket shelves are being stripped bare of essentials, as people panic buy, leading to the chains introducing shopping hours for hospital staff.
However, amongst the gloom, stories of neighbours, business owners and students helping those in need emerge every hour.
Acts of kindness range from a curry house manager giving away food and a football fan raising funds so his beloved club can keep afloat, to smaller gestures, like dropping off essentials for a friend in isolation.
NHS staff at the front line of battle against the disease are not being forgotten about, with a couple, who had their wedding cancelled donating cupcakes to Medway Maritime Hospital workers and one pub giving away free beer to tired staff.
Similarly, schools are rising to the challenge as the majority of pupils learn from home, with online P.E lessons and birthday sing-alongs just some of the measures keeping moral up.
Many have responded to these difficult times with creative measures, such as a vicar streaming her service via Facebook, to her loyal congregation. Businesses have also shown they are willing to adapt.
The virus has not yet reached its peak and the death toll is set to rise.
But the people of Kent have shown they are willing and ready to brace the storm.