So after having come back from a wonderful winter holiday in
Chamonix I headed to work on Monday morning not knowing what to expect as the
French president had announced on Thursday that all schools and day care
centers would be closed till further notice due to the Cornavirus.
On the metro there were a lot less people than usual and when
I got into work there was no one. I checked
my emails and saw that three out of seven team members had been out sick the
week before and what was at first emails like “let HR know if you will be
working from home next week” turned into “Everyone work from home next week”. This directive was sent Sunday evening. An
email from the CEO stated that all projects were frozen and we had to take
seven to eight days of leave for Easter Break.
While digesting all of this an eternal consultant came in
with a face mask to get his laptop. Did
you hear he asked me? All contracts
with external consultants would be terminated before the end of the month. He quickly left and I said goodbye to him,
not with the customary French kiss on the cheek but at a safe distance of one
meter. Afterwards other co-workers
slowly came in to get their laptops and it was announced that this was the last
day the office would be opened. I
gathered my things and said goodbye to my co-workers not knowing what to say as
I didn’t know when I would see them again especially the external consultants
whose contracts would abruptly end before the lock down ended.
On my way out I stopped by the pharmacy and the counter had
been blocked off with tables. On the
table was a hand sanitizer and all the pharmacist had on masks.
As I headed to the metro after I got what I needed from the pharmacy, I couldn’t
help but notice the long lines of people forming outside grocery stores. While on the metro I received a text from a
friend of mine whose wife works at a hospital stating that the hospital had
been informed that there would be a lockdown starting the next day. I started to understand the long lines
outside the grocery store.
I decided to try my luck and stopped by the grocery store
nearest to the apartment. When I got
there the selves were already starting to empty out. Items already gone: Milk, water, bread, pasta, eggs, flour,
sugar, and toilet paper.
That evening the President of France announced the lockdown
that would start at noon the next day and would last for at least fifteen days. He said the
country was at war with an invisible enemy.
In his speech would use the the word war six times.
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