QUARANTINE - DAY 10 - 15th March 2020 Today is the second Sunday of quarantine in Bethlehem and the doors of churches there, including the Church of the Nativity, remain closed. Easter is approaching and Bethlehem, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism, hopes quarantine will be lifted in time to welcome tourists back. A 13-year-old schoolgirl, Sidra Abu Ghosh from Talita Kumi School writes about life under quarantine in Bethlehem: A few days ago we started online schooling. It wasn’t that bad! It has its negative side and its positive side but it has made me more responsible and more realistic but its negative side is that I’m not used to it . I don’t know how to use technology that well. I mean I know how to use it but not for studying. My mom thinks that it is a great idea and that it makes me more responsible. It has been ten days since the coronavirus outbreak here in Bethlehem. We have been forced into quarantine to limit the spread of the virus. This is a very distressing experience for me and my family with no end in sight. Before the quarantine started, we were not that stressed or that bored. Nowadays these past few days have felt like months. Now I cannot get out of the house at all and I don't have the freedom to do things I want. What is making it worse is that my family is so scared and I am the one who is telling them not to panic. My mom has to work from home now because her office is in Ramallah and she cannot leave us. My father is following up on the situation of the SOS children village here in Bethlehem. Finally I have to say that homework’s were for the following subjects German, physics, Arabic and religion didn’t take that much time for me to complete. I was surprised with myself because usually it would take me hours to finish my homework! Best wishes to those who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus I hope everyone stays healthy and this quarantine ends soon. |
