As COVID-19 began to spread at an alarming rate, my mother thought it would be best for my siblings and me to fly down to stay with my father for the time being. He lives in St. Augustine, Florida and there are far fewer confirmed cases there then there are in New York. In Point Lookout, where I live, there were about six confirmed cases. This was right before I left for Florida, about three weeks ago, so that number has most likely increased since then. Fearing we were in danger of catching the virus, my mother sent us down to Florida in hopes of avoiding the dreaded coronavirus.
Being quarantined away from home is definitely difficult, and knowing you can’t go back for an extended period of time leaves you distraught and at times rather furious. I am stuck in an unfamiliar location, uncertain about the future, and constantly worrying about my loved ones back home. It’s easy to panic and appear afraid of what the future holds, which is why I try to keep my mind off the subject, keeping myself occupied while quarantined. My dad lives on a ranch in a remote area close to St. Augustine, making it rather easy to keep myself distanced from other individuals. I’m here with my father and four of my siblings. My sister Jackie is back in New York, she works at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan and is required to work through the ongoing pandemic. We try to keep in touch with her as much as possible, for we are worried about her well being, and know her work is extremely stressful, especially now.
We try to stay on the ranch as much as possible, leaving the grounds for food shopping purposes only. And when we do venture out into the world, we make sure to keep our distance from those around us, as well as sanitizing accordingly when we return back home. Following these guidelines is extremely important to my family and me. My father is sick, and we must take extreme measures in preventing ourselves from attracting the virus for his sake. So, residing on his secluded ranch seems to be the only advantage we have gained throughout these uncomforting times.
And as the number of cases in Florida begins to rise, we are beginning to see further restrictions enforced in order to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Beaches have officially closed, as well as a majority of the public venues in the area. The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis has also issued a statewide stay at home initiative after a long delay in response to the growing number of cases in the state. There are currently one hundred sixty-two confirmed cases in St. Johns County, where my father lives, as well as two deaths. Obviously a much better situation than back in my home state of New York, but still a bit nerve-racking.
My family and I have done everything in our power to fight through this painful and chilling situation. Being together with one another has definitely made it easier for every one of us, having your loved ones around you helps ease the pain of this harsh reality. We are trying to remain positive, keeping in mind that better days are not so far down the road.
I am hopeful that this will all be over soon and wish for nothing but for everyone to be free from this terrible situation. Remaining safe should be of the utmost importance for all individuals at this time, and I hope everyone reading this is doing okay, and know that they are not alone.
