The Thirteenth Day: 4 April 2020
The Thirteenth Day: 4 April 2020 (41,903 confirmed infected, 4,313 died, in total)
" London, as a major urban centre, has an infection rate that is a week or so ahead of the rest of the country." – Stephen Powis
A daily increased death of 708 people has refreshed the record since the pandemic began. A five-year old child is among the victims. What a daunting number. What a cruel fact.
Today is the national remembrance and condolence day for COVID-19 victims in China. It is also the traditional annual “Qingming Festival” (Tomb Sweeping Day) on which people go to graveyards to remember and honour their ancestors and deceased family members. All overseas embassies and consulates of China lowered their flags today to join this 1.4 billion people’s big event.
It is really a global cataclysm that people of almost every country, in different colours, speaking various languages, having distinct beliefs, are suffering and enduring together.
Watched from our window onto the street, most shops were still closed. More Asian shops were kept running. One third of the pedestrians were wearing face masks now. No one uses the “wait” button for a green signal at the crossing now, to avoid touching public facilities – in fact, there are few vehicles on the street, where those embarrassing blinking traffic lights seem to be losing their jobs.