From free student to locked down in Johannesburg

Coming home for March recess, which is normally just a week long, is always exciting for any student – but the novel Coronavirus pandemic completely changed the way I expected recess to be.

When the North-West University called for an early recess this year, I was so excited to get back to Johannesburg to spend a few extra days with my family. Little did I know how much time this would actually turn out to be.

Potchefstroom had already started taking some novel Coronavirus precautions like sanitising your hands before entering petrol stations and stores, but the reality of the virus hadn’t really sunk in as there were no confirmed cases in the North-West province.

All I knew coming home was that Gauteng was the epicentre of the virus in South Africa and that Sandton and Midrand were hotspots.

Living in the north of Johannesburg but quite some way from Sandton, the threat only began to sink in once the 21-day lockdown period was announced and we were left with three days to prepare. Security guards now stood at the entrances of malls to press the button to issue a parking ticket so you didn’t have to, employees stood at the door of shops to sanitise your hands and your trolley as you entered, and tape was placed on the floor in queues to ensure that you practice social distancing.

Although people were encouraged not to panic-buy, the shelves were empty and people’s trolleys were full. I was, however, impressed with the efficiency of the shops in my area. They restricted the number of essential goods that people could buy, such as spray bottles for hand sanitiser and medication like Med-Lemon or Berocca, to ensure there was enough for everyone. While some people went overboard, it was understandable as we all had to prepare for something we never anticipated.

My family planned to do our shopping on a weekly basis, and buying certain items online to avoid being in contact with others. Given the fact that I don’t work during the day, I was given the responsibility of gathering the “supplies” before the nationwide lockdown was implemented.

Malls were a no-go on 25 and 26 March, as people queued outside banks, pharmacies and grocery stores – only a certain number of people were allowed inside.

However, people were very respectful of each other’s space and chose to practice patience while queueing for up to half an hour. The more places I went to, the more I realised that malls were the only option, as smaller centres and stand-alone shops were left with no stock to sell.

With just a few hours before the lockdown, a lot of people took to the streets to give their dogs their last walk or go on their last run for the time being. Although everybody was understandably nervous about what was to come, it was all smiles as we greeted each other along the way. Going to sleep the night before lockdown was not easy, but reality hadn’t really set in until around day three. I watched the news every morning, but it didn’t feel real.

Now that we are at level four restrictions, I still only leave the house for essentials, however, the roads are incredibly quiet and judging by the continuous silence, I can tell that people are taking the government’s regulations seriously. At first, the idea of spending 35 days at home was daunting, but now that some restrictions have been lifted , I feel that it has become easier. It feels like a new-normal, and serves as a reminder to focus on that which you can control.