Being an accounting of the recent and continuing pandemic and its various circumstances, from the perspective of an inhabitant of the regions lately called the Lost Quarter. Dates unknown.

Day Four Hundred Forty Two

What a change two weeks has brought us. The tide that threatened to overwhelm us has at last begun to recede as the grippe reborn slowly loses his hold on these parts. The speed of the drop in those afflicted has been as startling as the rise and must surely be the result of the inoculation campaign which has picked up pace in the last weeks. It is heartening to see the effectiveness of the inoculations play out in real time.

Restrictions are now being lifted. Across the Dominions the story is the same. Numbers are falling precipitously and plans for a return to normalcy are being announced. In these parts the plans are aggressive, with an end to all quarantine restrictions called for by the end of June. We are, again, out of step with the rest of the Dominions, who are much more conservative in their proposed plans. It looks even more odd when one considers we were the last to see the tide of the dread lord begin to retreat.

Of course, given the events of the past month it is no surprise. The government is being torn apart by the debate over the necessity of the restrictions and the premier desperately needs some kind of win to save his leadership. A cautious approach would probably be better. Far better to be able to move up relaxation of the quarantine protocols than to move too quickly and be forced into retreat yet again. But that seems to be this government’s preferred mode of operation.

Despite all that, it feels as though a weight has begun to be lifted from our lives with the falling cases. I will still be cautious, regardless of whether the restrictions remain in place, at least until I have my second dose. How can one not remain cautious after all that has happened the last year? It is hard to allow myself to hope after all the times I have done so and it has been thwarted. Instead I shall wait and see what comes, giving in to neither hope nor despair.