Wearing a mask all day in 35-degree heat isn't fun
Last year, the Westmeath Independent ran a feature series, 'Abroad In Uncertain Times', in which we interviewed local people in various parts of the globe about how they were coping with the pandemic while living away from home. We have recently been getting back in touch with those featured for an update on how things have been going since.
Local couple Nicola Slevin, from Moydrum, and Patrick Conlon, from Drumraney, have been living in Canada for more than five years now, and are based in Mississauga, Ontario.
* What is the current situation with the virus in Ontario?
We had been doing really well with getting and keeping our numbers low, but they are slowly starting to rise again. We have 75% of the Ontario population from age 12 upwards with two doses of the vaccine but are getting over 600 cases daily, which is kind of concerning to be honest.
* Is the pandemic continuing to impact on your own life and work?
Luckily both of our jobs aren't really affected by Covid. The main thing is the wearing of masks in public places and work. It's so hot here in summer (35 degrees plus) that wearing a mask all day long is disgusting. But it needs to be done. Other than that, we are good!
* How does the situation feel now, compared to the early stages of the pandemic?
I think the hardest part is over! We are moving along nicely with getting back to normal and within the next month we are rumoured to be allowed to travel around again, so that's a major plus. We had been on a strict work/food shop journey there for many months, so we can now see the end - it's just making the final hurdle!
* What's been the toughest aspect of 2021 for you?
Honestly, we are just fully out of lockdown by roughly one month, so it has been a pretty long year so far. Up until now, doing food shopping or vet visits was a nightmare with endless queues, limits on people inside, and booking appointments was impossible.
* What are your hopes for the rest of this year?
I hope that by Christmas we are back to normal and Covid is a thing of the past!