My youngest – who is “not little!” as he would tell you – slipped off the slide at home 2 weeks ago and fractured his wrist.
Production day for the newspaper was in full swing when I got the call.
Pieter rushed home, bundled him into the car and we all hurtled over to the emergency room at Alberlito hospital.
Exactly the one place I had hoped to avoid in the midst of a pandemic.
When I was calm enough to take note of my surroundings I was surprised at how empty it was.
I had pictured dozens of Covid patients and exhausted doctors in hazmat suits.
When I inquired, the doctor on duty gave me a wry smile, saying they had had the first quiet day in at least 2 months (at least Ruben can be congratulated on his timing).
One week later I found myself back in casualty with the same three-year-old (don’t even ask) and the doctors were cheerful as ever.
The word in the ward was that Covid-19 admissions had gone down from around 30 a day in December/Jan to 3 or 4 a day.
While these figures have not been verified, I was comforted to see some signs that the second wave may have passed its peak.
Health minister Zweli Mkhize has since confirmed the same, acknowledging the decline in daily Covid-19 infections.
I am delighted that the government responded on Monday with an end to the beach ban and the lifting of the alcohol ban.
Enough is enough already. Enough with the trampling on our freedoms.
I am not the only one feeling this way either.
It was quite something to see Muizenberg beach filled with bikini-clad protestors on Saturday.
Police officers with riot shields, batons and stun grenades arrived to deal with the lawbreakers but it soon became apparent that they were grossly overdressed and perhaps not briefed on how to deal with a crowd made up of children, adults doing yoga and even a woman in a full burka praying on her knees.
At least the cops had the sense not to let rip with the water cannons and stun grenades.
This is something I regretfully no longer take for granted.
I must confess to a chuckle when protester Sven Jensen challenged the definition of ‘beach’.
Jensen claimed most Capetonians live on the beach.
“Since there’s sand in our gardens, we all live on sand. Please define the word,” he was quoted as saying.
I lived in Muizenberg briefly in 2004 and Jensen is quite right. That fine white sand on Muizenberg beach is everywhere.
The suburb feels to have been built on a beach.
At the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base where I was staying, keeping the sand out of the house was a real battle!
I too hope to have sand between my toes once again very soon. See you at the beach.
