Category : Diary/Journal

Sub Category : N/A

Today is Thursday, April 2, 2020. It is a beautiful but somewhat chilly day here in Paterson, New Jersey. I am practicing social distancing and staying at home since my job loss on March 20, 2020. Since I now have a lot of free time. I am continuing  to gather information on Covid 19 and pass it on with the hope of helping to keep people safe. I am doing interviews, asking people how their lives are impacted by this virus ,at home and in career and personally.                       My next interview was with a young woman named Georgina Morales. Georgina is the manager of a Duane Reade drug store in New York , New York. She commutes to New York everyday from her home in Hackensack ,New Jersey.  I asked Georgina about first how her commute is affected. She told me that it's a little tougher and takes longer as NJT has changed over to a Saturday schedule. That means less buses, timed farther apart. During the commute quite often the buses are crowded so wearing a mask is a good idea.As many do. Because all it takes is for someone sneezing or coughing on you ,or in your direction ,could lead to infection.  I asked Ms Morales what is her store doing differently? She told me that when she is at work she wears a mask and gloves and keeps distance from other people. The store sets limits of 10 customers in the store at one time. She also told me that the store is having difficulty keeping supplies such as cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper and hand sanitizer in stock. As soon as they restock they sell out again. Ms Morales also went into some details about how the virus affects people and how to fight it. She told me that the people in her store go above and beyond to help their customers because they feel it is their responsibility. She shared with me the fact that this virus , if it reaches the immune system, can take 10 days for the symptoms ( fever , cough, fatigue and shortness of breath) to start showing. Georgina wanted me to make sure to relay to my readers that the best ways to stay safe are : wear a mask and gloves when you are working, watch what you touch, don't touch your eyes or face, always wash your hands for 20 seconds and always make sure to carry hand sanitizer with you and wash your hands often. The most important thing is to stay home unless you need to go out to work or to buy needed supplies like food. I thanked Georgina for her time and for doing the work she is doing. Her role is needed right now and she's doing it well and I hope she stays healthy and safe.