A WhatsApp conversation with my toddler group leaders, the day we get back from France (maskvilke) and days after Britain removes all rules concerning Covid isolation ….
Sorry folks… I just tested positive for covid!
Oh no, after you were so careful!
I know 😦
Are you still coming to group tomorrow?
Well im thinking, no… I have covid?
Yeah but you don’t have to isolate now.
Not legally, but morally, surely?
There’ll be loads of other people there with it so I don’t see why not.
Possibly … but that doesn’t make it right? I can’t knowingly walk around with a virus that has been killing people – nevermind lead a group with it! I’d be fuming if I found out somebody else had knowingly exposed us to it, wouldn’t you?
Well I’m just not going to test anymore. I don’t see the point if they’re not making people isolate.
Right… but I have tested and I am positive so I am going to isolate.
OK. Well in that case will you go and set up for us tonight?
Seriously… You want me to go in and touch everything?!
🤣🤣🤣 no one will know!
I will know!
It’s really hard setting up in the morning with little ones.
Maybe we need to cancel the group then?
We’re not cancelling, it’s a lifeline to some people, it’s not fair.
Are you going to set up for us?
* * * long pause. Enlists Husband. * * *
REV: I will go and set up in between services today. But just to be clear, from a church point of view, nobody should be leading our groups or touching equipment while testing positive for covid! From me, please stay at home!
OK, cheers!
* * * * *
And thus, apparently, the pandemic phase was officially over. For despite years of disinfection and risk assessments, and the recent weeks of stressful avoidance in order to go anywhere or do anything … testing positive for covid-19 was no longer a reasonable excuse to withdraw from voluntary service! (I dread to imagine the pressure businesses and employees came under…)
People remain unvaccinated, others still highly vulnerable, others still suffering from long covid… but for the majority, life goes on. The cost of living dramatically increases, the government dramatically out-Tory themselves and the war in Europe leads to a civilian response not yet seen by our generation before. Basically, there’s so much else to worry about now that the pandemic really does feel like a thing of the past!
I do hope, however, that our newfound gratitude for simply living is a pandemic symptom that will last.
God bless you, thanks for reading.
starsinclayjars 
Thank you for staying home and seeing some reason. That said, playgroup is a lifeline for so many families and not something they can do without. I am not just vulnerable due to a repressed immune system but also have lung fibrosis. So, I’ve pulled out from physical Church for close to two years and have been twice recently for special events. Otherwise, I’ve been doing church online, which I actually quite like. I’ve also done Bible studies via zoom and formed close friendships. It’s been an intriguing experiment.
We haven’t knowingly had covid in our household. We were quite surprised when my reclusive younger brother who sees very few people caught it. We were astonished. He lives with my parents and miraculously they didn’t get it. My teens have been exposed many times over but are vaccinated and haven’t caught it. I suspect this might be the power of prayer but surely others who caught covid have prayed to be spared?! VEry intriguing.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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