The Dome

End of the week. Friday at work went quite well and was looking forward to a walk in the woods we had planned for Saturday, given the good weather

Arrived home lateish to be told that the walk was off. The three main cities of Asturias, namely Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés, have been effectively put in quarantine until 7th November. People living in their urban nuclei cannot enter or leave except for permitted reasons, even to go to the peripheral districts of their respective municipalities.

Commercial outlets must close by 10pm, bars and restaurants cannot admit new customers after 10pm and must shut by 11pm.

Meanwhile the presidents of Asturias and several other autonomous communities will be approaching Spain's president to request the declaration of a 'state of alarm' which will allow them additional powers. A midnight to 6am curfue is planned.

In the spring and summer Asturias had suffered from Covid-19, but had seemed to have got off relatively lightly compared to other regions. I remember hearing, not that long ago, that Gijón's main hospital 'Cabueñes' had no remaining covid cases. Earlier this week Asturias was announcing record infections. Cabueñes was close to collapse and the army were called in to erect a field hospital in the car park.

Oh to be in New Zealand!

What's that film where the inhabitants of a town discover that they've been enclosed in a transparent dome?