Don and Marylin Carter of Carlyle were in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, a village about 25 minutes south of Cancun. They flew home out of Cancun, Mexico to Saskatoon on Saturday, March 14. They had been watching the news and were aware of the COVID-19 outbreak, but quarantine was just recommended at that time.
At the Cancun airport there was little evidence that there was a virus outbreak. Our flight was uneventful and going through customs in Saskatoon, they were asked a few questions, but nothing out of the ordinary. There were signs posted in the luggage area concerning COVID-19 and recommendations about washing hands and social distancing/self isolation. They returned home and put themselves in self-isolation/quarantine.
The 14th day of self-isolation/quarantine was on Saturday, March 28. They have shown no symptoms at all. Friends and family communicated through Facebook, telephone and waving through the window. They ordered any food that was needed from the local grocery store. They mainly ordered fresh foods as their pantry and freezer had sufficient items to insure that they had good and nutritious meals. They did check their TP supply and found they had eleven rolls. They were sure that would be sufficient and if they went through their stock in 14 days then they probably had other issues than COVID-19!
Marylin did daily disinfecting of surfaces, door knobs etc. Marylin realized that she had not had her usual sinus cold on returning from our holiday which was a bonus. She diffused Thieves or Purification daily to minimize the germ factor. The humidifier has been running constantly.
They both kept a positive and humorous attitude throughout the isolation period. Marylin scanned in her art work she created while she was gone and posted them on her FB page and on Marylin’s Art Creations page. She continued to sew, using her stash of material. Don did some writing and worked on projects around the house that needed some attention. Don’s humor continued through his posts and interactions on FB. He also played online games against any friend that was available.
They tried not to get overwhelmed by the news daily, getting a morning update and an evening update. Other than that, they tried to avoid the news on television and on the computer. It helped them reduce unneeded stress and help make it through the two weeks. They will continue this as they social distance.
They are thankful to live in our community that has tried to provide services and products to all of us during this time. Their main message is to stay positive. Don’t get overwhelmed with the news. This too will pass. Mark it down as a story you can tell your kids. They also they say is to keep in contact with friends and family by phone or social media.
We will continue by doing social distancing.
