Day 113: Back To Normal (Sort of)

Day 113: July 17, 2020
Global Cases: 14, 179, 699; Deaths: 598, 537
Egypt Cases: 86, 474; Deaths: 4, 188

Alaa Hafez
Finance Manager at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

As usual, I woke up at 7am to to make my COVID-19 ridden husband breakfast before checking my emails and my work schedule. While sending him his food, I was hoping that it was the last time he dined alone, as today was the day we would find out if he was corona-free. 

At lunch time, my children and I spent two hours making steak and mashed potatoes for the family and we ate together in anticipation of my husband’s results. After much waiting, we received the medical report at 7pm stating that my husband was finally virus-free, so we just had to go out to celebrate. 

The relief I felt while getting ready was indescribable; my family being apart for more than two weeks was something we never experienced before. In reality, the whole situation was something no one had ever experienced before and it tested everyone in ways no one thought possible. My final thought before leaving the house, looking at our family reunited again, was that I was thankful to be where I am today and I wouldn’t change a thing.

We hopped in the car, excited to be able to be together once again. On our way to the mall, we wondered whether or not Point 90 was going to be crowded like old times. Unsurprisingly, the only difference between now and last year was that everyone around was wearing a mask and that all the shops had sales which normally started later. We sat in an outdoor café, sipping our coffees and eating dessert, and then it was time to go home.

On the return journey, we had a discussion with the kids that even though it feels like everything is returning back to normal, COVID-19 is still a real threat and that we must take caution when going anywhere. However, I still felt great that we could go out again as a family and interact with people after a few months of isolation. 

At 11pm, we all had a family movie night, which was a great end to an even greater day.

For The Caravan‘s previous diary entries in Arabic and English go to our COVID-19 Special Coverage page.