Into the World:
The Random Thoughts in My Mind

Yesterday, in a dramatic press conference, Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo, noted that the city is on the cusp of a major spike in the number of new cases of coronavirus infections. As a measure to prevent further spreading of the virus, Koike called on the city's residents to voluntarily refrain from unnecessary outing over the weekend. As an additional measure, she announced the closure of the city's major parks to prevent people from gathering to view cherry blossoms that are blooming at the moment. The country's major news outlets duly reported Koike's press conference as headline news.

In the past few days, international media have been lamenting the emergence of individuals who openly flaunt the increasing levels of lockdowns and quarantines levied against them by authorities around the world to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Stories abound of people sneaking out to dinners, jogs, meetings, concerts, and spring break parties. The general public, understandably, has jumped to criticize these individuals for being irresponsible and putting everyone around them in danger of catching and then dying from the COVID-19.

In the past few days, the charts for new infections and deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic has made for some grim reading. Even as the number of new cases tapers off in mainland China, the number of new cases and deaths has jumped manyfold in Italy and across western Europe. The list of countries with infections is continuing to grow, with cases now being uncovered in countries that have less institutional and medical capacity to stem future spikes in new infections. As the World Health Organization declares a pandemic, countries are quickly shutting down borders to save themselves.

As the coronavirus continues to strike fear into the heart of the general public across the world, the most urgent task is to find enough medical supplies to handle surging demands for those seeking them just to soothe their concerns. Masks, hand sanitizers, and soap are flying off the shelves, leading to massive shortages and waiting lists for manufacturers not set up to increase production to unprecedented volumes even as they face their own difficulties from lack of raw materials, logistical bottlenecks, and staff members who are too afraid or simply cannot make it to the assembly lines.