[Pagan]

Ramster, I completely agree with you in many ways but... contact tracing is done quite aggessively here. So many of the cases are from bars (where few socially distance even with the reduced number of customers). The one in the town where we used to live was absolutely traced to the bar mainly because he infected 2 employees during his visit. With the cases at the shipyard, most of those are immigrants living in crowded shared housing with no way to isolate. Even if they could, they need the paycheck so off to work they go infecting everyone along the way. They do compensate the businesses here for having to close, and they are still allowed to do takeout. They just can't have people sitting at the tables after the 8th. And yes, our local papers have had pictures of full bars with little distancing running almost daily. Several bars have been ordered to close for 2 weeks for violating the restrictions. They are also closing public buildings, libraries, theaters, and there is talk of them closing one of the shopping malls near the shipyard. Exercise groups and other hobby group are closed down, and the schools are back on remote learning after next week. They are being very strict on the gathering of more than 6 right now. Vaccinations for most of us won't happen until summer if we are lucky.

Finns are funny people. Most of us thrive on the solitude, oddly enough. There are some that crave the human contact naturally. The things that are open to us without restrictions (outside the groups of 6) are the ski trails and ice skating areas on the lakes. Every town has them it seems. The days are getting longer and warmer now and that seems to keep a lot of us going.

And a side note.. The Husband and I have been together nearly 10 years - 24/7 except for about 10 days total in that time. We haven't killed each other yet, nor have we even talked divorce. Life is pretty normal for us in reality.