Coronavirus, Evacuation, and “What Comes Next”
Since January, coronavirus has spread and grown into a global pandemic in a way no one could have predicted and none of us have ever experienced before. But this isn’t news. Right now, everyone around the world is quarantining, social distancing, and preparing for the worst (while trying to hope for the best). Peace Corps was no exception to that mindset. Since last fall, I had discussed with my parents meeting them in Italy on my spring term break in April. Almost immediately after booking the tickets, the coronavirus outbreak spread to Italy and erupted like a wildfire. Peace Corps HQ quickly banned travel to Italy before the country could even close its borders. At the same time, countries where Peace Corps Volunteers serve and where coronavirus had begun impacting were quickly being evacuated of all volunteers, in order to protect their safety: not from coronavirus, but from the impacts it could have on travel, specifically in the case of emergencies (PC usually has nearby co...