A beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon brought out several Lethbridge residents to Henderson Park as they got their bodies moving to take their minds off of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve definitely been trying to stick to some normal routine, so yeah, getting out for fresh air,” said Sophia Larney, a student at the University of Lethbridge.
“We have been sort of isolating and distancing ourselves, not seeing any friends, but lots of phone calls, Skype and stuff like that, which has been good.”
Larney’s sister was with her as they both exercised around the lake.
“I work at a cafe downtown, which is closed for the foreseeable future, and so there’s a lot of uncertainty… but I think we’ve just been making the most of time together and trying not to go too stir crazy in our house,” said Anna Larney, who works at the Penny House Cafe.
“You know, just making sure to get out, even to the backyard and front yard and move around the neighbourhood a little bit,” she said.
Cara Picton, who lives near the lake, was also out enjoying the weather.
As she walked her three dogs, Picton was thinking about her friend in the U.S. who recently contracted the novel coronavirus.
“He is the epitome of health and fitness. He’s on no medications. He’s 53 years old as well,” she said.
“He has no previous health concerns and he’s on Day 19 of this virus and he has made it clear to everyone, saying, ‘This virus takes everything and anything out of you.'”
Picton said her friend shared a message about what keeps him going through these tough times.
“It’s the love and connection that he’s felt from everybody,” Picton said.
“He hopes that in light of this virus, people really need to reconnect and discover the important things in life again and not the brand names and the appearances and all of that.”
John Nightingale, a volunteer at the Helen Schuler Conservation Centre, was at the park walking and doing a little bird watching.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, he has not been able to volunteer at the centre. He said he misses it, but he completely understands the severity of the current situation and has been heeding the advice of health-care professionals.
“Frankly, yes, the sooner the public places such as the one I’m working at open, the better, but I’m realistic enough to know that from a medical standpoint, you have to be following the advice of our medical officer of health,” he said.