Folkestone’s American Cousin sends a Christmas Message

Peter Jurzynski in a very cold and snowy Connecticut yearning for a Summer in Folkestone

Merry Christmas to all my dear friends in Folkestone, Hawkinge, Sandgate, Canterbury and all the neighbouring communities that I have called home for part of each year for decades.

No doubt about it it is a very different Christmas in Kent and in Connecticut in 2020.

When I left the UK on January all seemed well in our world.

I may be thousands of miles away but I keep up to date on all the developments on Covid in Kent, London and England in general and follow this publication, the London newspapers and news websites. I also watch the BBC.

As you enter Tier 4 my thoughts are with you.

The new strain of covid seems scary to me as a non scientist.

Wow, I miss Christmas or the Festive Season in England but even more I missed my long summers in Kent.

I assume what you are experiencing Covid-wise we will experience it in a week to 10 days. Each state has it’s own covid regs but I will specifically talk about Connecticut.

Restaurants are open with limited capacity and gyms and indoor pools are still open. Bars and pubs too are open if they serve food, and some schools are open, some are online others are a combination of both.

Mask wearing indoors has been the norm since the Spring.

One concern both in UK and here has been the number of private parties or gatherings which are partly responsible for spreading the virus.

Retail is really suffering here as it is in UK and in my view bricks and mortar stores (shops), office buildings, hotels, restaurant are in extremely difficult financial situations. Many here have closed others will likely close in 2021.

Whatever one’s politics being a world leader in covid is difficult: there are no easy answers.

It seems the UK is doing a great job with distribution of the vaccine and many older people have already received a jab.

I was disappointed though to learn that members of the US Congress and Senate both Democrats and Republicans received the jab ahead of older folks. I object of some of young members of Congress and the Senate getting jabs while older people have projected date to get one.

One of my nearby hospitals is 94 % capacity so we will be in your situation shortly.

Those who believe in the message of Christmas know there is hope.

I anticipate in the months ahead all of us will be in a better place covidwise and I certainly hope to be in Folkestone sometime in 2021.

All of us in US and UK are not too happy with tiers and lockdowns but during this Christmas of 2020 let us keep in our prayers or thoughts those who have died from covid and of course those families and friends they have left behind.

In this sad yet very hopeful time …….

Merry Christmas from America

Peter Jurzynski

Naugatuck, Connecticut USA