An increasing number of ‘Pandemic’ diaries are appearing on social media documenting personal experiences, especially regarding lockdown in Italy and other European countries. We too in our hotel in Kandy, the old capital of Sri Lanka, are being increasingly affected by the coronavirus crisis. Yesterday, Sri Lanka’s health minister confirmed a total of 77 positive cases, showing an inexorable rise since March 10th, when the first case of the virus was reported. 245 more cases remain under observation.

Police have already made many arrests on charges of violating the curfew that came into effect last Friday evening at 6 pm. It would originally have expired this Monday morning but has been extended until Tuesday.

It is our third day at this hotel in the hills encircling Kandy and we are not allowed to leave it. Luckily the hotel has extensive grounds and a swimming pool which reduces the impact of our imprisonment.

Our room has French windows opening out into a particularly scenic panorama of exotic plants, the call of eastern bird species, and the flow of lusciously wooded hills.

There are very few people around here. Indeed, the staff greatly outnumber the guests. An infra-red thermometer is fired at our forehead at least once a day by masked employees with recordings diligently noted down. There are hand sanitizers placed on tables. We continue to feel safe in this place, seemingly remote from the turmoil happening elsewhere.

Presumably the same feeling of safety entered the mind of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma when he turned Kandy’s Queen’s Hotel into the Supreme Allied headquarters for fighting the Japanese during World War II.

We visited this historic building for lunch before arriving at our present hotel. With a history of over 160 years Queen’s gives a nostalgic flavour of what it must have been like to be a traveller to this part of the world in a previous, more leisurely age. We dined in the ‘Queen of Hearts’ restaurant.

I also visited the Royal Ballroom, now firmly under wraps. I wonder what elegant galas would have taken place here.

There was also the colonial atmosphere of the Pub Royal, still open in these difficult times.

However, things are not so calm in other parts of the island. Two inmates died following a clash at Anuradhapura (which we visited a few days ago) prison between the inmates and the prison guards who fired guns to contain them. This followed an argument in which prisoners complained about not being sufficiently protected against corona virus. I recollect that a protest recently occurred at Milan’s San Vittore jail over the same issue and wonder what will happen in the overcrowded UK prison and detention centres when virus peak time is reached as surely it must: a week later than Italy’s as the following figures demonstrate.

When this whole major episode in the history of our planet is over I am sure there will be published a whole spate of diaries kept throughout the pandemic months.

For in all effects we are now living in a wartime situation. The enemy this time is the virus and not the axis forces; the danger is not from bombs damaging homes but from the virus damaging our bodies. For the majority of us let us trust it will be a lucky escape for none will be allowed a last kiss from loved ones or even a touch of their hand.

One thing remains the same, however: more devastating than economic hardship will be the psychological damage wrought upon us. No matter how strong we keep ourselves our lives will never be quite the same again.

(Ekphrasis courtesy of Alexandra Pettitt)

Let us hope that, instead, we can learn something from this crisis. The cleaner air in so many cities and the clearer water in Venice’s canals, the quieter streets, the absence of non-essential journeys, the esprit de corps in our communities increasingly shown towards the more vulnerable are all very hopeful signs for humanity and our planet. Compassion and tolerance must win in the end.