MAY 2021 - Hello dear Emily

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Hello my darling,

Congratulations Em!  You got an Academic Award certificate for the first term!


It hasn't been easy for you being homeschooled and trying to follow the school curriculum but you worked hard and it paid off.  (Your Mom also worked hard so she can share in your achievement!) 

Sharon was going to return to work on 16 May to work shifts at Umhlanga Hospital so the volunteer baby-sitters got together for a lesson on 'How to care for Alex!"   We learned about his daily routine, how much formula to add to the distilled water in his bottles; to sanitise his dummies and did a tour of his room and the different drawers and cupboards for nappies, clothing, blankets etc.  We combined this with 'sundowner' snacks and it was great for us all to be together again, the first time since lockdown in March last year.  

The grandparents are sharing morning and afternoon shifts on Monday, Tuesday and Friday (every second week) and Tammy offered to care for him on Wednesday and Thursday, every 2nd week.  Sharon drops him off at Mt Edgecombe and Greg picks him up after work.  Greg decided that he also needed a lesson as he will be on duty weekends when Mom is working.

You have been a little star with Alex and he adores you! You hold him, feed him, sing and dance for him.  Your Mom sent a photo of him on their bed and said they haven't had a sleeping baby on their bed for years!  When we visited the other day you were sitting on the bed next to him and it was so sweet to see our two grandchildren together ♥  
 






On the 28th May, Gumpie and I had our first dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine.  We'll have to go back again on 9 July for the second dose.  The first dose gives us 30% protection against the local and the Indian Covid strain but about 80% against the first strain that spread around the world last year.  

When we have the second dose we should have about 80% protection - not against getting the virus, but against becoming seriously ill if we do get it.






COVID UPDATE

A third wave of Covid cases has arrived and on 31 May South Africa went back to alert level 2 after numbers started rising dramatically from just a few hundred to over 5000 new cases each day.

The total vaccinated under the Sisonke Program (the one your Mom had her vaccination) was 479 768.

The total vaccinated under Phase Two with the first dose of Pfizer vaccine was 490 680





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