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“I don’t know when we can meet again”
Of: Martin Nilsson
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India was long spared from the crown, but after the country eased its tough restrictions, the drops increased.
The Swedish Michaela has had to freeze her company in India and does not know when she will meet her husband and her daughter’s father again.
– It’s very stressful, says Michaela, 40.
Michaela, 40, and her daughter Albertine, 6, had no idea when they went to India on vacation in February to be with Joseph, Michaela’s husband and Albertine’s father.
There were reports of a virus, but nothing else.
But once in place, the rumors began to spread.
– They told us flights would be canceled. We also knew that there had been a case in Kerala. But it was still mostly out of India, says Michaela.
Photo: Private
Joseph, Albertine and Michaela.
Tough restrictions were introduced on March 25. All of India closed again to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Residents were urged to stay home and those who did not follow the guidelines risked fines and imprisonment.
In the Mumbai apartment, the family was locked up until April, when Michaela and Albertine were able to return home, through contacts at the German embassy.
– We are in a good position and we have the privilege of having an apartment on the 17th floor. But you think of all those who are not, says Michaela.
– As soon as we landed in Stockholm, you felt that it was nice to be outside. When you were sitting in India, you couldn’t understand how Sweden did it.
In India, José, 44 years old, remained. The man Michaela had been with for ten years and Albertine’s father. The family used to live together in India.
Photo: Pontus Orre
Michaela, 40, and her daughter Albertine, 6, had no idea when they went on vacation to India in February.
Photo: Pontus Orre
6-year-old Albertine looks at pictures of dad.
“I don’t know when we can meet again”
A year ago, Michaela and Albertine moved to Sweden, while Joseph remains in India, where he runs a wedding company and several restaurants. Companies that have not had guests since the start of the pandemic.
Photo: Private
One of Joseph’s 5 restaurants and banquet halls before closing.
As often as possible, the couple has visited. But when the restrictions were introduced this spring, Joseph was no longer able to visit Sweden.
– I wanted to visit them in Sweden, but couldn’t, he says.
In August, he was finally able to take the flight to Sweden again.
– When I learned that everything was fine in Sweden with my family, I had to go back to deal with the crisis my company was facing, says Joseph.
Now neither Michaela nor Joseph know when they can meet again.
– You can’t go to India, because you don’t get a visa. It’s very stressful, says Michaela.
India is now, after the United States, the country in the world with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. About 7.8 million infected are reported and the country has 118,534 deaths.
Photo: Private
Image of how light blue the sky was during the blockade, when the amount of exhaust gases decreased.
“Difficulty with distance education”
Michaela, who is a designer, has been running a company in India that makes rugs and handicrafts. Now you have a hard time running a business.
– Instead, I applied for a job in Sweden, says Michaela.
But even though Michaela’s family is affected, she sees how her friends are affected even more.
– You think especially of the artisans you work with. Her children are currently struggling with distance learning as they don’t have smartphones or a computer, she says.
Over time, more and more parts of Indian society have reopened and restrictions have been eased.
– But the future looks very bleak, says Joseph.
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