Are you Prepared for a 3 Month Quarantine

Yes, A Quarantine is Possible

If there is one thing, we learned from 2020, it’s that the government can take away our freedom of movement, overnight.

In January of 2020, virtually no one foresaw the spread of a global pandemic that would require businesses to shut down 30, 90, or even 120 days depending on where you lived.

In many ways we were lucky, the restriction of movement allowed “essential” travel, including grocery and drug deliveries, hospitals and other vital businesses.

Yet, even with this limited shutdown, there were massive shortages of items like toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and hand sanitizer.

How I Learned About The 3 Month Quarantine

Several years ago, a neighbor, who was a US Federal judge, attended a meeting with Homeland Security. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the court system to function during a pandemic.

In this meeting, the agency officials laid out a plan to quarantine entire cities experiencing high levels of infection. The quarantine would eliminate traffic in or out of the city, even trucks bringing food and medicine. The recommended length of quarantine? Up to three months.

At the end of the quarantine men in hazmat suits would disinfect the area, burn all the bodies and bring food to any who survived.

When my friend asked what he could do personally. He was told to have food and medicine for up to three months.

Lesson From The Past

One little-known fact is: during the bubonic plague in 1347-1351 more people died of starvation than the plague. The farmers refused to go into the cities, and the city folk who went into the countryside were chased away.

I can’t imagine watching my child or my pet starve to death, or not having medicine to at least treat the symptoms of the newest disease.

How to Prepare for a Three Month Quarantine

Ever since the judge told me about the government’s plan, I have felt an urgent need to store at least 3 months’ supply of food and other essentials.

Years ago, I kept track of when things came on sale. I noted how much I needed for the year. I only bought when things were on sale.

Canned goods Like vegetables are harvested in the fall. So, they go on sale around October. I thought, what difference does it make if the can is on my shelf or on a warehouse shelf. If I wait to buy it later, it will just cost more.

My Monthly Plan For Storing Canned Food for a Quarantine

APRIL – MAY: canned chicken. Also, eggs even powdered eggs go on sale in the spring.

JULY- AUGUST: Fruit (pears, peaches, Pineapple) and Tuna fish

AUGUST- SEPTEMBER: tomato products (sauce, paste, Stewed, Tomatoes with onions peppers or spices usually cost the same this time of year)

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER: canned vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, potatoes etc.)

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER: canned vegetables, soups, especially cooking soups like Cream of mushroom, celery or chicken.

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER: nuts, raisins, sugar and flour (store nuts, raisins & flour in freezer) Consider buying an extra turkey or turkey breast for the freezer.

Any time of the year; check salvage stores for canned goods. Make sure they are in date.

I try to buy enough canned foods to last the entire year.

I concentrate on canned goods. Because frozen food will go bad if the electricity is cut off.

See: home storage solutions

Or: 17 ways to store canned goods

The Rest of My Plan

By only buying on sale and spreading my purchases over many months, I can afford to buy more food.

Think about other essentials you might need to last for three months (toilet paper, masks, etc.). Don’t forget your pets.

You must integrate the thought of food storage and other essentials into your everyday shopping. When you see something useful or well-priced, buy it.

Even over-the-counter medications to relieve the symptoms would be wonderful to have. Anything to relieve the misery of being sick.

Organize your purchases. Put them in a place where you can find them when needed.

Remember canned goods must be rotated to maintain nutritional quality.

Consider making a list of items you should acquire. Set aside money each month to purchase the extra supplies. Just a little money every month will soon add up.

How Much Time Do You Have?

We are still facing the coronavirus pandemic. You might think that the danger has passed, and any quarantine threat will be at some future date, much further down the road.

Before you let out a sigh of relief, consider the variant strains that keep popping up and the worry that the current vaccine will not treat these new strains.

Consider the news reports which say the new strains are not only more contagious but also more deadly. Should any of these new strains prove unresponsive to the approved vaccines, we could easily see a repeat of 2020 in 2021 or 2022.

Another major concern is the economy. Because of the high level of government spending, we can expect higher taxes. Higher taxes will inevitably bring higher prices. The sooner you get started the less it will cost.