Public Project
Notes from isolation
Summary
On March 18, 2020, the Portuguese President declared a 15-day state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought with it mandatory confinement and restrictions on movement in public spaces.
Just a few days earlier, on March 14, schools and all community and sports activities had shut down — and children across the country were suddenly home, indefinitely.
At first, apart from the news on television, the days resembled any ordinary weekend at home. But by the end of that first week, it was clear: we were stepping into something entirely unfamiliar.
I continued working at the newspaper, often in places where the virus might be present. That brought with it a level of fear and anxiety I had never felt before. I remember how it felt to return home after work — heavy, uncertain. Sleep came in fragments. During those early nights, I would often wake up, restless, and quietly walk to my children’s beds just to check if they were okay.
I always kept a camera loaded with film. On some of those nights, I found calm in photographing them as they slept — small moments of stillness, when everything else felt suspended. The state of emergency was eventually extended twice more, remaining in place until May 2.
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