Good morning, everyone. Well, today I am writing this column as I don't prepare for my trip to Barcelona, Spain, because, of course, we are not traveling anywhere for the time being. Because of coronavirus.

Yes, my daughter Liz, son-in-law Peter, granddaughter Adeline, and I had planned to take a spring break journey to Barcelona to see all its wonders.

My dear husband John and I had traveled to Spain some years ago and had thoroughly enjoyed our days in beautiful Barcelona, with its Sagrada Familia church by Gaudi, the wonderful wine, ham, olives, and a memorable paella by the sea.

We had planned several tours as well: one of the Gaudi landmarks in the city and another designed especially for children in the Gothic Quarter followed by churros and chocolate. Lovely plans, dashed by a global pandemic.

Luckily, Liz was hip to what was going on well ahead of time and spent hours on the phone with Expedia to undo our arrangements before the total onslaught.

Now, it turns out that there are cases not just in major cities, but in upstate NY and even one in Wayne County, PA.

And those are just the ones we know about. Unfortunately, calling the virus a “hoax” and not having enough testing kits does not translate into our country having “contained” the virus, as even the densest among us are beginning to understand.

Now is the time for all of us to use common sense. Avoid large crowds, stop touching your face, and wash, wash, wash those hands. Even the NBA, NCAA, and other organizations are reacting to the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the wise words of Anthony Fauci.

We have a chance to slow the spread of this virus, but we must continue to be vigilant. And the federal government must get out those tests and expedite the testing protocols so that we can truly understand what the scope of this health emergency actually is.

Until then, dear friends, I, your intrepid traveler, will remain on staycation, with my memories of Barcelona and Madrid to sustain me. Oh, and we rebooked for September, so we are keeping our fingers and toes firmly crossed!