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Sanjana Varghese
May 04, 2020
While the last couple of weeks of lockdown have led to some interesting behaviour, there’s nothing like a person dressed like a plague doctor to remind you how much worse it could get.
The BBC reported that in Hellesdon, a village near Norwich, residents have been reporting sightings of a person dressed in an all black outfit, with a cloak, hat and a pointy mask, over the last couple of weeks.
It’s thought that the person wearing the costume is doing so while out for a daily walk. While this person hasn’t caused any harm, Norfolk police still want to find them. They said that they want to have a conversation about what potential harm they may be causing others.
The costume that they’re wearing is apparently be reminiscent of a 17th-century plague doctor, essentially someone who was a doctor and would go around a local village, treating people. The beak-like masks were protection from other people, but unlike the ones we wear now, they were also filled with perfume and herbs which were supposed to be additional protection.
Residents of Hellesdon have posted photos of the person over the last two weeks, on Facebook.
“Scaring my missus, terrifying kids,” said one person on a Facebook page, according to the BBC. Some have asked whether it’s just a joke from someone who doesn’t realise what distress they might be causing, while others have pointed out that it might just be some light entertainment for someone who’s been stuck at home too long.
Over the weekend, a lawyer in Florida dressed as the Grim Reaper, and brought along what seemed like a scythe (a long, curved knife) to warn people away from beaches which had just re-opened.
He told CNN, “I know how beautiful and attractive our beaches are. But if we don't take measures to control things, this virus is going to get really, really out of control.”
It may seem scary, but if you can’t wear a plague doctor costume in the middle of a global pandemic, then when can you?
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