KAREN PULFER FOCHT -Photojournalist

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Lovebirds in Quarantine

Lovebirds Jo Ann Thweatt, 84 and Charlie Feraci, 89, have been on a self-imposed quarantine for over 25 days now, due to their age and the Coronavirus COVID 19 pandemic sweeping across the United States. They wanted to honor the presidents request to stay inside. The devout Catholic couple lives in Memphis, Tennessee. 

 The two are in the high-risk population, but both live a healthy lifestyle spending their days, exercising, eating right and in prayer. They keep up with daily mass on TV and say their rosary together and pray for their four grandchildren, who are fighting the virus on the front lines in the health care industry.

 They joked about there not being much need to change out of their pajama's most days and that they like to stay comfortable. 

 They never seem to grow tired of each other, even after days on end cooped up in the house together. The two fell in love after both losing their spouses within the same period of time just a few years ago. They had known each other through their Tai Chi class they took together at the YMCA. They are both still very physically active. Jo Ann walks four miles a day. 

 Memphis mayor Jim Strickland issued a shelter-at-home executive order on March 24, 2020, "directing all residents of Memphis to stay inside their homes, and immediately limit all movement outside of their homes beyond what is absolutely necessary to take care of essential needs." This is the most restrictive measure governments have adopted across the U.S. to combat the coronavirus that has found its way to Memphis.

 They have four grandchildren in the medical field, two that were confirmed exposed to the virus and one of those is due with a baby this summer.

https://popefrancisdaily.com/elderly-catholic-couple-in-self-quarantine-stay-hopeful-keep-faith-strong/

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2020/03/elderly-catholic-couple-in-self-quarantine-stay-hopeful-keep-faith-strong/