Best title recommendations when shut up in your house waiting for the all-clear (which will come who knows when)? Escapist fare -- musicals, comedies, tales of fantasy, adventure flicks that glorify can-do characters acting in marked contrast to us in our present status: helpless, frustrated, wondering what bleak future is in store.

WHILE several hotels have sent us statements regarding their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rules have changed as swiftly as the statements were issued. While hotels such as The Peninsula Manila and Marco Polo assured us of their food safety procedures a few days ago, they, as most of the hotels in the National Capital Region have since been closed, or are currently closing.

WHILE we’ve been ordered to stay home, going to the supermarket can feel risky, what with the long lines of panic buyers and checkout stands touched by every Tom, Dick, and Juana who may be harboring the virus that causes COVID-19. But there now are grocery delivery services available where one can order one’s necessities without having to interact with anyone in real life,except maybe the wary delivery person. Here is a list of where to get your groceries and other essentials in this time of need. Most websites, however, have posted warnings that there will be delays in delivery, due to the obvious logistical issues.

WITH the entire Luzon island under lockdown and local governments having ordered malls and other non-essential businesses to close, there is a need to know if basic necessities like food and medicine are still available. Ortigas malls — Greenhills Shopping Center, Estancia, Tiendesitas, and Industria — have announced that while the main malls are closed, many of their food establishments are still open for deliveries and take-out.

ONLINE shopping site Zalora has paused its warehouse operations starting today until the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine is lifted.

WITH THE whole of Luzon, including Metro Manila, under quarantine — the government is asking people to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — there’s not a lot to do while stuck at home aside from worrying. Fortunately, several studios and networks are either uploading full movies on YouTube for free or promoting their online portals to access full episodes of their series or films.

RELIGIOUS groups are holding televised and online streaming worship services in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the Luzon lockdown.

MUSIC streaming service Spotify has launched a dedicated Philippine playlist for emerging artists representing the service’s “commitment to emerging artists across all stages of their development, in order to help them deepen their connection to new and existing audiences around the world.”

COVID-19 has permeated every facet of the news cycle, and sometimes it seems like there’s a new update on the novel virus every hour. News spreads more quickly than ever now, thanks to social media and messaging apps. However, misleading or sensationalized information has also started circulating, spreading dangerous claims and causing unnecessary panic.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL premieres tonight a special tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring interviews with Wuhan residents and medical professionals.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES, a division of Comcast Corp.-owned NBCUniversal, will make its movies available at home on the same day they are released in theaters worldwide, beginning with the DreamWorks Animation film Trolls World Tour — which opens in the United States on April 10.

LOS ANGELES — Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger told Americans to “ignore the morons,” Lady Gaga said she was staying at home with her dogs, and Taylor Swift said sacrifices are needed as she urged her 128 million fans to practice social distancing in a bid to contain the coronavirus.