This Little Bay Islands couple self-isolated well before the pandemic began

Self-isolation and physical distancing measures handed down last month by the provincial government to thwart the spread of COVID-19 have been a part of Georgina and MikeParsons' everyday life since the end of 2019.

"It's still all so unbelievable to us because we're so far removed," Georgina told CBC News of the ongoing pandemic. "Idon't think ithit home for me until it got to Canada and then to Newfoundland."

The Parsons are the last remaining people on Little Bay Islands, a resettled community accessible only by boat.

On New Year's Eve, everyone else in thetown left on the final ferry out of the community.

Now, after almost four months of living in their own self-isolation, the Parsons read news daily aboutmillions ofothers forced to do the same.

"It does seem surreal, that the lifestyle that we actually chose to live that is being isolated and alone is what most people are actually forced into now, and certainly not by choice," Mikesaid, from their self-sufficient home in the middle of Notre Dame Bay, off Newfoundland's north coast.

"Sometimes we kind of have to scratch our heads and go, you know, are we actually living inside of The Matrixor is this real?"

Take the positives

While the Parsons remain within their own tiny community, population of two, by choice, they feel for those who are not used to isolating themselves for such a long period of time.

It's been over a month since Newfoundland and Labrador saw its first case of the virus, and the government started rolling out public health measures to try to slow the spread.

"We just feel for everybody and hope everyone is doing the best that they can," Georgina said.

"But maybe they can learn something going forward, once everything gets back to normal," she said. "Hopefully they have learned some new things or lifestyle changes or whatever. Try to see the positive."

Meanwhile, the Parsons are bracing for a possible return of people to theirisolated community.

Well before the COVID-19 outbreak began, some residents did plan to come back during summer months.

"We love this experience by ourselves, as everybody knows, but we can't be greedy. We know that there's others that love it equally as much and they're all very excited to get back," Georgina said.

"Unfortunately we might not be able to welcome them with open arms the traditional way, depending on how everything goes over the next weeks and months, but certainly we're happy for people to get back here and be able to enjoy it again."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador