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Covid

Germany going gently into lockdown

39 replies

stella1know · 13/03/2020 14:53

Anyone want to talk about this? Inam in NRW, and after a lot of dithering, reluctance and probably a good telling off from Frau Merkel, the regional state is joining bavaria and Hamburg and Berlin in shutting schools and kindergartens from Monday. Emergency childcare for key, essential personnel is being organised. Everyone who can is asked to work from home. Visits to care homes banned, travel requested to be restricted.
This is so essential yet it feels scary that the lockdown is starting. Have been preparing slowly, since Brexit, and over the last few weeks. No panic buying but we have been arranging spare keys, cancelling out Easter holiday to Spain so luckily it ahould be ok but it is scary that there is a need to start to lockdown.

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stella1know · 13/03/2020 14:56

I am* in NRW which includes Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf and the massive and dense Ruhr area. Also Heinsberg outside. Cologne which was the original and now out-of-control hotspot here. The town has requested military help with testing, they are out of their depth.

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stella1know · 13/03/2020 15:13

Germany has over 3000 diagnosed cases which puts us max 10 days behind Italy so the urgency is really apparent now.

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CloudyVanilla · 13/03/2020 15:17

Gosh I have to say i didn't realise Germany was so badly affected :O

It's good that emergency childcare is being arranged, at least there they are taking these things into account. I hope the UK steps up soon

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fedup21 · 13/03/2020 15:19

Emergency childcare for key, essential personnel is being organised.

How is this being done, @stella1know?

I feel this is the main (real) reason for UK schools not closing.

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dancingbadger · 13/03/2020 15:28

Hi op sorry to hear things are bad over there. Do you know whether it is bad in and around Nuremberg? My DS is supposed to be having a German exchange student come over in 2 weeks time, who is from Nuremberg. So far the school haven't said it is cancelled but I can't possibly see it going ahead and if it were my son going over there (which he's supposed to be doing in the summer) I wouldn't allow it with things as they are. Stay safe.

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peacelikeariver · 13/03/2020 15:34

I'm in Saxony and we have just found out schools and nurseries close from Monday likely until the 19th of April!. They have a few days emergency child care if you are single and in a vital job or both parents are. No use for us. I'm in healthcare though so I have to try to rejig some of DH shifts and hope he can work most of his shifts so we still have his salary coming in.

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stella1know · 13/03/2020 15:48

@fedup21Fedup21 so far I know that our school is obliged by law (or decree) to have a skeleton service for children of essential personell. Teachers remain employed and will be looking into digital lessons. They are just protected from hordes of students.

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stella1know · 13/03/2020 15:56

@dancingbadger all school trips are cancelled and all non-essential social activities, social contacts etc are asked yo be put on hold. Nürnberg is in the frankisch part of Bavaria. Bavaria has it pretty bad, I think sonewhere in that area was one of the first outbreaks, at a car part company with visits from China. But im not sure which city. I would be pretty surprised if the exchange trip went on. Right now the mood is big on “civic duty” and keeping people safe, every bed and nurse are needed.
I wouldn’t be so happy with an exchange student flying over right now.
interaktiv.morgenpost.de/corona-virus-karte-infektionen-deutschland-weltweit/?fbclid=IwAR04HlqzakGaNssQzbz4d8o8R3gz0C910U8tvfYlBT6P0lVJJvHfk9uS2rc Has updates by regions.

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VitCSoup · 13/03/2020 16:01

I'm interested what this actually looks like to services when thousands get it @op because we're in the low numbers still in uk, relatively speaking. oddly its hard to find out how this is actually affecting ppl (outside of media hyped articles) in real terms?

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VitCSoup · 13/03/2020 16:02

Bavaria has it pretty bad.....is it actually like flu or it is really bad and painful?

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dancingbadger · 13/03/2020 16:04

Thanks OP thats really useful. I can't believe it will go ahead but I wish the school would let us know for certain! Best of luck to you all over there.

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crazydiamond222 · 13/03/2020 16:05

Germany has had very few deaths though (3, one of which was outside the country) so I wonder if the high number of cases is due to more thorough testing than in other areas so a higher % are picked up.

If not if may be a reflection of their excellent health system (4 x as many beds per 1000 people than the UK). I wish I was in Germany right now.

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Balloonsandbunting · 13/03/2020 16:06

I’m in Hessen, and we’re waiting for a press conference at 5.30 to tell us whether schools will close from Monday. My children came home today with all their books, announcing “2 weeks off school!” which I was a bit shocked by, as it hadn’t been announced yet! Leaks suggest that’s what we’re heading for though, with emergency provision for key personnel (which I’m not). My friends and I are planing on brainstorming a list of things we can do: bike rides, walks etc. If schools close today, it looks like the children will be at home for 5 weeks!!!

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AGoodPodcastAndANiceCupOfTea · 13/03/2020 16:10

I live in Slovakia and the government declared a state of emergency yesterday at 18:00 and all restaurants, pools, cinemas, aqua parks (of which we have more than you’d think) libraries, gyms and airports were closed. All malls must close this weekend except for supermarkets, pharmacies and drug stores which are allowed to open and they will reopen on Monday but with reduced hours. All schools, universities, dorms and nurseries are closed and we have been told to avoid all unnecessary journeys and we aren't really going out now. Thank god for the balcony!!! Restaurants and bars are closed and the borders are now heavily monitored - only Slovak residents and citizens are allowed in and anyone who arrives from abroad must self-isolate for 14 days and the government will monitor them using their phones with fines of 1600€ and up to 10 years in prison. The measures are a lot more stringent than I could imagine and life is far from normal here.
I am a teacher and am currently teaching online - it is interesting with a 2 year old dc who is fascinated by Mummy's work but thankfully my dh is a sahp which lightens the load!!!!

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Balloonsandbunting · 13/03/2020 16:11

P.s. I was tested for CV a few weeks ago because I was sick when we came back from the Tirol. Initially my doctor refused to test because we hadn’t been in Italy (I didn’t care, I just wanted to be upfront and make sure we weren’t infecting anyone else) but they called me back the next day to say their advice had changed. They did the test, it was negative, and although the result took a couple of days (during which I was sending the children to school on the doctor’s advice), I was impressed by their response to a changing situation. I have to say, I’d rather be here than in the UK.

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Nquartz · 13/03/2020 16:16

@AGoodPodcastAndANiceCupOfTea

Sounds like a very sensible response. We're just carrying on as usual Confused

Apart from the constant butterflies in my stomach of course.

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doradoo · 13/03/2020 16:23

I'm in NRW too and my DC are super happy that school is now out till after Easter... going to be a looooong five weeks.

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shutthedamndoor · 13/03/2020 16:41

Hello from sunny Munich ... yup ... we are looking at 5 weeks of working from home, and having children at home. It´s very calm here right now. People are very aware of overworking the healthcare system. There are a couple of drive through testing places (you have to be given a time by a doctor to go to them, it´s not a free for all). And the supermarkets are still full.

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TheHoundsofLove · 13/03/2020 16:46

I'm in Baden-Württemberg and we've also been told today that all schools will shut on Tuesday until after the Easter holidays.

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PostNotInHaste · 13/03/2020 16:50

My family are in NRW . Cousin last night asking what situation is here with it and asking if we are talking about Brexit at all.

She has been worried about my Uncle who is elderly and has been out a lot recently now he can drive after a fairly recent op.

She said the shops are all pretty empty by her.

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stella1know · 13/03/2020 17:01

The school children in NRW came home with their schoolbooks today. Work will be set in due course.
There has been stockpiling going on for weeks here but the shops have all restocked, pharmacies too. It felt surreal to go into Edeka and see full, happy shelves. Lidl and Aldi get wiped out first so head for the smaller sized local supermarkets, each with their own budget ranges), for a stock-up.
The NRW decision was a U-turn, as yesterday they were still adamant that everything would stay open.

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PostNotInHaste · 13/03/2020 17:04

Cousin just said she has to go to work still next week (Kindergarten) but not sure what they will be doing with no children in. Wondering if ir might be to look after the children of medical staff as in some other places?

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stella1know · 13/03/2020 17:06

@PostNotInHaste that is interesting. Maybe she is in a regional state that doesn’t have the kindergartens closed yet?

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stella1know · 13/03/2020 17:09

The soup kitchens have closed for today, they ask for young and fit people to quickly volunteer to replace the current helpers who are older and therefore vulnerable. With universities on break, and this sense of civic duty, I think quite a few wil step in.

www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/medizin/coronavirus-covid-19-und-sars-cov-2-die-wichtigsten-entwicklungen-am-freitag-a-5af98021-221d-4fc3-997e-ef7bfd4ab1c5

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Prokupatuscrakedatus · 13/03/2020 17:13

Berlin here - same an in other regions
essential personel will get childcare up till year 8 (14y) if needed.
School are closed from tuesday, I expect work given online. Exams will take place in special conditions, university non essentials are cancelled or will be switched to online. Libraries closed from tomorrow. DD just managed to get some of the necessary books out for her written papers. They have organized learning groups.
Busses will close the front entrance and the selling of ticktes from the driver - they can close their cubilcle and hopefully will have a better chance of staying healthy .

DH has to go to Karlsruhe tommorrow to see to his DM (well over 90). Luckily he can work from there, if he gets stuck.

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