How are other countries going about coming OUT of lockdown?

[HowManyWoodChucks]

I keep hearing different theories about how we will do it.
Schools back first.
Small retail back first etc.

What are other countries actually doing?

[lubeybooby]

they aren't yet, apart from China afaik

[HowManyWoodChucks]

Spain and Italy are starting to.

[bluetongue]

We’ve got no plan yet in Australia. We were told prepare for six months at the start but there’s no way they can keep current restrictions up that long. Death rate here is 62 (overall, not per day).

It’s great that we’ve done so well but we need to make sure we don’t completely crush the economy.

[bluetongue]

Oh and because we’ve also closed borders between states there’s a chance that some states will be able to lift restrictions before others.

[Seventyone72seventy3]

We're starting with bookshops and stationery shops!
www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2020/04/14/lockdown-eased-slightly-in-most-regions_2f458c1e-45ca-43b5-b303-9745b9d7800f.html
Schools won't go back until September.

[HowManyWoodChucks]

Bookshops and stationery, that’s an interesting choice! Thinking about my local town that would be four shops in the whole town. In the local, big, shopping centre, maybe 7?!

I guess they have to start somewhere and if you say clothes that would be too many at once.

[TheClitterati]

This is a google translation of the message from Italian govt my friend has received:


END PHASE 1: SCHEDULED
• April 14 Libraries and Stationers
• April 18 reopening of agricultural and industrial companies


PHASE 2: HYPOTHESIS

• May 4 Free movement but with obligations such as masks and safety distance.

• May 4 Textile, furniture and clothing stores with staggered entrances, long lines and reservations (no shopping centers).

• 11 May Courts and professional offices

• 18 May BARS AND RESTAURANTS and other catering activities with distances to be respected
• 25 May Hairdressers and Barbers with mask obligation, single entrances.

• May 31 restart of the football championship and other collective sports.

June 8 Sports centers but only for individual sports or lessons with low gatherings.

PHASE 3: HYPOTHESIS

• SEPTEMBER High school reopening with shift division and online lessons, still to be decided on nursery and primary school.

• DECEMBER Cinemas and Theaters

• MARCH 2021 DISCO AND STADIUMS

• MARCH 31, 2021 RE-OPENING OF BORDERS AND END OF EVERY LIMITATION

Return to normal scheduled for spring 2021

[tontie]

In Italy if schools & nurseries are phase 3 how do workers of phase 1 & 2 who need childcare work?

[NotGenerationAlpha]

I think we'll be watching East Asian countries as they are a month ahead. They are all using different strategies and also seeing a second wave of imported cases back from Europe, instead of China. My parents are in Hong Kong. Most people are working, except schools and entertainment venues. That's probably a big step already to help the economy going again.

[NotGenerationAlpha]

By enterntainment, I mean pubs. Restaurants are open. There are some very interesting finding about how the virus spread. I'm reading South China Morning Post to see what they are doing. For example this one on spreading via air con

www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3079986/does-air-con-help-spread-coronavirus-chinese-study-3-families

[PlywoodPlank]

Why would anyone think that the schools would go back first? I see this idea floated a lot on Mumsnet, and I don't get it. The schools were the first thing to close, they are huge spreaders of disease where social distancing is often impossible. The schools will be about the last things returning to business as usual.

In Italy, even though the government has allowed bookstores to reopen this week, many have said that they will not do so, as they don't feel it is safe. The vast majority of Italians are still confined to their homes, with limited ability to go outside.

Even when businesses are allowed to reopen, people will still feel nervous of a contagion against which there is no vaccine or effective treatment. The list that Clitterati posted sounds entirely plausible.

[tontie]

Why would anyone think that the schools would go back first?

To allow people to work, most parents in the UK work.

[NotGenerationAlpha]

@PlywoodPlank yes I agree with you. Schools are a place where many congregate and keeping them closed has a lesser economical impact than closing all other businesses. It's most likely to be one of the last to reopen.

[tontie]

But how do working parents work?

[NotGenerationAlpha]

@tontie same as they are now, not ideal, but some people are managing. It depends on whether you can work from home and the age of the children. What this lockdown has exposed is how many jobs can actually be done remotely, despite companies wanting bums on seat in office.

DH is working 4 days and me 5 days at home with a 9 and 5yo. The 5yo struggles a bit, but 9yo is totally fine. I would imagine those who has slightly older children (probably 7+) will be fine.

[PlywoodPlank]

Some working parents may find it impossible. But that doesn't mean the schools will reopen. Both parents work in my household; I have no idea how we'll sort it. But I don't expect that governments, having tanked the entire economy to slow the spread of the virus, will open schools to solve the childcare problems we may have. They'll open when it is medically advisable rather than economically. I hope.

[NotGenerationAlpha]

The problem is that we need a way out of this lockdown while maintaining some degree social distancing. Nothing is going to be ideal until we have a cure or vaccine. It'll be a compromise of sorts. We won't know until what the government decides on what will open first.

[NotGenerationAlpha]

Of course I wish them opening schools. But I know I'll have to accept it probably not going to be one of the first things to restart. Most likely it's going to be factories first? But who knows.

[tontie]

I'm not saying opening the schools/nurseries is safe I'm just saying how will the economy manage if schools remain shut for a long period.

I'm not sure how you measure how well people are managing. Plus we are 3 wks in, things will look very different in 3 months. Plenty of people have lost their jobs or have been furloughed & the gov is unlikely to fund that for much longer. Some parents will need to find new jobs

[NotGenerationAlpha]

@tontie what I'm saying is how will the economy manage if everything remain shut for a long period. This is what we have now. There are less parents of young primary aged children than all workers. Out of the group of parents of young primary aged children, some will have only one working parent. Those with two working parents, there are some that can work from home.

You can't tell me that 100% or even 90% of workers have childcare responsibilities.

[NotGenerationAlpha]

Don't forget that the group of parents who can't work from home and aren't both working will also include parents who work in industry that most likely will restart after schools. Retail, tourism, events, that kind of thing.

[KrakowDawn]

Australia has the advantage that if they keep the borders closed once those that have it now are recovered and there is no more transmission, people can go about their business safely. It's opening the international borders that will reintroduce it.

[BigChocFrenzy]

"how do working parents work?"

There is a massive social divide wrt work and lockdown

Most professional mc will be able to WFH
and are much more likely to have savings to cushion any drop in income

Millions of manual workers obviously can't WFH
and live from paypacket to paypacket
Some ZHC are already struggling to get sufficient food

For once, let's consider the needs of the working poor and the ZHC,
not just the leafy mc suburbs

[tontie]

@notgenerationalpha your missing the point. What do parents with young children who need to work do?

[tontie]

Exactly @bigchocfrenzy