If you live abroad (ie not UK), what's life like in your country?

[purrswhileheeats]

Apologies if this has already been done

Here we have to obtain a permit to go out and must carry ID; police are stopping motorists and pedestrians and handing out on-the-spot fines to anyone found without both, no exceptions. Local FB pages inundated with expats complaining they 'can't use the sunbeds on the beach' or complaining they've been fined for not carrying the correct documents.

Weirdest thing though is seeing how the locals have changed. They are passionate, loud people who usually greet each other with handshakes and kisses; I have never seen a nation so subdued. So strange too how a country of queue-refusers can suddenly comply with social distancing, will they go back to normal 'once all this is over'?

We've just been put on curfew and fines doubled.

I think it's because they caught some idiots camping near here over the weekend.

China, Jiangsu province.
Two grades at dd’s School went back today. First day of physical school since 23rd January.

All the Kiwis - hi from a Kiwi in the UK. To me, it looks like you're in the best possible place. I hope you and the whanau stay safe, sane, and well.

Christchurch should know what to do - okay it was different, but we definitely had a drill!

@mbosnz - Thanks, you and yours stay safe, sane and well also. Yes, I also believe we are in the best possible place

@HerRoyalNotness - yes, at last they have decided to help Kiwis in Oz - about time too. They are happy enough to take our help with fighting fires!! Kiwis over there are treated like second class citizens if they need help.

@mbosnz

Stay safe and well from a Brit in NZ.

Thanks eaglejulesk, that was bloody good news re the Aussies.

FiveShelties, you too. I'm sure you feel far away from home.

Glad you're OK @mrsnec and your MIL! The new curfew has brought confusion for couples sharing a mobile and people who only use a UK sim card. Is it really windy on your side? It's like The Wizard of Oz here

@elQuintoConyo your post sounded so haunting like one of those end of the world/apocalypse type movies

It literally blows my mind that this is happening worldwide, I can't comprehend it.

Such differences in how it is being handled as well.

Hope everyone is doing ok & keeping safe.

@Kakfor what a great response. Thanks for sharing I found it very interesting. Keep safe.

@purrswhileheeats All good here thanks, you? Yes mad weather yesterday and last night. I wanted to get the dc in the garden for some air but couldn't. I had just received the work from their teacher anyway so I was trying to make sense of that and stuck them in front of Lego movies. Weather is perfect this morning thankfully.

Spoke to MIL yesterday. She said she was stopped by a very kind lady officer who explained the procedures and showed her how to do the text. Kind police in Cyprus! Good to know. Anyway, we have told inlaws to keep up with the news.

Inlaws are a worry really. They are under 65,just but FIL has underlying conditions. They recently moved house. It's a wreck and it's hardly habitable. All the trades had to stop when lockdown happened they don't even have a functioning kitchen. They should totally isolate really but MIL is refusing to get shopping delivered.

DH is still working but not doing the mask and gloves thing. He hasn't seen another person while he is out for the past couple of weeks. It wouldn't surprise me making that law is next. I feel like our government is looking to the rest of Europe to see what they are doing. I thought we had heavy restrictions but Spain and Bulgaria sound a lot worse.

It's just little things that strike me. Sometimes I forget what's happening and it just feels like a bank holiday or something but then I look over the road and see the children's playground closed with hazard tape all over it like a crime scene.

Poland, here.

1st case confirmed 4 March. As of 31 March, 2311 people have tested positive, with 33 deaths. There has been a "state of epidemic" since 20 March and new regulations introduced yesterday (31 March), effective this past midnight.

Current rules, new today in italics:

• Schools & universities closed.
• WFH if you can.
• No gatherings of more than 5 people, including church services. (These are televised/webinar now).
• Social distancing 2 meters (formerly 1.5), 1.5 in the workplace. Includes family except children under 13 and disabled.
• Under 18 not allowed out unless accompanied by an adult.
• Malls, cinemas, museums, etc. closed. Food shops, pharmacies, open. Hardware/DIY shops open but closed on weekends.
• Parks, beaches, public squares, etc. off limits.
• Must wear gloves in shops (they must provide).
• Shops open from 10-noon for 60+ only, otherwise open and generally well stocked.
• Transit still running, but limited to half of seating capacity. Some suburban trains running on holiday schedule. Some "health checks" on domestic trains (reportedly they take your temperature).
• Flights grounded except a few repatriation flights.
• No cross-border trains. (But anyway all borders are closed - for people, not goods - except Germany by car/foot/coach and Sweden by ferry)
• Anyone diagnosed must self-isolate, even from family.
• Food places delivery/pickup only, bars closed.
• Hairdressers, cosmetic salons, etc closed. All non-essential therapies and treatments cancelled.
• Hotels and hostels closed, all guests must leave by 2 April. (Exception if in quarantine, or assigned hotel for certain work duties).
• Shops and markets allowed 3 customers per "register"/stall. 2 per window at PO. (This means that if a supermarket has 6 registers, its "capacity" is 18 customers. Still applies even if not all registers open - it's a means of gauging the size of the shop).

A comprehensive stimulus package passed today - haven't read the fine print but it includes aid to large and medium employers to prevent layoffs, credit and tax relief (for 3 months) for micro-enterprises, self-employed, and non-guaranteed contracts. Also payment of "downtime benefit" of €450 or so/month for people in these categories who have lost work due to the virus.

Interesting thread!

Having just seen the post ‘footage from London’ (as well as pictures from my friend of similar madness in Wales) I thought I might post an update from the UAE.

As of 8pm tonight no one other than essential workers are allowed out of their home with the exception of member of a household only allowed out to shop for essential items - but you must wear a mask and gloves at all times.

Testing (which is already very very high here as per WHO Recommendations) is also being increased.

A number of drive by testing places are already in place (CNN have shown footage as they said it was one of the few places they were able to find to film as such facilities are not widely available in either the US or the U.K.).

Dubai has also requested a postponement to Expo 2020.

We also get daily updates on cases/deaths (still relatively low) as well as recoveries.

Getting more worried about my family in the U.K. - less so my DC in Madrid!

Another Kiwi in NZ. Not in a big city, but retired and living very remotely. Feeling very sorry just now for people living with small children in tiny flats - my heart goes out to you in the stress you must be experiencing. We have been locked down for 2 weeks now, as DH has underlying conditions and is at serious risk. We laid in supplies to supplement our usual 'earthquake and emergency' stocks. However, we have rainwater tanks, can grow almost anything here in our spectacular climate, and have a productive garden. The freezer has loads of fish caught from the sea at the end of our garden over the summer. I did venture out to the village 12 km away yesterday to replace the basics. There was a big sign outside the store, saying that the shop admitted only locals and key workers-no outsiders allowed. The main street was surprisingly busy - there were so many young blokes hanging about picking up their beers and smokes, and talking about the hangi they were putting down in the afternoon - perfect day, sunny and warm.. Seems that the relaxed attitude to lockdown is pretty much universal. We're pretty happy that we're here, despite the isolation, than in our microscopic flat just out of London.
Keep well, keep happy, everyone.

Hi @ElaineMarieBenes, that's just for Dubai here in Abu Dhabi (and the rest of the Emirates) we still have just the night curfew for now, in the daytime only shopping, medical and going to work are allowed.

Stay Safe

I'm in Maine. Schools went online-only 3 weeks ago. Since then they've gradually tightened rules, closed businesses, reduced gathering sizes, etc. We're probably 1-2 weeks ahead of the UK generally in that sense.

Last night they announced all hotels and short term rentals must close, so the only people who can now come here are those with second homes or family to stay with. Which is good - as otherwise we'd have been overrun and our health system would not have coped.

Population of 1.4 million and we have 400 cases and 10 deaths.

We are allowed to drive places but discouraged from leaving the house for anything other than essential trips and exercise. Most people in Maine have access to nearby walks, but they have closed many beaches, state parks, and the most popular hiking trails.

Shops have mostly full shelves and it's fairly easy to get in and out fast.

The weather goes from snow to sunshine to rain to snow to sunshine in a week.

Life is quiet but there's also a lot of connecting with others, and the communities are pulling together to take care of each other.

Oh and petrol is currently about 40p a litre but no one's using any.

I’m in Hong Kong - schools have been closed since the CNY holidays (end of January) and lots of people have had the option to work from home since then (I may have only done one or two full weeks in the office since then now I come to think of it).

Like an earlier poster said (sorry I have forgotten your name) we initially had quite a low number of cases but that has now spiked as people rushed back to avoid the mandatory two week quarantine for new arrivals that was recently introduced.

We can still go out but not in groups larger than four, all places that are “predominantly for the sale of alcohol” are closed for the next two weeks and restaurants must have a 1.5 m gap between the tables. Most restaurants will take your temperature when you enter and often you have to sign a form giving your contact details, confirming that you haven’t travelled outside of HK in the last 14 days and haven’t been in contact with someone who has (or is suspected of having) the virus. Wearing a mask is basically mandatory now and shops will refuse you entry if you aren’t wearing one.

Back in January there were shortages (toilet paper, cleaning products, rice) but it seems that is mostly over now, there are still occasionally random things you can’t get but I find that’s the case here anyway, the supply chain/logistics isn’t great.

It’s very interesting reading about other people’s experiences, thank you for starting this thread!

Switzerland, just outside Geneva. Not full lockdown, yet, but I think it will happen. Schools started Spring break on Friday and weather is fab, so a lot more people out and about. We live near some hiking trails where we take the dogs for a walk, have only bumped into one or two dog walkers over the past 3 weeks. Yesterday it was crowded with families out picnicking, hiking and using the playgrounds along the way.

Only supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations open, queuing marked off to ensure social distance, no big queues at all. No shortages in the supermarkets, other than flour, when I went yesterday. Impossible to get a home delivery. Restaurants closed, a few are now reopening for takeaway only. Traditional Swiss two cheek kissing and handshaking greeting is over and done, wonder if it will ever come back.

International schools transferred very seamlessly to virtual classrooms 3 weeks ago, maintaining the normal timetable. Local swiss schools have not been so lucky and it has been a bit of a fiasco for some students.

Plenty of companies are still working, gardeners, construction, etc. those who can work from home are doing so.

A lot of Swiss in the regions shop over the border in France, Italy and Germany, as it is so much cheaper than Switzerland, not possible anymore.

I am in Perth, Western Australia. We do not have lock down. Our government has implemented social distancing. We are encouraged to stay home and work from home if possible. Our primary and secondary schools have been closed for about a week now. My daughters are in uni and are learning online.
The shops are low on basic items like toilet paper, rice, pasta and sanitiser. Shops are enforcing social distancing with markers on the floors to keep shoppers apart, sanitising trollies and making sanitisers available to use upon entry.
Most flights have been cancelled. Flights landing are repatriating citizens. The state government has not only closed state boarders but also regional boarders. The only thing crossing boarders is freight. Anyone from overseas or interstate must self isolate in a hotel for 14 days. Australian cruise passengers, that got off a cruise ship last week are isolating on Rottnest island (18 kms from mainland) which is normally a holiday spot for locals.
The state government has handled this crisis remarkably well. To date, we have had 3 deaths and 453 cases in the state.
Blessings and stay safe.

France here. Third week of lockdown.
Compulsory forms to fill in, stating the date, hour, and one of the few valid reasons we need to be out: shopping for essentials goods, doctors, walking the dog or work, if WFW not possible. From tomorrow we should be able to fill in the form on our smartphones.

And in my town, curfew from 9 PM to 5 AM due to too many people not respecting the lockdown.

Sweden here. A few small changes. I do my school as distance learning now, and my exams have been cancelled . We cant get on the front doors of buses anymore, which I imagine means a lot of people aren't paying.
Husband says evenings in the city are no quieter than normal, but hes not wildly observant. Friday afternoon at the system bolaget was as busy as it normally is, but slightly better queueing etiquette due to a one out one in policy at the door

Hi @blablablablablablabla sorry I’ve re-read my update and you are quite right - it is just Dubai. It’s also much stricter than I realised - only one member of the household allowed out for essential shopping and on foot / bike only (unless you get an RTA taxi). I already know of one person receiving a 6000 Dhm fine for a return trip to a large supermarket! I think the hope is to contain people to small areas (similar to mentioned for NZ). All the local shops have plenty of supplies.

💐 stay safe