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'?

Hi again @blablablablablablabla I’ve just had an update - all the fines issued today by Dubai police will be cancelled but from now on you must obtain a permit to go out to avoid fines / legal action.

If you are travelling through Dubai from another Emirate radars will not be activated as long as you use inter-emirates roads (e.g. MBZ and Emirates Road) and do not stop in Dubai!

Hi @ElaineMarieBenes

I hope you get on ok with the next two weeks, we have a dog so hoping the rest of the UAE doesn't adopt this policy as well.

Here shops are full thankfully and loads of toilet paper!

I’m in Quebec. We have the most cases in Canada, probably because spring break is earlier here than anywhere else on the continent, so all the students went travelling and brought coronavirus back with them. Other parts of Canada had not yet had spring break when the lockdowns started.

Pretty much everything here is closed now. Even supermarkets have started closing earlier on weekdays and all day on Sundays, supposedly to give the employees time to rest, which I don’t understand because I don’t think they are working more hours than normal. It means that the supermarkets are even more crowded than they would normally be, increasing the risks to staff and customers. In most supermarkets there is a limit on the number of people allowed in at a time - only 1 adult from each family and no children - but it’s not always enforced. You also have to stand 2m apart and use a one-way system marked by arrows on the floor, but again a lot of people just ignore this. The staff disinfect the trolleys before you use them and sit behind plexiglass screens at the checkouts.

We can still go out for walks but the playgrounds are all closed.

It’s such a shame because we’ve basically been stuck indoors all winter and now that the snow has finally begun to melt, we can’t go anywhere!

A little update from Blighty :

Supermarkets in my city are limiting the number of puerile allowed in eg you wait in a demarcated queue outside the supermarket (yellow and black tape on the pavement, 2m apart) and a masked employee will let you in once a customer leaves. Demarcated tape at the checkouts, 2m apart.

*people not puerile!

Just an update to @ElaineMarieBenes earlier post from Dubai - I went to the supermarket tonight with a mask but no gloves (because I didn’t have any. Pharmacies have run out) and I wasn’t allowed in.

Oh No @AgentProvocateur!

Here in AD the shops are giving a mask and a pair of gloves to anyone who doesn't bring them.

I'm in Sweden, about an hour by train from Stockholm.

Schools are open up to the age of 16 (high school). Universities are also closed. All teaching is being done online in high schools and unis. I have two uni children who are finding it a bit tough studying all on their own with no classes, and one teenager who is still going to school. He's had some classes cancelled due to teacher illness but other than that it's business as usual.

Shops are open, but some have reduced hours. Many are struggling of course. Restaurants are struggling too.

We had an early panic run on toilet paper and pasta, but we're restocked now. Hand sanitizer never was restocked though, and by now I'd say all deliveries go to hospitals.

Things have been under control, but I detect a note of panic now in the press that wasn't there last week. The death rate is going to climb now that the disease has been found in so many old people's homes. The authorities were not prepared for and didn't put measures in place to shield staff I'd say, but we won't know the reasons until later.

I support the Swedish atittude, but it's something that works here very specifically. We're already sparsely populated so social distancing is a normal Tuesday. The amount of people down town is the same as in say a hot mid-July Sunday.

I do not see the same level of hysterical panicking on my social media as I do for example here on Mumsnet. I did surf out and check some online forums and there are some frothers out there, but whole forums aren't taken over by CV (could be heavy moderation of course).

Typing quickly and incoherently at work but willing to answer questions!

For what most consider a 3rd world country, I must say they have been fantastic and the majority of people have complied willingly.

Wow, Bulgaria is in the EU, it's hardly a 3rd world country, which is a slur to start with.

Hi everyone! I'm in Cyprus too-lockdown has just been extended till the end of April, and they are postponing easter services until
May. New cases seem to be slowing down so it would seem that the measures they are taking are working. We have beautiful sunshine today,the birds are singing so let's be positive :)

@dimotikopp I saw that this morning. It sounds very optimistic which is good. It made me wonder if there's a glimmer of hope the schools will go back. I'd love dd to do a bit more pre-school before big school. We'd only just got her settled in.

Nice weather here too now but we had haze and dust storms over the past couple of days.

Japan here

In a few hours, the PM will announce a state of emergency for Tokyo and surrounding area, plus Osaka and Fukuoka

this article spells out what that will entail if anyone is interested.

State of emergency in Japan

"Japanese law makes it almost impossible for the government to force a shutdown similar to those in Paris and New York. The emergency declaration represents the closest Japan can get to a lockdown in combating the spread of the virus. "

For me personally, for the past two weeks, I have been working from home and have only been going to the supermarket and local beach five minutes walk away for exercise.

We are in Austria and I have to say i feel very lucky to be here.

Government started a very early lockdown and it seems to have had the success we needed. Restrictions will be relaxed a bit after Easter.

There are no restrictions on how many times you can go out each day and the purpose because there seems to be a really high compliance rate here.

You have to wear masks to the supermarket and a member of staff steralises your trolley handle. You have to use a trolley, even if you are only buying 1 thing.

Schools are off until the end of May and I suspect until the summer.

There is state subsidised wraparound care for school kids and that is staying open for people who can't WFH.

We pay high taxes here but it feels very worth it right now

I’m on the northern outskirts of Sydney. School has been closed for 2 weeks but my two have had online learning (private school) and our holidays have been extended until 11 May so I’m homeschooling them now.

I haven’t been out much except for walks. We live on the edge of a national park which has been quiet at weekends, we’ve been for bush walks there and kayaking too and both have been pretty quiet but people are friendly when you see them.

My husband went to the food shop this morning and said they were only letting a certain number in and checkibg you had sanitized hands first etc.

Our numbers are pretty low and now we have basically closed the borders and are quarantining anyone that comes in, I suspect they will drop even further. “Only” about 35 deaths so far and the majority are from cruise ships, old people’s homes and people who were already sick in hospital with something else.

I think the geographical area helps - the states can basically act as their own countries and you don’t get many people say living in Brisbane and working in Sydney as the distances are too great.

Also, businesses were very quick to start home working. My husband was doing this by the end of January, all overseas travel was banned by his company by the start of Feb etc. Business moved quicker than the govt which was good as those people I know who have to continue to commute in have very empty trains etc.

@mrsnec I don't know if the schools will go back-my two are bigger (ds is in 3rd yr of gymnasium and dd is 1st yr) this is ds last year before he head to lykeio and so is an important year,(the equivalent of gcse) so it will be interesting to see how they handle the exams etc. yesterday was the first day of proper online school for the pair of them,the first thing the teachers said is easter holidays will go on as usual-so that starts next Monday for two weeks (Holy Week) and the week after Easter.
Where about are you in the island? We are in Limassol

Argentina. We have been on lockdown for the last 26ish days (memory is getting foggy) schools closed about 5 days after. Small town about 5hrs from Buenos Aires with no confirmed cases yet,that I know of. We can go to shops (the closest) and pick up essentials.

There is a heavy police presence and they have been leaving food packages for the elderly/vulnerable. They know everyone in the town so use their speakerphone from the police car to shout out the window at the folk wondering about "Juan! GO HOME or will tell your mother!!"

AFAIK the government still have a block in all flights, residents cannot even be repatriated,and this appears to be a looked at every few days with no change yet. They are taking this very seriously. Although they have had issues with crowding at banks in BA as the older generation have no trust in the banking system and some will refuse to even have a debit card.

Visas are being automatically extended for for 30 days when the expire as Migraciones are shut, not even receiving calls or emails.

I am in Kenya, our borders are closed and their is a country wide curfew in place. Yesterday it was announced motorised travel in and out of certain regions was to be stopped with 3 hours notice so chaos began. This morning things are still chaotic. The region has not been properly defined and police are taking advantage of this and building road blocks all over trapping people who should be able to move freely. Hoping more clarification comes asap as if the police continue this way I fear it is going to get violent quickly.
Also now alot of people trying to travel on foot which is obviously not ideal for many reasons

Gosh the situation in Kenya sounds scary.

I feel lucky to be where I am but I was wondering reading this thread how many of you know anyone who has had it and what the treatment is like where you are. I did find out someone I know has been in hospital with it but they're out now and making a good recovery but they are related to my neighbour so it explains the mood next door.

@dimotikopp I am in a village between Larnaca and Ayia Napa. It's definitely a worry about the dc and I hope they have a decent solution for anyone who is doing exams this year. Hope the online learning is going well. I have just received the second worksheet on Viber from the dc's teacher. They are 4 and 5 and in the same class. I am sending their teacher some of their work on a regular basis just to keep in touch. The school still phoned yesterday to ask if dd is going up in September. I think they assumed we'd be going back to the UK.

How are you getting on with police checks? DH has been stopped a couple of times. He's still working and trying to do the shopping a couple of times a week on his way home but it's not always possible if you are only supposed to go out once a day.

@mrsnec My husband got stopped the other day but he had his permission sms and all was good :) he is working from home,so only popped out to get some supplies.
For the older kids reregistration doesn't happen until the end of the school year so we will see what happens

Italy - the north. Lost track of what week we are on in total lockdown from March 8th. Schools closed 2 weeks beforehand but it was only on week 3 that they started some online lessons and giving out work. We can walk 200m from home and have to take ID and autocertificate. Our region has imposed masks and gloves in supermarkets and all shops and now on public transport. SHops pretty well stocked only shortage is yeast but as I only go to the supermarket once a week it may come in and then vanish ! Our lockdown is due to be slowly stopped from April 13th but we have no idea yet if it will happen. I live in a city have no garden and it is starting to get a bit tough. Government has given a hand out of €600 for March to help who needs it but that is it . When things open up again there will be so many people out of work . Nothing is being provided for those who are self employed other than the offer of loans with zero interest.

I'm in Madrid. We are into our 4th week of lock down. The majority of people live in flats here and we are not allowed out to exercise as you are in the UK, so that is pretty difficult especially with children.

@blablablablablablabla & @AgentProvocateur - DH applied for a permit to cycle to out local Carrefour. Very easy online process and took only a few minutes to get the ‘permission’ sms. He had to have his temperature taken before he could go into the store. He said streets were quiet though he saw a young European couple walking together!

Looking forward to getting my permit for Dubai Mall on Friday!

@ElaineMarieBenes I got my gloves deliver today and got my permit and went to Spinneys (I don’t even have to go outside to get there) and while I was out, I went to the grape shop too

I read today they are increasing police checks in our area. The SBA police are doing checks too. Apparently everyone is being compliant though which is great news.

We had visitors due before lockdown kicked in. Obviously their flights were cancelled. They're wanting to reschedule asap so they're taking the first dates offered. The one who booked with BA was offered June and the ones with Easyjet were offered October. That surprised me a bit. Other people want to book too. DH thinks it's silly even looking at flights until restrictions have been lifted and I think he's right.

Well lockdown has been extended till end of April now. We had a police car patrolling our neighbourhood yesterday afternoon-I think someone has complained because we have an industrial estate at the end of our road where people usually walk their dogs, and the village youths have cottoned on and are now coming from all corners of the village to congregate there. Went to the nearest supermarket today and was interested to see the till girls are now wearing Perspex face guards instead of the little throwaway masks they were wearing a week ago