How Other Countries Are Now Dealing With Coronavirus Restrictions

[IncandescentSilver]

I'm interested in how other countries are dealing with continued lockdown measures, as I travelled abroad two weeks ago to another European destination, and I suspect that Britain is now the odd one out and is unusually controlled.

I was in Switzerland, and the only measures there now are face masks on trains and bottles of hand sanitiser outside shops, which you might or might not be reminded to use. There is a well understood emphasis on social distancing without the hysteria you find here of some people literally throwing themselves into the side of the path to keep away from you that you find here. There are arrows in shopping malls and some shops but I didn't experience any queuing at all. Families are outside enjoying themselves in the sunshine at lakes, the mountains are full of people out in the fresh air, without any of the condemnation taking place here.

I have Dutch friends whose children have been back at school for months and whose summer holidays are shortened so they can catch up on the work they have missed. It seems really strange that in the UK by comparison, return to school is still uncertain for many and no-one seems that concerned about the amount of education lost.

Sports activities have also resumed in countries such as Norway much sooner than here, albeit with measures in place. Here, the emphasis seems to be on pubs, with many sports people being unable to train properly and compete, and ironically having to travel abroad to do so. Sporting businesses face devastating losses in Scotland as they have been unable to reopen despite pubs and beauticians being open!

My friends in Europe tell me that there is much more emphasis in the news on the continued lowering of death rates rather than new infections, as here, and also on hospitalisations and intensive care admissions. It was such a relief being out of this country last week, as there isn't this quite sinister feeling of constant creeping state control, rather I felt that the emphasis was on a return to normal freedoms as much as possible, while still being vigilant.

It seems almost like a political game here, so that certain politicians can't be blamed in the media for high numbers of deaths by taking excessively strong precautions and keeping restrictions in place for excessively long periods. The news on British tv is ridiculously obsessed with coronavirus and almost seems designed to keep people scared. Its really very different here.

I've got to be honest, your description of Switzerland sounds how it is here (I'm in Wales).

Have just come back from South of France and Italy. Masks in shops and in very crowded market held in narrow streets. No fuss about distancing or sanitizer. People wear masks on entering restaurant for a couple of minutes til sit down. No sense of panic or the paranoia our govt and media love to encourage .

My parents live in Ireland (both in their 50s, healthy, working) and over there they are freaked out. They have closed down 3 counties because there have been outbreaks with 180 cases across 2 meat factories, the government have told people if they go abroad, even to finally see their family after lockdown, and have to quarantine they are not allowed WFH even if they normally do or have the ability to as a deterrent to people going abroad. The public are incredibly against any flights landing in dublin airport. Tourists are not wanted by many. They still publish the figures quite publicly every day as top news. There is the same panic over kids going back to school. With regards to masks, they are being told to 'think of them like your underwear. You wear them once and dont wear them again' so my mother has about 20 reusable masks. My parents are hyper aware of everything they touch, and their workplaces take every bit of advice like its gospel. They were over visiting me this week and think the UK dont take it seriously enough.

Here in the USA we are dealing with it at genius level obviously thanks to our super inspiring leader.

Do places like Switzerland, the NL and Norway have good track & trace systems running?

The countries you mention that are more relaxed have lower infection rates and more space per person.

Perhaps when the uk rates are at a similar low level the approach here will be the same.

At the moment though we're only just coming out of lockdown and we desperately need to avoid a big up tick in cases if we want our children to be able to go back to school again.

Here in Portugal there's pretty much 100% adherence to wearing masks (don't know if it's the same in the Algarve), shops are still limiting the number of people entering and there are hand sanitisers everywhere. Even so there was an outbreak at a local meat factory which has spooked everyone.

Here in Italy it sounds pretty much the same as Portugal. We no longer have to wear masks in open spaces, but still in shops etc.

Our regional governor has just announced 14 day quarantine for people coming from Spain, Malta and Greece as cases unfortunately are increasing a bit again (nationally up to about 300 cases a day, 20 in my region) and many have been traced back to holidays taken abroad.

There's certainly no panic or paranoia, not many WFH anymore. Measures being taken for schools (though still unsure what model will be followed- best guesses at the moment is there will be some teaching in school and some online)

There's no mention of "buzzwords" like shielding/vulnerable/keyworker/bubbles and nor has there been since the beginning.

Things just seem to be terribly complicated for Boris & co.

Here in Massachusetts and I don’t feel that many restrictions have been lifted significantly. Face masks are required indoors and outside if you can’t distance (been required since April). Supermarkets are restricted to how many people in store with someone counting entry. Gym’s have opened but very quiet and temperature check on entry. Doctors/dentist call the day before attending to question on symptoms. There’s a 14 day quarantine for people returning from most states. Schools are going back 2 weeks later but classes will be split and only attending in person for 2 days. Class size is usually around 22 so will be halved to maintain distance. The physical size of the classrooms are at least twice the size of UK classrooms so thus will help.

Belgium; you can only see 5 people outside your household, and they must be the same 5. Shopping can only be done by 1 person, and for 30 minutes only. Masks to be worn outside and when shopping.

Antwerp has a curfew every night.

Lots of people still working from home.

In Algeria masks are compulsory... everywhere though maybe 5/10 people wear them, or will wear them just inside shops. Social distancing isn't obvious though there are limits on the number of people in shops (which as they are very small is a good thing). For the last couple of months we've had curfews in place ..more recently it's been 8pm-5am but believe it's changing to 11pm today. Restaurants and cafes are takeaway only, no gyms etc open. Mosques and beaches reopening, airport open for commercial, repatriation and 'special' (no, I don't have a clue what these are but hope to be on one very soon) flights only. Pretty sure there have been no restrictions as to who/how many people you can see.

@PaundryLouder

Do places like Switzerland, the NL and Norway have good track & trace systems running?

NL doesn't have a great track and trace system but they are more open about relying on herd immunity. They're experiencing a second wave due to tourists.

Germany is very strict on mask wearing and social distancing. Walking around, there is a real observation of the rules and number of people in shops etc.

That's interesting about the NL. How are they protecting the most vulnerable in the herd immunity situation? I think they as a country are an interesting comparator to the UK as they are also densely populated in the way that Germany, Spain etc aren't so much.

(I mean there are cities in all those countries but the NL has cities near other cities)

It was similar to the UK with self isolating and quarantine if you come back. Care homes were restricted for a while but that's been lifted I've been told.

A note about the Netherlands. Their population is on average healthier than the UK so they've managed it a little better. I was doing a comparison between Benelux (for work) and Belgium definitely skewers a lot of the figures with percentage of the population affected and measures needed to control the spread.

The countries you mention that are more relaxed have lower infection rates and more space per person.

The lower infection rates point is no longer true, though. France, Netherlands, Switzerland all have much higher 7 day rolling averages per 100,000 than the UK.

Iceland:

No more than 100 people in any one space (excluding children born 2005 or later)

Compulsory tests at the border for people arriving from most countries (two tests 4-5 days apart)

You're supposed to keep 2 metres apart and wear a mask if you can't. Not many people really bother in shops and that, though on buses or at the hairdressers apparently you do have to.

Everything is open subject to the 2 metre rule and 100 person limit.

I'd say the general mood is fairly relaxed, although obviously that's not universal and some people are more stressed than others. We're still not allowed inside our children's nursery and do drop offs / pick ups in the playground. There'll be more online teaching than normal at universities. Big cultural events have been cancelled. So things aren't 100% fully normal but I no longer feel restricted to a great degree.

Germany is very strict on mask wearing and social distancing. Walking around, there is a real observation of the rules and number of people in shops etc.
Not according to my German friend who has gone to visit her family.

Germany is very strict on mask wearing and social distancing. Walking around, there is a real observation of the rules and number of people in shops etc.
Not according to my German friend who has gone to visit her family.

it depends where you are. Small town Germany is a bit more relaxed i think but continuing masks and most precautions. Big City Germany is a mixture, SD outside seems gone but masks are compulsory and the fines for non compliance have just been raised.

Schools in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern went back last week and I'm not sure how that went. Schools in Nordrhein Westfalen went back today - primary age don't have to wear masks at their desks, secondary and above do (masks everywhere else at school)

but new cases increased sharply - half due to returning holidaymakers (particularly from Kosovo) and half who haven't been anywhere. Localised lockdown is possible. The next emphasis is getting the economy restarted.

@Greyhair59

Yes that says it all.

The paranoia our Government and Media like to encourage.

There are very few patients in hospital with Covid; death rates across all causes are BELOW the seasonal average. Yet our stupid Government, egged on by the media, like to highlight anything bad (even if irrelevant or insignificant).
That there are people in this country still afraid to leave their houses and get on with life beggars belief. It is the result of lies and exaggeration by Government and media designed to frighten the population into submission.
The latest announcement dropping the death toll by over 5,000 reveals the games they have been playing with the British people. I’ll bet anything that when a proper public enquiry is launched into this fiasco the death toll will be revised further downwards.

Noextremes, I don't believe all that for one minute. I think the threshold to get to a hospital is much higher than elsewhere as the statistics for those dying at home are much higher than other countries. The excess death toll is around the 70k mark.

I'm in Belgium and Numbers are currently increasing by about 500 per day but the curve is slowing slightly. These are mainly much younger people, so they are not getting so sick, but hospitalisation are also growing, The UK is about 6 times larger but only seeing numbers x 2. This is because of lack of testing, we don't have test and trace yet either though it's a priority.

Noextremes, a bit off topic but my son collects his A level results tomorrow and I hope he and his friends will not follow the farcical guide from the educational correspondent on today's BBC news
which includes not jumping in case you expel air!

Italy has temperature scans at the majority of shops/large areas (train stations airports shopping centers) and masks worn everywhere indoors.