Germany going gently into lockdown

[stella1know]

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.

[doradoo]

Seems like we now have a plan for lifting of lockdown, schools slowly opening from 4 May - for us in NRW that would leave 8 weeks of term three of which are short due to Feiertage and Brückentage....

[stella1know]

I think things are getting mad here in NRW since stricter measures were imposed. The gvt is also sternly warning against Corona-Parties which is what people seem to be doing in lieu of clubs and bars being open We are preparing for lock down but I am really worried for the grandparents in the UK. And those stuck in the Alps on a skiing holiday, small village, not a resort. They are anxious about getting back through the border but it should be fine. Unprecedented things are happening.
I am attaching pictures from this evening from English Week at Aldi (I am actually very worried and feeling strange historical anxiety pushing through so am keeping off the internet for longer chunks) stay safe everyone.

[shutthedamndoor]

I take it back... supermarkets here were empty by about 3pm yesterday! However, the Englischer Garten was jam packed with people out in the sunshine. Let's see what this week brings.

[TooGood2BeTrue]

Those saying the UK is not as badly affected as Germany and Spain. Who would even be able to tell with patients no longer being tested in the community? A newborn has just been diagnosed with Covis-19. Chances are there are thousands already infected here. I have lost all confidence in this government's 'strategy' to deal with the virus and it totally counteracts the severe measures that other countries are implementing. Once they've got their numbers down again and it's out of control here, the UK will be isolated with full travel restrictions going in or out.

[stella1know]

It will be tough without libraries, and swimming pools but they will be virus transmission places. It will be a whole new world keeping kids at home.

[SecondRow]

(Bavaria) Our municipal swimming pool, ice rink and library are closed, the local cinema is allowing up to 100 tickets per screening with an empty seat left between each occupied one, but they also say several films due out have had their release dates postponed.

[SecondRow]

Bavaria here. Kids home for five weeks. Yes, our kindergarten workers weren't clear yet yesterday about what they have to do - they're not off work, but of course many of their own children will be at home needing care. On the other hand, another cohort of them are in the risk groups, certainly a few over 60s at ours, so who will be left to provide the key-worker childcare is a question.

Key workers has been defined to include utilities, public transport and refuse etc. as well as healthcare, so who knows how many children that will be?

School work will be set by email, but I'm guessing that's going to pretty demotivating quite quickly with little feedback or, well, actual teaching. There is a super-duper digital education platform which has been in the works for ages, the minister referred to it in a vague, hand-waving way in the press conference yesterday, in the same breath as suggesting material could also be sent out by post. Yep, snail mail I doubt very much our (primary) teachers have even had any training yet in the digital portal, certainly the children don't have logins.

What I am not sure about yet is how restricted the social mixing will be. Oursports clubs and music lessons have been cancelled too (but not horse-riding). I had one DC at grandparents recently for a week and felt pretty bad about them having no child contact all week. It can't be mentally healthy for such a long time. I was initially thinking meetups with one or two other children would be ok but I see now that in Ireland etc people really are taking the stay in the house approach. Will read up on specific advice for children here.

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

@doradoo
That's were I come from, cross the road and you can walk ...

[doradoo]

@prokupatuscrakedatus - I'm based in a southern stadtteil of Essen - on the Ruhr.

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

@doradoo
Hello, doradoo, you are in my hometown

[stella1know]

The bus door closure seems like a sensible idea. It’s the small things that will add up to make an difference hopefully. Just saw the nightmare figures from Spain which are frightening because they are on a similar level of cases.

[vegansprinkle]

I am in Switzerland and we have closed down all schools, Creche's and universities until end of April today.

[doradoo]

They're doing the bus thing here in Essen/Ruhr region too - no more driver contact happening.

[PostNotInHaste]

Yes I think she thinking about it Stella as other side of the Rhine . Reading what Prokupat:has just said I think that it must be that they are available in case needed by essential personnel, she just hasn’t been told yet.

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

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.

[stella1know]

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

[stella1know]

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

[PostNotInHaste]

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?

[stella1know]

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.

[PostNotInHaste]

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.

[TheHoundsofLove]

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

[shutthedamndoor]

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.

[doradoo]

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.

[Nquartz]

@AGoodPodcastAndANiceCupOfTea

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

Apart from the constant butterflies in my stomach of course.

[Balloonsandbunting]

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.