In France under lockdown - AMA

[MickeyMouae199]

I'm currently under lockdown in France in a relatively big city. The measures came into effect at 12pm today and will last for at least two weeks... Feel free to ask any questions !

How does getting a form work e.g. for people who don't have a printer? or is a digital format of it okay too?

@QuakingQuiche you can hand write the form on paper. It's what I've done. With the cost of ink I'd need another mortgage if I had to print a new form every day!

You can handwrite the form if you don't have a printer. My MIL is a no internet, no mobile phone person but her local paper (each town has a paper) published forms for anyone who needs them. She can then write out any additional ones she needs.

I'm in the middle of Haut Rhin, we have the most cases, but life goes on. Just came back from supermarket and there were no shortages of anything, fully stocked. It really helps that people have not been panic buying. Essential shops and services are all open. You can still go to work if your employer is unable to make homework arrangements - but all employers are supposed to, they can't demand you come in if you can just as well do your work from home. There are also measures in place to avoid businesses going out of business.

what is a bit of a challenge - it's not clear what is allowed and what not. A friend was stopped and told that you can only go to the nearest supermarket and pharmacy, not the one in the next village, even though this was not in any official communication. IN some areas, mountainbiking is fine, in some people have been told they can only jog no more than 700m from their house - arbitrary stuff like that.

@KatharinaRosalie

In Paris we are being told 200m from place of residence.
The sports ministry was very clear yesterday that people shouldn't be going on long runs - they have closed the beaches in the south and in Paris the banks of the seine are now closed too ... I think that there will be stronger restrictions from Monday.

@katharinarosalie

I understood that any cycling is now not allowed.

Yes they seem to be getting more stringent for sure.

I should be OK as I go out for a short walk everyday as it's the only exercise my gynaecologist will allow me to do after some bleeding in early pregnancy, but my DH runs 10k 3 times a week and I think this will really hit him hard.

From a health perspective it doesn't particularly make sense as if everyone here ran within 200m of the 12 or so apartment blocks here they would be all on top of each other. Surely using the wide pavements on the river bank next to where we are would be more sensible and allow people to exercise without risk?

But I guess they are trying to reduce the temptation of people going out just because...

We are very good about not going out, both work from home and only do 1 shop a week, but we are both cooped up in a small 1 bedroom apartment so if he can't get out to free some energy it's going to be really tricky for him!

exactly, even 1-2km is totally different from 200m. I can of course also understand that Paris is different where you would meet dozens of people, but Alsace is mostly rural and I didn't see anybody when walking the dogs this morning, so no risk I'd infect anybody.

I'm a runner and I have a nice 3K track basically around the house, so I'd be no further than 2K from the house at any time. I really hope they won't limit this to 200m..

I'm keeping everything crossed they won't get so strict, but I fear it's inevitable. They have closed all the beaches near here because people were taking the opportunity of being off work/school to spend the day at the beach.

I fear it's that kind of attitude that will push the government to adopt ever harsher measures.

I think it will definitely get harsher in the next few days. Where I run is about 3km by car from our house. I have never encountered an actual human apart from the guy who runs the bakery (and I have been doing this 3xweek since January).

However, I completely understand that there can't be, as seems popular on MN!, one rule for people in towns and cities and another rule for people like me who live in the middle of nowhere. Everyone we know is sticking to the rules.

The UK is in for a massive shock if when lockdown becomes a reality. A very quick scan of this board throws up numerous "but surely I can xyz?" posts in the face of very clear advice.

Yeah - 'I'm isolating, so I've been running errands all over the place'..
Lucky that my DC are still young - primary and maternelle. For them, it's just an extended holiday.

Oh and Bavaria, Germany just announced the lockdown so I'm also quite sure it's 'when', not 'if'

Yes - most of my family is in the UK and I still find it strange that life mostly seems to going as normal. My family thankfully are being mostly sensible, but I am shocked at all the people still in pubs and restaurants. It feels so wrong!

Brittany Ferries stopping sailings feels hard. Under an hour from us and I have used it about six times a year to see DD and family since we moved here. I know I can't go anyway, but.....

Until two weeks ago I ran on our local riverbank every day, hardly ever saw a soul. Now the world and his wife has taken up running and it's been closed down by the prefecture. I'll have to start running up and down our cul de sac instead.

People in the UK are pissing me off with their "Oh yes of course I'm isolating but I'm sure it's fine if I just go to the park with my personal trainer, I'll be careful".

@BurneyFanny I went for my daily walk today. A lot fewer people out and about which I guess is good. I think it helps that all the beaches are closed so there are fewer people going down to the beach on my usual route.

It's difficult as most people here live in flats so getting out once a day is important for people who are cooped up, but equally if everyone is flocking to the same places it's a problem.

But pretty much everyone out on their own which is an improvement on the groups of people I saw out last weekend.

Alsace announced that all parks, parcour tracks, public gardens, riverbanks and even forests are now off limits even if you're alone.

@KatharinaRosalie Similar here, riverbanks, canal pathways, lakes etc. are now off limits...

Some cities down south (Nice Perpignan Béziers) have even introduced curfews... I'm guessing people were out at night ?

Wow - shall keep an eye out for announcements in that vein here. Can I ask where you are @MickeyMouae199 ?

I am in one of the cities that has announced a curfew. Doesn't affect me at all as can't remember the last time I was out in the evening, but suspect it's to crack down on people going out to parties/social gatherings at each other's houses.

Still very quiet around my area, there is a big green space just at the foot of my apartment block which usually has lots of families out on it, especially when the weather is as nice as today, but no one there at all today!

I wish there was a curfew here - some lovely people have been vandalising cars parked in the street.

The world and his wife seem to have decided to go for a walk in my little suburb. Sizeable groups of students, 3 generations of families and others who clearly aren't local as they've stopped to consult a map.

I am in a terrace house and I have just heard my neighbours daughter arrive home from London for Mother's Day.

I feel like painting a blooming great banner to let people know that I am aware of 2 recovered and another confirmed case within 500m of the house.

England does seem to need to go into lockdown.

What happened to all the students at European Unis - are they all hunkered down in student blocks?