I'm in lockdown in Spain ask me anything

[BirdandSparrow]

Just that. On day 9 of Europe's srictest lockdown.

Thank you for this thread. It has been very helpful and interesting.

Wow, @Nameisthegame those photos!

Are you allowed to go to the airport to leave the country? Are flights even running? technically you can, although it is advised not to and the government may decide to close Spanish airspace.

There are a lot of calls to fully lockdown Madrid, Wuhan-style. At the moment that hasn't happened or been suggested (except in social media posts)

Just wanted to say thank you OP for your post today from Spain. It's been a very unsettling day but you have left me feeling quite reassured this evening.

Just wanted to say thank you OP for your post today from Spain. It's been a very unsettling day but you have left me feeling quite reassured this evening. I'm glad if it's helped. State mandated nationwide quarantine is a bit shit, I'm not going to lie, but I think it's infinitely preferable to everyone just completely terrified and panic buying and not knowing what to do.

What have they decided on exams for GCSE pupils?

Also, have you found any positives to being isolated with just your immediate family?

What have they decided on exams for GCSE pupils? At the moment, civil service exams are postponed. As far as I know, nothing has been decided for ESO (exams at 16), bachillerato baccalaureat) or selectividad (university entrance exams). But my kids are primary so I'm not sure. There are always resits in September for these so perhaps they will do them then instead? I don't know.

Also, have you found any positives to being isolated with just your immediate family? I've realised my kids are even more amazing than I thought and we have done more things as a family than usual. It's been less fraught so far than I imagined.

are the banks still open, my son works in a bank related field, he is an engineer and visits banks every day to ensure the internal note machines are working and correcting any faults, he is out and about ll over the country and seems to think the banks will remain open

are the banks still open, my son works in a bank related field, he is an engineer and visits banks every day to ensure the internal note machines are working and correcting any faults, he is out and about ll over the country and seems to think the banks will remain open the decree said one of the reasons we could go out was to visit "financial instituions" but I think in practice this means cash points, but I'm not sure as I don't live in a city. Anyone servicing cash points would still work, even if the banks weren't open to the public.

Going for a walk alone at night with no contact with anyone poses no risk. I agree with lockdown but how can this not be allowed for the sake of people's mental and physical health?

Going for a walk alone at night with no contact with anyone poses no risk. I agree with lockdown but how can this not be allowed for the sake of people's mental and physical health? Because if every body does it then it defeats the whole point of lockdown.
We have to look after our mental and physical health in other ways in the meantime.

"Going for a walk alone at night with no contact with anyone"

because the police / army could never be sure you wouldn't meet some people 2 minutes later

or you could touch a bench, fence etc and someone else could touch it 5 minutes later

@Jenasaurus my bank is open with reduced staff but we had a email saying please try sorting any queries online or by phone. People still use cash machines but people prefer contactless.

Tbh this could change.

Yes, I agree BCF. Also, it's a bit like the "everyone is a key worker" debacle. If it's just you alone then maybe it doesn't make any difference, but it's not going to be just you, is it, if you say to 47 million people they can go out if they're careful. Look at the beaches and NT properties this weekend. You either reduce social contact on a MASSIVE scale by saying nobody goes out unless it's essnetial or you don't. Going for a walk is not essential for anyone. It's really not.

What happened if someone was in another part of Spain when the lockdown started? Were they allowed to return home?

@Nameisthegame yes, I think the Caja Rural is open here actually. I'm not sure as I've only been to the cash point since this all began and that was outside normal hours.

Extreme lockdown cannot be sustained long term. Society would collapse. So how long can we be expected to sustain it?
Do we expect whole generations of children to be negatively affected, locked up in apartments with no fresh air or contact with their peers for long periods of time?
Imagine the impact of that?

What happened if someone was in another part of Spain when the lockdown started? Were they allowed to return home? yes.

Thanks for doing this. I'm on day 7 (just) in France, so interesting to see how it compares. No curfew here and we are allowed out for a short walk near home. I think people were abusing the rule a bit at the beginning and going on 20k cycle rides so they have clamped down now. Shops have the tape lines for queues like you. We had 16 hours notice though schools and non important shops including hairdressers were already closed.

Anyway this is your AMA so...

Are the pharmacies open? Can you buy otc drugs in the supermarket?
Do you have to fill in a form every time you go out like we do? Such a waste of paper as we need a new one every time. Even to go to the mail box which is 50 m from my drive! You are fined for not having it and after 3 (?) you get a prison sentence
Is it working or too soon to tell?

We have a garden which helps, though nowhere to buy compost or plug plants
My biggest worry is other medical stuff like getting to appts (in another country!) and getting vital meds. All 'non urgent' appointments cancelled.

Extreme lockdown cannot be sustained long term. Society would collapse. So how long can we be expected to sustain it? Spain's lockdown will be a minimum of 4 weeks. The choice is to take these extraordinary measures or completely collapse the health service in matter of days.

I've not seen one post on any of my social media, worried about the impact this has on children. Short term okay. Long term no.
There has to be a solution at some point.

4 weeks is manageable. Even 12 weeks. I think most of us would do this for the greater good, without hesitation.
But long term lockdown cannot be sustained. We would traumatise a whole generation of children.
They are the future.

Was Spain as bloody-minded about being out and about before the lockdown as the Brits seem to be? There have been scenes here akin to a Bank Holiday weekend which have really scared me.
Thanks for the thread.

Waves to @ViveLEntenteCordiale hello fellow quarantiner

Are the pharmacies open? Yes
Do you have to fill in a form every time you go out like we do? No. Some people are keeping receipts when they go to the shop and so on, but on the whole I think i's obvious who's taking the piss

Is it working or too soon to tell too soon here, cases and deaths will climb for another week at least I think, just in terms of the numbers who have already caught it, may be as much as 4 weeks ago.