Friday, April 3, 2020

Coronavirus capital by capital: How are Europeans coping with shutdown?

Across the Continent, Europeans are facing a barrage of restrictions on their freedoms as the authorities struggle to stop the new coronavirus spreading further. BBC correspondents describe the challenges faced in the cities where they live.

Germans cling to outdoor freedoms

"I've got a whole pallet of toilet paper if you want it!" chuckled the delivery man as I walked past my little local supermarket. It's been impossible to find, and pasta and flour shelves are always empty, too. Berliners must be doing a lot of home baking.
They're certainly doing a lot of jogging. The terms of Germany's lockdown differ slightly from state to state, but all allow for the national obsession with fresh air. People can leave their homes - as long as they're with members of their own household.

Spaniards do their best amid worsening crisis

Fear and uncertainty have encouraged residents to largely comply with a national lockdown which means they are not allowed out without a justifiable reason

Eternal city stilled as catastrophe grips Italy

I peer out of my window to see how long the queue is for the supermarket next door. If it's more than 10 people, that could mean a half-hour wait to be let in one by one. As it happens, it's shorter, so I nip down.
It's calm and orderly. People chat while waiting, sharing surreal experiences. There's no hoarding or panic buying. The toilet roll shelves have a few gaps but everything is still available.

France finds its collective spirit

As the eye of this storm moves across eastern France, there's a sense of officials racing to catch up with the wave: an emergency scramble for intensive-care beds and face masks for medical staff; a tightening of social restrictions seen as the main barrier to catastrophe.
 A friend told me how a neighbour of hers was fined for sitting alongside her husband in their car. My camera crew and I were stopped near the BBC office - the rules had changed and we now needed permission to be out filming.
 https://www.test.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52025553