Coronavirus — look from the inside

The coronavirus pandemic has led many governmental bodies to impose lockdowns, measures that modern society could not imagine even in the worst of nightmares. Not all people are ready to accept those measures with patience and understanding.

Skeptics claim that the “side effect” of treatment may be more dangerous than the disease itself. Indeed, countries’ lockdowns will have a significant impact on the economy. And this means that absolutely every member of the economic chain will be affected.

Our guides, who in ordinary life make up great tours and quests and publish them on the Lokimo platform, today will tell you what is happening in their countries and how local people perceive the situation. Those who are behind the Lokimo tours and quests have become our eyes and hearts and are ready to share relevant news and describe where they want to go when life goes back to normality.

So here we go:

Yana, Brescia, Italy

A few weeks ago, I was not even thinking that what is happening might be serious. We were all quite careless here. While news from China and Iran about the growing number of infections was spreading out, we were making our own assumptions, conspiracy theories, and funny memes.

And then this happened to us. And today we are at the epicenter of the world coronavirus pandemic. There are 74,386 confirmed cases and 7,503 deaths — these are grim numbers. We probably owe these figures to the fairly advanced age of the population, as well as the incomplete statistics. After all, we do not have mass testing, and there may be more cases of infection.

In general, the northern regions of Italy are quite wealthy, and medicine is at its highest level here. But nevertheless, by March 10, the authorities were forced to admit that the medical sector was not coping: there were not enough intensive care beds, medical staff, and equipment.

To take control of the situation, on March 8 Italy introduced restrictive measures in 14 regions: all public places, except for grocery stores and pharmacies, were closed. On March 12, the rules were tightened and the lockdown extended until April 15.

What does it look like? We are allowed to leave home only if necessary, to go to the grocery store or the pharmacy. We must always carry a special permit filled out at home. Otherwise, we face a heavy fine or even imprisonment.

It has already become clear that quarantine will cause serious damage to the country’s economy. Italian analysts are expecting the economy to contract this year, but so far it is difficult for us, ordinary people, to digest the consequences. For now, we are waiting for the measures to start functioning, and the number of new cases and deaths is beginning to decline!

After the lockdown is called off, I will go on a long Italian vacation. And I promise to dream up some new stunning routes for Lokimo.

Lana, Vancouver, Canada

On March 17, the government decided to shutter all places where citizens congregate: libraries, theaters, bars/restaurants, and even all local ski resorts … A little later, schools were closed, and the kids will stay at home until September. Many people started working from their homes.

Also, natural and forest parks were closed, but for some reason, the city parks were left open, and the people moved there. I must say that people are still quite carefree. They rarely take the advice for self-isolation seriously. And even people who are now taken back from other European countries do not stay in quarantine.

In general, our society has not yet accepted the existence of the problem. Or, to be more precise, it is polarized. Some are already emptying the shops (quite unpleasantly, not only grocery, but also weapon stores), and getting themselves ready for the apocalypse. And others are still walking along the streets as if nothing had happened, as if there were no problems as such.

Canada confirms 3579 cases and 36 deaths.

Where will I go when quarantine draws to a close? We have been planning a west coast road trip, or will probably fly to Mexico.

Julia, Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal has declared a state of emergency, closing all businesses that do not provide essential services. In theory, people can leave their homes only for urgent matters, to buy food, to go to work or to visit a pharmacy. The penalty for violating this law is a fine of about €250.

In fact … at the very best, the police ask people to leave the streets. And at worst, they ignore the obvious violation.

In general, there are not so many people on the streets, but people are extremely unhappy that they cannot sit quietly in a cafe and have their usual banter with friends.

Despite the ban, a cafe in our block was open until yesterday, serving customers as usual. The police station is just a stone’s throw away. But only after my husband called them, did they finally come to close up the shop.

In general, people here are not very conscious, and the measures are not tough enough.

So far, there have been 3544 cases and 60 deaths in Portugal.

When the quarantine ends, I’ll go to Moscow to see my parents!

Mary, Seoul, South Korea

South Korea has seen the largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases after China. An outbreak of the virus here happened back in February. The whole world has probably heard of the single “super-spreader” known as “patient 31”, a 61-year-old woman, member of a fringe church called Shincheonji, who attended two religious services after a positive diagnosis, nearly tripling the number of patients in the country.

Among the members of the sect, several thousand patients were subsequently tested and diagnosed positive. The Korean authorities pay great attention to testing. Of course, not all are tested. But at the slightest suspicion of coronavirus, a test can be done. Also, there is a unique opportunity to do a “drive-through” test without even leaving the vehicle.

In general, we are very satisfied with the way the Korean government has acted in these difficult times.

— We receive hourly updates from the official government service: they indicate the places where new cases have been confirmed and publish the current statistics.

— Two smartphone applications have been developed to get acquainted with the symptoms.

— Sanitizers are everywhere, including public transport and elevators.

— Most public institutions are closed or in emergency mode.

— Schools and other educational institutions were closed and went partially online.

— Disinfection is constantly carried out on the streets and in offices.

In my office, for instance, they measure the temperature of all employees every morning.

We avoided the full lockdown perhaps because of the Korean discipline. The message from the government recommending staying at home was enough and no additional measures were needed: people do not leave their homes except in an emergency, the subway is almost empty, people do not leave their homes without their masks. By the way, many already had a stock of masks at home. Now some stores and pharmacies are already out of stock, but some still have them on sale.

We have already observed the result of these measures: if at the end of February we recorded more than 900 new cases daily, today there were only 74.

Let’s hope that the promising trend continues.

Where will I go when the pandemic ends? To Tokyo, perhaps! I love that city very much. Does Lokimo have any routes there?

Dmitry, Berlin, Germany

Some measures have been taken in Berlin, but they are still relatively mild.

All bars, clubs, gyms and other entertainment venues have been closed. Restaurants are not allowed to work except for take-away or home delivery. Bike shops and maintenance stations are still open.

Those who can work from home. In general, everyday activity has been greatly curtailed. But there are still some people working in offices. Although not to the same extent as before, builders still work.

Mail services work, as does transport. Moreover, the Berlin metro has increased the frequency of trains so that people do not accumulate at stations and in the trains. All the kindergartens, schools and universities are closed. Schoolchildren study at home, receiving tasks via the Internet and by e-mail.

You can move around the city, but no more than two of you together. The exception is for family members who live together. People can walk in parks, but it is forbidden to sit on benches and grass for a long time. The police are asking you to carry your ID card and any document indicating your registration and to minimize walking time. Travel by car without a good reason is also prohibited.

Germans are very disciplined people. Everyone is trying to keep their distance and accurately follow the implementation of prohibitions and recommendations. Although Berlin is a very international city, people from almost all countries of the world live and work here, but visitors and migrants from other countries also obey the new rules.

Angela Merkel and her government, which includes representatives of various parties (Germany is a parliamentary republic) are depicting themselves in the best light so far. They are in contact with professional virologists and the largest German specialized research institutes. A crisis program to support the German health system is underway.

Great attention is also paid to supporting the economy and citizens. A package of 600 billion euros has already been adopted. The procedures for obtaining welfare benefits have been simplified. Rent-vacations have been previewed for those without work. There are grants for the self-employed and small businesses, interest-free loans for medium and large businesses and a large support program for artists and cultural institutions…

Because all these measures have been taken, Germany will face a budget deficit for the first time.

In general, both the authorities and the people have an understanding that the situation is complicated, but there is no sense of disaster. The situation is still under control, and this reflects the people’s mood.

Elena, Kyiv, Ukraine

Ukraine was one of the first European countries to announce the closure of borders. There were only about ten confirmed cases at that time.

Cinemas, restaurants, schools, sports clubs and beauty salons were closed. However, people are extremely frivolous with recommendations. Many beauty salons and sports clubs continue to work underground, mothers are constantly walking with their children because our doctors have always recommended spending a lot of time outdoors.

In three weeks, a total of 600 tests were done. The infectious diseases hospital is now guarded by the military because many doubtful citizens rushed there to undergo tests. But there are no test kits available.

There are no masks and antiseptic products in pharmacies either. But antiseptics have already begun to be sold in online stores, and people sew masks themselves.

In general, the mood is a little depressed, because it is already obvious that our health care system won’t be able to withstand an outbreak, the statistics are not transparent, and many people behave quite irresponsibly.

We are watching the progress of the situation in Italy and Spain to understand the dynamics.

When a quarantine is relaxed, I want to go everywhere :) We canceled our trip to Germany, to the techno-festival, and a question mark hangs over the summer holiday. I think that most likely, we will go to Barcelona!

Elena, Barcelona, Spain

Spain very quickly entered the top three countries with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. The first of the infected were identified on February 15, and the outbreak occurred in Madrid in the first week of March. Rapid growth was recorded after the massive demonstrations on March 8 and the government was forced to take urgent measures. The situation has changed drastically.

At the beginning of March, it seemed that the virus would never reach us. There has been a lot of speculation on social media about its origin. Many people were asking if the disease existed and were looking for evidence in actual patients.

On March 13, the government closed all schools, and on the 16th, the country went into full lockdown. Absolutely everything except for grocery stores and pharmacies remains closed. A severe travel ban has been applied. People can only leave their homes in cases of emergency and they must always carry a special permit and a document with them. People can go to the grocery store, but only to the nearest one to their registration address. There are fines for non-compliance, from 300 to 30,000 euros. Moreover, people are being fined a lot.

There is nothing to be surprised at, because many Spaniards took the measures introduced as an infringement of their freedom, and continued going out several times a day. We even had the ridiculous cases of renting dogs out for street walks. Today, the number of violators has significantly decreased, and most citizens have accepted the current situation.

The country was a bit short of necessary equipment. But now at least all the stores have sanitizers and gloves at the entrance, and some places installed screens between the cashier and the customers. For regular people, buying masks and sanitizers is still problematic. There were no new deliveries to pharmacies. Many people make their masks at home.

People are afraid not only of the rapid growth of new cases but also of impending economic problems. This lockdown will cost the country a king’s ransom. The unemployment rate has already soared to 19%. As part of the business rescue program, some 300,000 workers were temporarily laid off. The government has taken several measures including subsidies for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs. People are afraid of the upcoming crisis but are all waiting for the measures to finally yield results. The peak is expected this week, and then there should be a decline.

What gives us hope and a lot of support is the people. We have a lot of volunteers who are ready to help senior citizens. Those who can sew masks for themselves and their neighbors. Musicians and artists give improvised concerts on their balconies. Recently, the police in one small town offered to sing a birthday song to the kids who, due to quarantine, could not meet their friends. This is quite encouraging, isn’t it?

When the quarantine is over, I will wander around my beloved Barcelona. I still have a couple of routes planned for Lokimo. And I want to go to Vietnam. Moreover, Lokimo has routes there that give me serious wanderlust!

Kate, London, UK

My family has been involuntary self-isolation for almost two weeks now because my husband is asthmatic, and thus belongs to a risk group. Initially, Great Britain did not plan to take harsh measures, and our government even hoped to get the situation under control isolating only the older people.

However on Friday, March 20, schools closed down and on Monday 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown, including a ban on public meetings, closing stores, except grocery stores, and recommendations to stay home unless the need to go out was urgent.

This is not surprising because over the past few days the growth has been more than 1000 people per day, and on March 26 the number of confirmed cases reached 9,529.

It should be noted that we almost do not do any tests, which means that in reality there could be many more cases.

Telephone medical service is functioning properly. My husband has already contacted the attending physician but was refused when he requested a test. There are not enough test kits, they are now being done only to the most urgent of patients.

Of course, there are significantly fewer people in the streets. However, once a day we are allowed to go for a walk or to play sports, and many use this slack, still visiting playgrounds and assembling in companies.

Our government will likely be forced to take more stringent measures if people do not understand how important it is now to follow the recommendations.

Where are we planning to go after the pandemic? :) We have been planning to move to Malta. And we surely will. Do we need tours in Valletta for Lokimo? :)

Tatyana Duyar, Istanbul, Turkey

The first case of infection was detected in Turkey on March 12. And this particular person behaved completely carelessly. He escaped from the hospital, infecting along the way a taxi driver, several passers-by, and his family. Something similar happened after the return of our compatriots from the Hajj in Mecca. About 10,000 people were placed under quarantine but many of them have violated the quarantine, spreading the infection around.

In the meantime our authorities reacted quite quickly: public places such as mosques, main attractions, and restaurants were shuttered, except those that began to work exclusively for takeaway. Schools were closed on March 16, partially transferring kids to online education. They came up with a rather interesting system. Lessons are broadcast directly on TV, for different grades and ages.

By the way, the Ford factory closed completely after detecting one infected employee.

Supermarkets are open. Disinfection is constantly taking place. Even our residential complex has been disinfected several times. There are sanitizers at the entrance. Now they are also planning a tray for disinfecting shoes at the entrance. Couriers are forbidden to go up and we now have to go down to collect packages ourselves. This, of course, is not a general norm, but many are trying to take the same measures.

Emotionally, most Turks also reacted quickly enough. Permanent meetings ceased, they no longer hug and kiss when meeting each other. But there is no ban on leaving the house. There are only recommendations. Therefore, there are still a lot of irresponsible citizens who continue to walk en masse along the embankments.

To date, about 30,000 tests have been done in Turkey with 2,433 confirmed cases and 59 deaths.

When this is all over, I’ll go to see my family first of all!

Marina, Melbourne, Australia

Even though Australia is one of the most remote countries in the world, the coronavirus still managed to reach it. To date, there are about 3,000 confirmed cases with 13 deaths.

The states took urgent measures and already during March, all mass events were canceled including national football games, a parade in honor of the Australian New Zealand Army Corps memorial day and all concerts. All museums, cinemas, gyms, exhibition centers, bars, and clubs have been closed. Restaurants and cafes have switched to “take away only” mode.

Shopping centers are still operating, but the government is warning states with more cases (New South Wales and Victoria) that stringent measures might follow, such as those applied in the UK and Italy, where people can only go out of their homes for necessities.

Most universities have switched to distance learning, but many Australian schools remain open. Australia’s borders are also closed for six months.

People have become more prudent, often wearing masks and rubber gloves in grocery stores, and the number of public transport passengers has also declined. Of course, many are upset, but in general, Australians concur with all the measures taken. We all hope that the chosen strategy will help to reduce the spread of the virus.

Iuliia, Wroclaw, Poland

Poland has 1120 confirmed cases, 14 people have died. On March 14, we closed the borders and accepted only our fellow citizens returning from abroad. And all of them without exception were put under two-week quarantine. They closed all the main institutions, leaving only the most necessary ones open: grocery stores and pharmacies. Many restaurants closed completely, the rest switched to food delivery. It is not banned.

And on March 26, the measures were tightened. Now we can only go out to buy food or to get to work. People under quarantine are electronically monitored. It is forbidden to visit parks and playgrounds. On public transport, only every other seat may be occupied. Meetings are prohibited.

Poland is a very religious country, and the restrictions on visiting churches had to be explained separately. Two weeks ago, the number of people present at any given service was reduced to 50. And yesterday they cut it down to 5 in total.

In general, our people are still at the stage of denial. There are a lot of questions on social networks about whether anyone knows people who have had coronavirus, whether it exists at all, and so on.

But I am in contact with friends from other countries and I understand that everyone went through this stage. The main thing is that even despite distrust, we all observe the prescribed measures!

I wish you good health!

Maria, Shanghai, China

Life is getting better! After the month of self-isolation, China is lifting the lockdown. But the locals decided to continue wearing masks and gloves for a couple of weeks.

Remote work has also been extended until the end of March. Honestly, China became somehow much more attractive after the virus. People are much softer, they smile a lot to each other. They don’t rush so much and don’t hustle.

I hope that many companies will now review the working schedules.

And I am pretty sure that everything will come back to the normality very soon here and in the rest of the world!

Stay safe and healthy!