Notes during a Corona Pandemic #4 | Lock-down + Details I will forget in a few years time
It's been three weeks since I started isolating myself in order to prevent getting Corona or spreading the disease to someone (one or multiple) else.
I think it's only 2 days that I actually 'realize' how long this might take. The official procedures are going to last another month, with careful warnings that they might get extended even after April 28th. This is important because we have a spring Holiday coming up, which lasts often 2 weeks and depending on where in the country you live will start half April up to half May.
The prime-minister, Mark Rutte, therefore said: "We don't want to forbid anyone anything, but we don't advise planning holidays - we want to minimize travel throughout our country so of it were me I wouldn't plan a family outing for these weeks. We don't know the measures we will have by then."
It's a clear example of how the 'Intelligent Lock-down' works - this is what the prime-minister calls our Corona Measures. According to him, in an 'adult democratic society' it doesn't fit to have a government put out very strict rules and ways to enforce them. Therefore he just lays out general advise (some, like being in groups of 3+ people lightly enforced by small fines) to stay home (when possible), don't go to the supermarket with another member of the family/kids (so the supermarkets don't get crowded), only use public transport when really necessary (for example to go to your job that's essential), and keep your distance - 1,5 meters apart.
It seems to work - from the first week these measures were announced we still saw people ignore some of the 'rules', but now? It's rare. Public transport is basically empty, people don't go to the supermarket in droves, people take as much distance as possible, most of my family and friends is isolating themselves.
All while letting people be 'free' to sometimes decide to do something they feel is important: go for a walk, a run, to a family member, take public transport. Everything keeps functioning and people are taking responsibility.
There's calls for stricter measures, some people want to lock-down the country more strictly, but the infection rate seems to be slowing, and if this is the way we can keep Corona under control - I'll be very proud that we've achieved that while not giving anyone the feeling they are too severely restricted in their freedom.
Will be continued.
Some notes of things I think I'll forget in a few years about this Pandemic:
- The biggest grocery delivery service in The Netherlands has to be booked almost two weeks in advance - all other slots are filled continuously
- Sometimes, at 6AM, at least that's what my neighbour says, some slots open, but they are filled already at 8AM. People are chasing delivery slots :D
- My favourite smaller delivery service has a full week of waiting time - but their app simply doesn't show more slots than one week so the problem stays the same: almost no opportunities for 'grabbing' a time slot for deliveries
- Food delivery guy puts down a heated bag with food, steps back, lets you take out the food, grabs bag again
- Grocery delivery guy (I've only ever seen one woman deliver groceries or takeaway food :D) doesn't hand over groceries, also puts them in front of door, steps back, let's you grab the bags. Doesn't take with him reusable plastic/bottles/bags as they used to do, all so there's minimal transfer of possible infection
Very, and for good reason too. People here generally don't take stuff like this seriously but since we now have a lockdown going on and people getting beaten for going outside except for essential work, it has really helped slow down the spread.
For the second most populous country, we only have approximately 2000 confirmed cases so far.
Without the lockdown that would be a much larger number in my opinion.
Yes, it's fascinating to me, how some countries can call on the 'common sense' of people and people just stay home, and in other countries immediately force is needed and implemented to get people to take the advise seriously.
There will probably be quite a few books published on these observations in the future :-)
Stay safe @rahul.stan, all you can do is keep your distance and wash your hands very often. Hope you'll be alright after all of this :-)
Since my country has a large population, the number of idiots is high even if the percentage is small lol.
As far as social distancing goes, I've been living this life for a long time now xD
#posh: https://twitter.com/SoyrosaH/status/1245819776427065345
I think people still don't take this seriously in Netherlands. :(
:-( What do you see for example? In my direct surroundings I see people act very responsibly, so I'm curious to learn what you observe.
I had a serious issue about being able to be in lockdown in the first place. And I am astmatic so that is scary. Now I finally have a place of my own, with a full lockdown that wouldn't have been possible...
It sounds like its quite a similar approach in UK. It works fine in any sensible, responsible democratic society, but maybe not some is others
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We are under 'voluntary' home stay. Non essential business are closed and for the most part it looks like people are complying. Our infection rate is rumored to be really low, but I really fear that it is our testing rate that is so small...
Grocery delivery seems to be impossible, but food delivery seems to be going on just fine. Lots of recently unemployed are really glad to be restaurant delivery folks, it seems.
he seems like a nice guy, our president just said, you been bad, so you are on 24h lock down for the weekend. so from Saturday 1PM to Monday 5AM we are on a full lock down, and after that we are back to 5PM to 5AM lock downs. I can hardly wake up and get to the store, my way of life is f-ed up :D
Also the we moved our clock last Sunday so the sun is up till almost 8PM now and we can't go out.
And officially we only have 1150 people infected, and they talk on the TV how our health system is the best, and they scare us with Italian and Spanish scenarios... in short, our government sucks
it's not that strict regarding how deliveries do their job but in order to get out of our houses we need to fill a form or send an sms that has 6 categories. Like 1= for going for a quick walk/workout 2=supermarket and groceries etc etc
Also gatherings of more than 2 people aren't allowed. if they get you outside without that form,sms,your id or you are more than 2 then it's 150 euros fine.
if you had the virus or asked to be in quarantine for 2 weeks because you came back from abroad and you don't listen and go out the minimum is 5000 euro fine to even jail time :P