Read reactions and experiences from Italy, Malaysia, Angola, Lithuania, Portugal, Germany, the United States of America and Greece here.
Irene DV (Italy)
I live in Rome, and in Italy, the situation is still quite bad, especially in the northern part of the country (Lombardia region). There are still too many deaths and infected people, overcrowded hospitals and overwhelmed medical staff.
I am safe and healthy, and so are my family and friends, but I feel powerless and scared. I can’t see the end of this nightmare right now, and I can’t forecast all the consequences of this emergency.
In March, the government imposed a national quarantine until 3 April (I am sure it will last longer). Schools and companies are closed.
We can work from home, but some companies are taking various measures (such as obligatory holidays for their employees).
I hope that other countries won’t underestimate the emergency and the problem, and that they will act in advance to avoid the worst.
Carmen Chong (Malaysia)
Hello from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! We currently have the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, which is not something to be proud of, but I’m thankful to be stuck with family in the city.
Instead of a full lockdown, we have a Movement Control Order (MCO), and only one family member is allowed out to buy groceries/medication and other necessities at a time. There are also police and army in place to make sure everyone stays home, and they are also stopping vehicles on the road to ask questions.
There is also now a fine or jail time in place for those who go against police orders. A news article wrote some of the responses from the public who got caught outside and were questioned by the authorities, and it’s hilarious! I guess some people just don’t listen!
At home, we have been cooking a lot, playing games and working out to pass time. Despite the situation, I’m choosing to stay positive, and I’m grateful that my loved ones and I are safe. Praying for everyone in all parts of the world!
Sancha Zeevat Deia (Angola)
I’m from the Netherlands, but live in Luanda, Angola. Below are observations about the situation here:
Angola acted quite early with closing its borders to countries like China and Iran, and testing people’s temperatures at the airport, etc, which I was impressed with – also playing informative ads on radio and TV.
In the last two weeks, I have observed an increase in people making an effort to protect themselves by wearing masks and gloves, commercial establishments sanitising hands with alcohol gel, etc. Last week, however, things didn’t go as planned at the airport, when loads of people arrived and were supposed to be placed in quarantine, but, due to lack of capacity, were sent home to self-quarantine, which not all of them are complying with.
On 20 March, all incoming and outgoing international flights were suspended, and borders with neighbouring countries closed to prevent infection and spreading. Unfortunately, the first two positive cases were announced on Saturday 21 March, followed by the third on Monday and the fourth yesterday evening. All cases are people who arrived between 17 March and the 20th, when the borders were closed. Then, people frantically started to search for and buy the protection materials, which are now scarce and expensive. Such a sad thing that people take advantage of a situation like this!
As of today, the country is in a state of emergency, limiting movement of people; most people are working from home, can’t leave as normal, etc. I believe this is a good measure to make an effort once again to prevent the spreading of the virus. The implementation has to be optimised, though, because people seem to be panicking and standing in queues at banks to draw money, at shops to buy as much as possible and at pharmacies to get health supplies.
I also see great and inventive initiatives, such as people making hand washing sinks from oil barrels, a local soap company donating soap to people in need, online meditation and yoga groups, online tutoring classes, companies offering shopping and delivery services at home and people supporting each other in real life and online.
I have no idea how this will develop in Angola, but I hope the government will take enough effective measures to keep COVID-19 from causing too much damage! Stay healthy and safe!
Rūta Šatrovaitė Bulbovienė (Lithuania)
These are my thoughts and drawing from today, which reflect how I feel about the situation we are all in.
It’s a bridge between consciousness and subconsciousness,
Between past and future,
Between certainty and uncertainty.
Let’s enter the new quantum level where the quantum lotus is blooming.
Margarida Cipriano (Portugal)
In Portugal, I can identify three major types of individual reactions to the coronavirus. Gladly, I believe most people are now falling into the third group.
In the second week of March, some people got really worried that the social isolation and lockdown we would soon start would mean no access to food and basic supplies. So, they ran to the supermarkets, buying huge amounts of everything, from tuna cans to toilet paper. I personally witnessed two people arguing for the last egg carton one day. Even though the government has stressed several times that supermarkets, pharmacies and other basic needs stores will remain open, this behaviour translated into empty shelves for some products, such as alcohol, masks, gloves, bleach, toilet paper and several cleaning products.
On the other end of the spectrum, some people minimised the situation. They did not stay at home or engage in any prevention measures. Two specific age groups fall into this category: on one hand, young adults who decided to take advantage of schools and universities being closed, and having more free time to go to the beach and get together in social gatherings; on the other hand, older people who claim that this is all an exaggeration, that they have been through worse situations in their lives and that there is nothing to be concerned about.
Finally, a large group of people – which is thankfully increasing – changed their work to home-based, where possible, and are staying at home under volunteer quarantine, washing their hands often, going out only to buy essential supplies, using masks and gloves, and respecting social distance when out of the house. We are looking at Italy and Spain, just to mention the closest ones, and understanding as a nation that we need to take this threat seriously. The sooner we engage in responsible behaviour, such as social isolation, the sooner we can return to our normal lives.
As a gesture of gratitude for the tireless health professionals – who have been giving their best to help as many people as possible, working in less than ideal conditions – hundreds of people in Portugal, on several nights, have gone to their windows, clapping their hands and shouting support messages.
On a more personal note, I live in Lisbon, a city usually filled with movement and sound. Now, the streets are almost empty, and what I find particularly baffling is the silence on the streets. Even at home, we don’t hear much noise; we don’t hear airplanes, as anyone who has grown up in Lisbon is used to. Cars passing by are now a rare phenomenon in my neighbourhood. The other day, a friend commented that she went out to buy something, and heard people laughing; she found herself thinking it was strange. And, at this moment, it is; the absence of noise is becoming normal. A lot is different in my city; a lot is different in my country and in our world. Today was my grandfather’s 82nd anniversary, and, for the first time, my family didn’t go to his home and have lunch with him. It was hard for all of us; but, if this epidemic had to happen, at least it happened in a time in which technology is evolved enough to allow 22 people to be together on the same screen. I do not intend to pass coronavirus, social isolation or silent streets as good things. But I would like to end on a positive note: that we live in a time in which most of our loved ones are at the distance of a cell phone.
Here are pictures of a street in Graça (taken by a friend who lives there) – a neighbourhood which is usually filled with people, cars, buses and noise, and now is empty and silent. 
Andi Sttr (Germany)
The number of COVID-19 cases in Germany is still going up quite rapidly even though the country has been put under quite strict measures, eg the closing of all schools, universities, public service facilities as well as most businesses other than the ones needed for "daily survival", like supermarkets, doctors’ offices or pharmacies. Besides these measures, the federal government has issued a ban on going out in public for groups bigger than two people (with the exception of people living together in one household, like families). This kind of "contact restriction" makes these times still quite bearable and is obviously a less "aggressive" curtailment of civil liberties than complete lockdowns.
Whether these measures will actually help is still open to debate. Schools have been closed for 11 days now and – according to the plan today – are supposed to reopen on 20 April. The contact restriction is in place for two weeks and will probably end on 4 April – or later – no one really knows.
Despite the widespread fear and frustration in Germany, we can also see massive waves of solidarity and an increase in community feeling. Younger people go grocery shopping for their older neighbours so that they don't have to expose themselves to the higher risk of catching the virus outside. People support local businesses by buying their stuff there or even spending money if the local shops are closed. Everyone is aware by now that this is the most defining challenge of our time. That is why the overwhelming majority of people here are making choices that they will be able to be proud of when this is finally over, no matter whether it's helping the neighbours, caring for patients in hospitals or simple acts of kindness towards your local shop employees. We're all in this together!
Katie Pike (United States of America)
Hi from Minnesota!
They are announcing shelter-in-place orders for my state, starting Saturday this week. Which does not mean much, since they label almost all jobs as “essential” legally, which keeps people working and not isolated.
Many companies (including mine) are attempting to set everyone up with equipment and resources, to work from home.
Schools in my state are set up to deliver online schooling for students until 4 May. There are limited resources to make this conducive to good learning. Parents cannot work from home and educate at the same time.
I feel lost of tips, other than that I am learning how to set boundaries with family/work/peers when it comes to protecting spread socially. I hate telling family that they can’t come over, to protect everyone. I hate not being able to let my kids play with the neighbouring kids. But it is important to set up boundaries to avoid spread.
Άννα Ελευθεριάδου (Greece)
Hello to everybody! I am from Greece, and two weeks ago, most people were inside their houses. We saw our neighbour, Italy, and we were scared and sad for all these unfair deaths.
From this Monday, the government has forbidden translocation for two weeks; you can go outside for only six reasons: for your job, or to buy something, but you must have your ID with you, and a paper with the reason that you are going outside, otherwise you have to pay a penalty fee.
I think that all this is new for humanity, but we should take everything that is happening seriously, and we should try to focus on positive things, so that we escape from this situation!
I wish you the best! Stay healthy and positive!!
We should stand together!!
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