Coronavirus – Europe Locks Down
As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the European continent, countries are shutting their borders and imposing lockdowns on residents in an attempt to reduce the impact of the pandemic.
Figures from John Hopkins University on Thursday morning revealed 218,823 coronavirus cases worldwide. Italy, the worst-affected European country, has recorded 35,713 cases, whilst cases in Spain and Germany have risen above 10,000.
Since March 10, more than 60 million people in Italy have been living in lockdown. The government banned all public gatherings and urged people to stay at home unless buying essentials.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced similar measures in an address to the country on Monday, emphasizing several times that the country is “at war”.
“We are not up against another army or another nation,” he warned. “But the enemy is right there: invisible, elusive, and advancing.”
In a speech on Wednesday evening, German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed Macron’s urgency, ordering everyone in the country to stay at home and practice social distancing.
“This is serious. And we must take it seriously,” she said. “There has been no such challenge to our country since German reunification - no, not since the Second World War - that relies so heavily on us all working together in solidarity”.
Similar lockdowns are being imposed across the EU, with Belgium and Spain also racing to contain their outbreaks.
However, not all residents are taking the new measures seriously. Many Parisians ignored social distancing and containment advice, gathering in parks and markets in the French capital over the weekend. In response, the French government has mobilized the police force to ensure the new rules are followed, introducing fines of up to €135 to individuals found to be breaching quarantine.
Since the lockdown, Italy has charged more than 40,000 people for violating lockdown. In Sciacca in Sicily, police found a man, who had tested positive for coronavirus, out shopping and therefore in violation of his self-isolation orders. He could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
In the UK, which has been criticized for its slow response, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday that all schools, colleges and universities would be shut for the rest of the school year and school exams would be cancelled.
Although no formal lockdown has been implemented in the country, London prepares to close its tube stations on Thursday, with a full lockdown expected soon.
The hospitality and travel industries across Europe are bracing themselves for huge financial losses and job cuts because of the pandemic. With consumers forced to stay at home and an emergency ban on travel to the EU by non-EU nationals, many companies are now battling for survival.
Despite the economic and social impact, the need to uphold strict lockdowns and reduce social contact with others is clear. On Wednesday, coronavirus deaths in Italy reached a record 475 deaths in one day.
By Amy Jones
Image source: Europa Press via Getty Images