Life coming out of lockdown: week 11

I feel that my “lockdown diary” is coming to an end, unless the situation precipitates and the lockdown measures need to be reinstated. When I started writing, life was very different from how it is now. As many other cities around the world, Berlin had turned into a ghost town. The streets were empty. Everything was closed, except for pharmacies, supermarkets and bike repair shops. The fear of a deadly virus was palpable. People turned to panic buying (Hamsterkäufe in German), amid growing anxiety about an invisible enemy. Supermarket shelves were stripped bare, as shoppers hoarded toilet paper, soap, disinfectant, pasta, flour, yeast and tinned food. Face masks were in short supply, but we were told that they were not necessary. There were almost no planes in the sky, as global air traffic had largely come to a standstill. There was only one story in the media: the coronavirus.

 

Just over two months have passed. Supermarket shelves are now well stocked, face masks and disinfectant are available for sale in pharmacies and many of the lockdown restrictions have been lifted. Beer gardens were full at the weekend. Open-air swimming pools reopened this week, although the weather has been a little chilly recently. Hotels are also open again, but there is no buffet breakfast. Air travel is resuming gradually: my parents have finally managed to get back to Sicily after being stranded in England for three months! Even pubs (Kneipen in German) are allowed to reopen from 2 June in Berlin. I find it rather ironic that pubs and fitness studios will reopen on the same day. You’d think that keeping fit would be a priority. Cinemas will restart on 30 June, but clubs and discos remain closed for the time being. However, for some establishments the relaxation of the lockdown rules has arrived too late.  I was sad to hear that the Colosseum Cinema in Prenzlauer Berg has filed for insolvency. I watched quite an eclectic mix of films there over the years, from Berlinale shorts to Shaun the Sheep.

 

Despite the lockdown relaxation, life has not gone back to how it was before the coronavirus. Strict hygiene rules and social distancing continue to shape our lives. Yes, schools have reopened, but most pupils only go to school for a couple of days a week at the moment. Shops have all reopened, but shoppers, shop assistants and cashiers all have to wear masks or other protective face gear. We also have to wear face masks on public transport. Not all sports clubs have reopened and large public events like festivals are banned until at least the end of August. There is still concern about a possible second wave of the virus and the R value (or reproduction number) keeps fluctuating. If there’s anything we have learned from this pandemic, it’s that we can't take anything for granted.

Life coming out of lockdown: week 10

While in some countries, children will not go back to school until September, in others the reopening of schools is a daily topic of debate. In Germany, schools have reopened, but there are differences depending on each Bundesland, or federal state. In Berlin secondary schools reopened on 27 April, while primary schools restarted on 4 May.  Schools in Berlin all have to follow a set of rules, namely hygiene and social distancing rules, but the actual planning and organisation is left to each school.

 

Last Wednesday my seven-year-old went back to school for the first time since 17 March, when schools in Berlin were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so eager to go to school, except for when he played in the football tournament a year ago. When I picked him up just before midday at the school gates, he and his classmates looked bewildered, but they were clearly happy to have spent the morning together. They hadn’t been to school and hadn’t seen each other for over two months. No wonder they seemed confused. The teacher looked pleased, while the other parents looked tired and relieved. As one mother pointed out: «Ab jetzt geht es bergauf», i.e. «Things are starting to look up». Clearly, the two months of lockdown have been a trying period for many children and their parents.

 

However, it was not school as usual. The first part of the morning was spent discussing the new rules, especially re-enforcing the message about keeping a distance. Class sizes have been halved, so the children only saw half of their friends. Normally they would all arrive at the same time, but now they have been allocated slots depending on their year so as to avoid overcrowding at the entrance. They all have to queue up patiently to enter the school building in an orderly and socially distant manner, or as my son said: «ordentlich und nach den Abstandsregeln», one at a time. There are lines on the floor indicating where to stand and wait.

 

Once inside the classroom, the children sit at separate desks and the desks are 1.5 m apart. One window is always open (it was only 12°C this morning! Since the lockdown was relaxed the weather has changed for the worse). There are rules for regular handwashing and for going to the toilet. At break time the children are divided into different groups so that they have enough space to move around. They are allowed to run and play in the playground. Playing football is permitted, but only if you keep a 1.5 m distance from others. Meanwhile, Bundesliga players don’t have to follow these rules. It does seem rather unfair.

 

School hours have been reduced and only core subjects are being taught; the school day is a lot shorter than usual. Lunch is normally in the school canteen, but now it’s eaten in the classrooms at a distance. Each child has to bring its own cutlery from home. When it’s time to leave, after an early lunch, parents wait at the school gates for their children to appear accompanied by their teachers. Parents are not allowed inside the school grounds.

 

The return to school has been a gradual and challenging process. The plan here is to get all children back in school by the end of next week. When primary schools restarted on 4 May, only Year 6 pupils attended school in the first week. The surprising and unexpected decision for Year 1 pupils to go back to school on 11 May was made at a political level. Schools were given only one day to prepare, causing chaos and confusion. As a result, one journalist suggested that parents, teachers and their pupils all needed starke Nerven, or strong nerves.  

 

I must admit that I was rather sceptical when I heard about the plan to reopen schools in Germany. Like many other parents, I was worried about the coronavirus and whether it was wise to send children back to school. I also doubted about the benefit of going to school for only a few hours a week. However, after Wednesday’s experience I now believe that even three hours of lessons a week in school is better than no school at all, both from a social and an educational point of view. When I asked the teacher how the morning went, she seemed very positive and said that the children had followed the rules. Sometimes they needed reminding not to get too close, but that was understandable.

 

Obviously going to school for one or two or three mornings a week is not a long-term solution. How can parents work when their children are in school for only a few hours per week and the rest of the time they are expected to learn at home? Still, it’s a step towards some sort of normality. We still don’t know the plan for June and the summer holidays are due to start in exactly one month’s time. A lot can happen in one month, as we know. As I read this morning, the R value (or reproduction number) has gone up again in Berlin. Watch this space.

*Image created by Sophie Cane. Submitted for United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives - help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Coronavirus confusion

Are you having trouble keeping up with the constant flow of information and studies regarding Covid-19?

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented communication. Over the past five months, since the first reports of a deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, we have been bombarded with information, a lot of it contradictory. No wonder you might be feeling a little confused.

Here’s a summary of the some of the most significant contradictions.

 

There is no human-to-human transmission – There is human-to-human transmission.

It’s like flu – It’s worse than flu.

The virus originated from a market in Wuhan – The virus was synthesised in a lab.

Only old people are at risk – Children and young people are also at risk.

Wash your hands for 20 seconds – Wash your hands for 40 seconds.

Wash your hands with hand sanitiser – Wash your hands with soap and water.

Now is the time to go into lockdown – Now is not the time to go into lockdown.

A distance of 1 m from others is safe – Keep a distance of at least 1.5 m from others – Keep a distance of at least 2 m from others.

Keep hand sanitiser in the car – Don’t leave hand sanitiser in your car overnight.

Face masks are useless – You must wear a face mask.

The coronavirus spreads on surfaces – The coronavirus does not spread easily on surfaces.

It's dangerous to take Ibuprofen – It's safe to take Ibuprofen.

Be productive during lockdown – Don’t be productive during lockdown.

Herd immunity will protect us from Covid-19 – Herd immunity will not save us from Covid-19.

Herd immunity will be achieved in weeks – It takes years to achieve herd immunity.

Warm weather will stop the spread of the coronavirus – Warm weather will not stop the spread of the coronavirus.

You can’t get Covid-19 twice – You can get Covid-19 twice.

Children are super-spreaders – Children are not super-spreaders.

It’s too dangerous to reopen schools – It’s safe to reopen schools.

Runners are super-spreaders – Runners are not super-spreaders.

Inject disinfectant (if you believe Donald Trump) – Don’t inject disinfectant.

Vitamin D protects you from Covid-19 – Vitamin D does not protect you from Covid-19.

Vitamin C protects you from Covid-19 – Vitamin C does not protect you from Covid-19.

Now is the time to come out of lockdown – Now is not the time to come out of lockdown.

Sweden was right not to go into lockdown – Sweden was wrong not to go into lockdown.

You can’t go on holiday – You can go on holiday.

Temperature checks at airports are essential – Temperature checks at airports are useless.

Now is the right time to introduce a quarantine for international arrivals – Introducing a quarantine for international arrivals now makes no sense.

A vaccine will be available in September – We might never have a vaccine.

Writing a blog is a good idea – Writing a blog is a terrible idea.

 

The list is endless. Please let me know if I left anything out.

*Image created by Ruth Burrows. Submitted for United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives - help stop the spread of COVID-19.