Glimpses of lockdown around world
A look at how other countries are coping with global pandemic
VANCOUVER—Shayoni Mehta has only set foot outside of her residence in Pune, India, twice since March 23. Once for groceries and once for a doctor’s appointment.
The 32-year-old sociology assistant professor was on a visit home from Canada, where she was granted permanent residency last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke. Stuck inside, with special permits needed to go out, Mehta said she looks forward to the end of lockdown measures and hopes to make it to Toronto in August.
“The outcome of the lockdown on most people is very, very harsh,” Mehta said. “Every week we have new rules coming in.”
As some Canadians complain of “lockdown” conditions here, people across the country are still visiting parks, grocery stores, taking long walks or picking up takeout food. But different measures have been implemented around the world, some far more strict than those in than Canada.
The Toronto Star spoke to four people from around the globe about what lockdown looks like for them.
Shayoni Mehta — India
In India, where Worldometer reports there are nearly 81,000 cases confirmed as of May 14, Mehta said the lockdown rules are changing so often it’s hard to know what to expect. Sometimes people can go out for essentials, sometimes they cannot.
One week the grocery stores are open, the next only milk delivery is permitted. To leave the house, she said you sometimes need a special permit texted to your phone by authorities.
Mehta spoke to the Star on May 1, a day Indians dubbed “lockdown 3.0” because it was the third time the government had extended the measures, which include sealed areas that people are not allowed to leave because of high COVID-19 case numbers.
“Already, a lot of black markets have started for alcohol and smokes,” she said. “I don’t understand why alcohol shops are shut during the lockdown, in fact that would be a way to keep people in the cities.”
But while Mehta sweats it out at home, she can’t help thinking about the thousands of migrant labourers in the country who weren’t given enough time to prepare for the lockdown. They are travelling hundreds of miles during the sweltering Indian summer trying to get to their homes.
As many as 600,000 people were migrating on foot throughout the country without shelter, some without food or water. The government did not give nearly enough time for the public to prepare for lockdown measures, Mehta said.
“The entire nation had four hours to prepare for a lockdown, which is seemingly going on indefinitely,” she said. “People did not have time to buy food. People did not have time to buy medicines.”
Samuel Sudhof — Germany
It’s a less concerning scene in Moeckmuehl, Germany, where aerospace engineer Samuel Sudhof’s main complaint had been not being able to take his regular swim at a local pool. Germany had more than 174,000 COVID-19 cases on May 14. Unlike India, lockdown measures there do not prohibit Sudhof from freely purchasing groceries, though he said masks are mandatory in the store.
Sudhof already works from home, he said, so professionally not much changed for him. But the lockdown cost him a trip to make a presentation in his field in Hawaii in mid-April.
He said though others in the country are wearing masks in stores as requested and social distancing, there are grumblings about reopening.
He doubts Germany will open anytime soon. So, in the meantime, Sudhof is trying to endure by learning at least one new skill.
“Just the cliché. I started to sourdough. It’s not doing too well,” he laughed, referring to the culture used to make the bread. “I think it died yesterday.”
Krishilla Devi Thivyakumar — Malaysia
Back in Asia, Krishilla Devi Thivyakumar is a teacher in Malaysia and has been spending most of her time in the same room since the pandemic began.
Classes aren’t cancelled at the international school where she works and Thivyakumar has been teaching online from home, following the regular school timetable and sticking to the class syllabus. She said there’s very little difference aside from the online aspect.
“We were given training just before this lockdown started,” she said. “We have all these apps involved.”
Malaysia, with 6,819 cases, has some strict measures in place. Essential workers are issued passes to be out on the street. Some areas with higher numbers of confirmed cases have been declared red zone areas and people are not permitted to leave, with police and military enforcing the order.
While Thivyakumar misses pleasures such as jogging and visiting with friends, she’s worried the affect on children may be worse, as many of them are not leaving their homes at all, even to go grocery shopping.
She said there’s been a noticeable void in human camaraderie since the lockdown began.
“I haven’t seen anyone except for my parents in more than a month,” she said. “It’s been hard, I think, because Malaysians are very community-type people.”
She said the virtual daily contact with her students has been difficult. Teaching kids helps her feel connected she said, and online teaching doesn’t have the same feeling.
Axel N’ZI — Ivory Coast
In Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Axel N’ZI says restaurants, bars and hotels are all closed, but many people are still working from home if they can. N’ZI works in management at a food plant and said he still goes in to work.
The country has 1,912 cases and due to the lockdown, he said everything from tourism to show business has also been shut down.
The city is essentially closed and people are not allowed to leave, he said.
“But 70 per cent if not more of everything is happening here,” N’ZI said. “Government is here, most of the businesses are here, port, main airport … etc.”
It’s ominous not knowing how long the lockdown will last, he said, and in the meantime, he fears a potential spike in crime as people struggle to make ends meet. Many small businesses in the country are being hammered by a lack of income.
N’ZI said he fears similar spikes in crime will occur around the world as people try to meet their basic needs.