Just to refresh, we drove through France to Germany, out the other side to the Czech republic, then into Poland and Slovakia and now in Hungary.
· All borders were not only open but at all crossings we drove through without even stopping. No checks or surveillance at all.
· In all countries masks are mostly a matter of choice, outside of some tourist attractions or shops. Mostly the ambulant population are not wearing masks.
· The only country in any way attempting to formally distance in UK. In all the other countries supermarkets and shops are open and the behaviour within store is normal, no formal markings on the floor, no queue management etc. There are Perspex screens in most places at purchase points or information desks.
Country by country:
· France: when we passed through lots of restaurants and some shops still shut. Campsites and hotels shut. Some shops still shut. Population generally cautious.
· Germany: virtually everything open. Population behaving normally. Restaurants open with increased gaps between tables but not 2m. Official signs say 1.5m. One-way systems in some museums. Hand sanitiser and masks available and sometimes insisted.
· Czech Republic: everything open pretty well normally. Campsites open, restaurants open with normal table spacing. Population carefree, but Prague empty of tourists. Virtually no foreign visitors.
· Poland: virtually normal. All bars restaurants open normally. No tourists but most museums now open – only recently. Suspect some hotels only now opening. Masks worn randomly or not-at-all.
· Slovakia: very much like Poland. Most places open and minimal attention to distancing or rules.
· Hungary virtually normal. Everywhere busy. Populace going about their normal lives. A few masks visible/
· I don’t know about school opening.
Recent figures:
Country Population (million) Cases Deaths
UK 67 306,000 43,000
France 65 161,000 30,000
Germany 60 192,000 9,000
Czech 11 10,600 340
Poland 36 33,000 1,400
Slovakia 5.5 1,600 28
Hungary 10 4,000 576
So what to make of all this?
None of it makes much sense, so difficult to know. I think some of these countries really did have a tiny number of cases before lockdown. I suppose if you had minimal penetration into a population and then were able to contact trace well and contain, you may get these low levels, but surely nobody would suggest that is the end of the story?
One question that could be asked is what the difference is between the UK kind of lockdown and what is now being observed in Europe, because it has a massive difference in terms of normality and the economy.
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