Not only Austria, half of Europe in lockdown. France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain: the map of locks (including Scandinavia)

A lockdown totale, identical to that already imposed in the last spring: overwhelmed by the world’s fastest spread of coronavirus, theAustria he threw in the towel and was the first in Europe to close everything up. Chancellor on Sunday Sebastian Kurz announced one screening in mass on the population “in order to guarantee the reopening of the schools and the Christmas holidays ”: the lockdown will last at least until 6 December. Another two weeks of lockout also in France, where it has already been clarified that in December bar e restaurants they will still have to remain closed. New restrictions have also entered into force in other European states, since the closure of schools in Greece to stop all non-essential activities for the weekend decided in Ukraine. Among the great European countries only the Spain for now it continues differentiate the holds depending on the epidemiological trend in the various territories, following a similar model to that of Italian government but leaving the choice of restrictions to the autonomous communities. From Paris a London, passing through Berlin, the other governments have failed to avoid a generalized lockdown: less harsh than the Austrian one, but still extended to the whole country.

Vienna – “None of us want it,” Chancellor Kurz spread his arms, announcing the total lockdown. The two weeks of night curfew have not had an effect and therefore from Tuesday, Austria will again experience the rigid closures of last spring. Prohibition to go out, closure of kindergartens, schools, shops and locals. Kurz summarized the new rules in one sentence: “Don’t meet anyone“. You can leave the house only to go to the work, to do the expense or to visit family members. To hope not to have to extend these restrictions beyond three weeks, the Vienna government is preparing to execute carpet tests.

Paris – The France improves its data but it still is lockdown. The general tightening, which began on October 30, will continue at least until December 1. For the next 15 days, therefore, the lockdown does not change: all the “non-essential” premises and shops remain closed. In recent days the prime minister Jean Castex however he announced that, with the end of the lockdown, only the shops they will be able to reopen, but not bar e restaurants. A decision to which the main trade union of the category, Umih, he replied, dreading the appeal to the court. The protests of part of the catholic world against the prescription that prohibits i gatherings and, consequently, the messe.

Berlin – Almost two weeks into the lockdown-light in Germany, the contagion curve begins to slow down. What is worrying is the unresolved problem of lack of healthcare personnel in the hospital, as the president of the Institute Robert Koch explained in recent days, Lothar Wieler. There is therefore no possibility of shortening the tightening on the horizon: they will have to remain closed until the end of the month bar, restaurants, theater, cinemas, concert halls, cultural institutions and da entertainment, sports and cosmetic centers. The schools he nature, in addition to the shops, where stricter rules apply. The battle of the categories in this case is played in the classrooms, with one rain of appeals: in Bavaria an administrative court has given the green light to the reopening of gyms of the Land, while the Constitutional Court in recent days it has denied the reopening of a theater-restaurant.

London – Across the Channel, the government of the UK he hopes to at least be able to save Christmas, to soothe the protests anti-closures that gradually gain strength. The next two weeks, one of the British government’s health advisors, the professor warned Susan Michi, will be “absolutely crucial” in deciding whether to confirm the fine del lockdown in England, scheduled for 2 December. Currently, the shortage of beds in intensive care in the north of the country is of concern. Transfers are permitted only for reasons of salute, emergencies, per go to work and for do the shopping. Activities deemed “non-essential” are closed, while they are resisting schools and universities.

Madrid – On October 25, the government decreed a new one state of emergency in the country, extended by Parliament until May 9, 2021. The provision allows the Autonomous Communities (Regions) to adopt restrictive measures mobility in and out of regions and specific municipalities or neighborhoods. At the moment the map of Spain is all red (i.e. at the maximum alert level). Only Murcia e Balearic Islands are a step below (high risk), while for now they save the Galicia and the Canary Islands which remain at medium risk. However, anti-contagion measures vary from region to region, even with the same epidemiological data. The Cataloniafor example, it has extended the closure of bars and restaurants until 23 November. In Madrid, on the other hand, there are travel restrictions, curfews and the obligation to wear a mask everywhere, but the premises remain open for now.

Athens – In Greece instead, where the national health system is now almost saturated, is collapsed the embankment erected so far in defense of schools: the government announced the closing primary schools, kindergartens and crèches, while the secondary schools had already entered the distance learning mode. From Monday 16 all the lessons of every order and grade will be Online only, while a night curfew nationally it has come into effect already since Friday. “The closure of elementary schools was the last thing we wanted to do. This is a measure of the seriousness of the situation “, underlined the Minister of Health, Vassilis Kikilias.

The Scandinavian Countries – The Sweden instead he is having a terrible time. In the Scandinavian country – the only one in Europe to have not imposed masks, social distancing and closures of shops and restaurants – Covid patients admitted to hospitals have increased by 60% compared to last week: it is the highest acceleration in Europe. Even for the local health authorities the current situation “is very serious“And” we expect more people to be hospitalized in the coming weeks, “he announced Björn Eriksson, director of health services in Stockholm, hinting that the desired herd immunity that Sweden hoped to achieve is just a mirage. In Sweden there are over 6 thousand deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, while in the neighboring one Norway only a few hundred people lost their lives to the virus: Oslo however, it has closed bars, cinemas and gyms.

The others – A squeeze against the virus has also kicked in Ukraine, where all non-essential activities have been closed for the weekend. In Belgium all non-essential stores are already closed since early November, but also i hairdressers. There are limitations to the meetings: out of cases at most 4 people. Heavy restrictions on bars and restaurants even in the Netherlands. In Denmark instead, the restrictions mainly concern the northern area of ​​the country, where the spread of a mutated coronavirus strain in mink was discovered: in these territories almost everything closed until the December 3. The lockdown in Ireland – from which only schools are excluded – it has been going on since more than three weeks and will last until the beginning of December. Going down to Southern Europe, in Portugal a partial lockdown has been in effect since 4 November: limitations to displacements e smartworking strongly recommended.

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