The French lockdown has only been going on half a day and it already feels like a month, an exceptionally stressful month. Meanwhile, we’re all reading online and the French media are carrying Q+As about confinement. Some of the Qs are slightly surprising.
- People seem very concerned about walking their dogs. It’s permitted as long as the walk is short and you are alone (apart from the dog, of course). Apparently, in Italy some people have borrowed their neighbours’ dogs to provide a pretext for going out. Not a good idea.
- Someone asked Le Monde if they could have a party in their home. Not only is this stupid idea quite correctly forbidden, if you were planning to get married in the next fortnight, you have to postpone.
- We all want to know how long this well go on. The present decree runs for a fortnight but can be renewed. It takes a fortnight to be sure that you’re clear of the symptoms apparently. It is quite likely to be prolonged for a further fortnight and there’s even talk of 45 days (Eek!).
- Workers who cannot go to work are to be paid 80% pay. There’s a relief package for companies.
Further questions have occurred to me:
- There are reports of Cuba having a treatment that has worked against Coronavirus in China. How seriously are governments around the world taking this and how much can be produced?
- There are reports that an anti-malarial drug appears to have some effect in France, although there can be side-effects which can be serious for older people. Pharma giant Sanofi says it’s going to hand some over to the French authorities. Is the news and the formula being shared with other countries?
- Is the disruption to the economy going to throw globalization into reverse?
- Will xenophobia be reinforced among some people and, if so, how many in what age groups, classes and other categories?
- The climate crisis has already discredited capitalism in the eyes of many people, especially the young. Will this further discredit it, or will criticism just be confined to austerity and its disastrous effects on health services and other vital services whose value is being proved at the moment?
