Julia Starzyńska, 1st grade
Have you ever wondered what the pandemic looks like in other countries? We sometimes hear about them on the news when there is a comparison to the situation in Poland, but it is important to be familiar with the natives’ point of view as well. With that in mind, I decided to interview my aunt who lives near Lyon, France. I called her on Zoom on January 16 and asked her few questions.
My first question is, what was your approach to the Coronavirus at the very beginning?
Everybody considered it yet another flu and we were not really concerned because everything was taking place far away, in China.
When and where did the first case appear in France?
It is said that already in November when someone came back to France from Italy, but it is just a rumour. Experts claim that it happened a bit later, at the end of December or January. We were told to wash our hands more often. When it comes to masks, the government stated that it was not necessary to wear them and the health service were the only people who needed to do so.
In Poland, the first lockdown began a few weeks after the cases started occurring at the beginning of March 2020. What did it look like in your country?
It started in March as well. A week or two earlier than in Poland, I believe.
What were the restrictions back then?
Everything was on lockdown – apart from grocery stores, pharmacies, and other most needed shops - including schools. It lasted for about two months. In the second half of April, however, people working in the economy were allowed to go back to work.
What happened later?
The second, two-week lockdown started in October, but it looked a bit different from the previous one. The places that had been closed earlier, such as hardware stores, opened, and more people were commuting to work.
Tell me about the current situation. Firstly, what interests me the most – schools. You said students were not attending them back in March, and now?
Children go to primary schools normally. High school students are divided into two groups: half of them have lessons in the morning, the other half in the evening. They stay in one classroom the whole time. There is no online school, except for college students. Fortunately, there are a few hours planned for the freshmen starting next week, during which they will be able to see each other in person at school.
What are the present restrictions? Which places are closed due to the pandemic?
Most importantly, there is a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., which means we have to remain indoors between these hours. The malls are open, until 6 p.m., of course. Although when it comes to smaller shops, sometimes you must wait outside so as not to breach the allowed amount of people inside.
Do you have any daily source of data according to the number of the cases etc.? Could you share something?
Yes, there is an app AntiCovid, which I have installed on my phone, showing the amount of infected and vaccinated people, as well as those who passed away because of the virus. Yesterday, for instance, 21 thousand new cases appeared.
Last but not least, I would like to talk about the vaccine. What is the approach of the French? How is the whole process going?
The general approach is probably not far different from what Poles think about it. In terms of vaccinating, it all started with elderly people in retirement homes. Due to some complications and problems with contacting them, the number of vaccinated people after 4 days was only about 300. It was not a lot compared to Germany, for example. The next ones on the list are healthcare workers and people aged 75 or more with chronic diseases. Currently, 70 thousand are being vaccinated daily.
Thank you so much for answering my questions today.
My pleasure. I think the situation in both Poland and France is similar, maybe apart from the speed of vaccinating. We just have to remember that we are all in this together, and someday it will all be back to normal.