Friends in Far Places
The Coronavirus was something that not a lot of people took seriously when news of it first emerged. Now we are over a month into quarantine and over 51,000 people have died in the United States. I live in New Jersey, which is the state with the second highest number of cases in the U.S. For the most part, I stay indoors and only go out when necessary. Daily life for me has changed immensely. I decided to reach out to some of my friends around the world to see how they are doing during this time.
Alessia • Lucerne, Switzerland
Amy • Perth, Western Australia
I'm from Perth, Western Australia (WA). COVID-19 has the WA borders closed, which means no one is traveling across to another state. I'm not allowed out of my suburb unless it is for work purposes or essentials. Essentials are things like food, shopping, family and friends. I'm not allowed to go and see my friends. We are only allowed two people in the same place at the same time with 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) between us. Your household is the only place where you can have more than two people. I'm not allowed to see my grandparents because they are over the age of 70 and are at risk of getting COVID-19. They are also not allowed to leave their house because that could put them at risk, so we have to do their shopping for them and leave it at the front door. All sporting events and concerts are cancelled. No one catches public transport due to bus drivers getting COVID-19. This one is not a rule, but it is what's happening due to most of the bus drivers catching COVID-19. I'm not allowed to attend school due to COVID-19. My workplace, Kentucky Fried Chicken, is drive-through only. You are allowed to walk in and get your food, but you cannot eat inside the restaurant. Most small food places like cafes are closed due to the fact that businesses are going bankrupt.
Alpha (right) and I in Malta, where we met.
Alpha • Paris, France
Well, in Paris everything is closed. We can't go outside, nor go to school, nor training, but we have online classes that have been going on since the lockdown started. I don't think there's any difference between other countries in the world. This COVID-19 has separated many people from their families and loved ones. All over Europe is closed. Nobody can go anywhere in France because we have lockdown until further notice.
Ashley • South West London, England
I would say a lot of people are working from home. Everywhere is closed apart from essential shops like supermarkets, health stores etc… We can only come out of the house for one hour of the day, for daily exercise or an important reason such as food shopping etc… The police patrol around and if you don't have a valid reason for being out you get a £60 ($73 USD) fine. Concerts have either been cancelled or postponed.
Daily life is very different. It isn't safe. We are restricted from going out or doing regular things anymore.