Germany and South Korea show the world that life after quarantine is not what everyone expected



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According to CNN, their methods of dealing with a pandemic are fundamentally different, but the two countries can now afford to ease the restrictions that have been put in place to slow the spread of the virus and hope that the outbreak will reoccur.

So how are you preparing to return to a “normal” life?

This can be described in one word: caution. And those who watch this process from the side may find that many things remain far from what might be called normal.

South Korea was the country with the largest coronavirus outbreak after China in February.

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Living in South Korea during a coronavirus pandemic

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Living in South Korea during a coronavirus pandemic

He used a wide range of tools: a wide range of public tests, very fast contact detection, the use of strict public health measures and digital technology to avoid having to shut up completely. It also maintained a strict quarantine regime.

As a result of these measures, the number of cases has decreased. The death toll from coronavirus in South Korea is 256, according to Friday.

With that in mind, the South Korean government began to relax strict rules on Wednesday, but the country has set guidelines that still set restrictions on daily life.

According to them, if people feel the symptoms of the disease or suspect a disease, it is recommended to keep a distance of 2 meters from other people in public, wash their hands for at least 30 seconds, ventilate the house well and disinfect them.

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Living in South Korea during a coronavirus pandemic

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Living in South Korea during a coronavirus pandemic

People over 65 who are at risk should stay home and avoid public places. Starting May 13, the children will return to schools. The country’s education minister Yoo Eun-Hae explained to the students that they will have to clean the benches, often sit by the open windows, and the mask can only be removed while eating.

Careful behavior is best

Peter Dobrac, a global health expert at Oxford University’s Said Business School, said that prudent behavior is the best thing to do in this case.

According to him, it is necessary first to smooth the disease curve or, as he says, to squash it until very few new cases are found.

Opening at a time when the spread is uncontrollable, as has been the case in some parts of the United States, is crazy.

“Opening at a time when the spread is out of control, as was the case in some parts of the United States, is crazy,” he told CNN.

According to him, countries must ensure that their health system can recover and that doctors have the necessary guarantees. Extensive research is also needed.

“Search for contacts: this requires people and technology, as well as a plan on how to isolate new cases and quarantine your contacts. Isolation cannot be done at home!” We have the highest number of infections here, I don’t understand why Britain and the United States ignore it, “he said.

Scanpix / AP Photo / Living in South Korea during a coronavirus pandemic

Scanpix / AP Photo / Living in South Korea during a coronavirus pandemic

Finally, according to Dobrac, it is necessary to protect vulnerable groups.

According to him, the most important thing is to maintain a wide range of tests, contact detection and isolation, gradually relaxing the regimen.

It is easy to say “test, track, isolate” but difficult to do.

According to an expert in business schools, other countries have something to learn from South Korea.

“It is easy to say ‘test, track, isolate’, but difficult to do. Looking at South Korea’s strong response, it is a great example that can be repeated,” he said, noting that another important thing was transparent communication and public trust.

More than a dozen new cases from a man who visited three nightclubs in South Korea on Friday showed how quickly the virus can reappear. Authorities have asked clubs and bars to close for a month after the incident.

Germans can already afford a little courage

Germany is also trying, step by step, to open up business opportunities after many weeks of unemployment.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Germans on Wednesday that they could already afford a little courage, but at the same time warned that they must remain vigilant so that achievements do not spiral out of control.

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Life in Germany is intensifying

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Life in Germany is intensifying

The restrictions on social contact in this country will remain until June 5, but people can already meet their relatives or relatives. People are still required to keep a distance of 1.5 meters from each other, covering their mouths and noses in public places.

Stores can open, but must meet hygiene standards. According to Merkel, the first phase of the pandemic is already in the past, but according to her, “we are at the beginning and will be with us for a long time.”

Germany’s response to the coronavirus in Europe is considered a success story.

The number of victims of COVID-19 in the country has remained low compared to other countries, and the smooth functioning of Germany’s health system has even allowed other countries to help treat their patients.

AFP / Scanpix photo / Life intensifies in Germany

AFP / Scanpix photo / Life intensifies in Germany

One of the most important things was that he was able to apply extensive human tests early in the spread of the virus.

It is estimated that Germany can now investigate 964 thousand. people per week, but only a third of that capacity has been used in the past week.

Dobrac believes that a relatively cautious German approach is welcome.

“The number of new cases per day has dropped to a few hundred, it is not insignificant, but it is manageable,” he emphasized.

According to Dobrac, big cities should let go of the reins more slowly than rural areas.

“However, Germany has predicted that if the number of new cases exceeds 50,000, the relief will stop. I don’t know if it will help, but it seems like a smart approach,” he stressed.

Elsewhere, there is a heated debate over what facilities are possible and how to overload the economy without compromising achievements in managing the outbreak.

And even with a small toss of the reins, people have to accept a completely different reality.

Worship – only with masks

In Italy, more than 4 million people were able to return to work this week, and Italians were able to visit relatives living in the same region. Bars and restaurants have opened, but food and drink are only available on the go.

The government and Church representatives have announced that starting May 18, it will be possible to celebrate weddings and attend services that have been banned for almost two months. But the services will not be as they were before.

Believers in churches will have to be one meter from each other.

It has been established that priests and believers are to wear masks, and the priest may share communion only with rubber gloves; contact with the hands of believers should be avoided.

Believers in churches will have to be one meter from each other.

France is also gradually easing some restrictions, but stresses that this will be a long and very cautious process.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the public on Sunday and announce how life will continue. Newspapers are already writing that there are plans to significantly liberalize the bans. But Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said Thursday that the measures would be only gradual and relatively modest.

We will have to learn from this period and understand what will be “normal” in the coming years.

Dobrac says the attempts to loosen the restrictions are similar to dozens, if not hundreds, of small experiments taking place around the world.

“We will have to learn from this period and understand what will be ‘normal’ in the coming years,” he said.



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