Our members of the board of green seniors actually all wanted to meet in Skopje in May – now it looks like we’re going to meet digitally. And we exchange ideas regularly to hear how everyone is doing in the different countries. Here comes a small excerpt from Finnland, Belgium and Sweden. Next more from Austria and Germany. And it would be great if you also wrote from other countries about how you are doing!
Vivianne from Sweden, 3.4. und 15.4.20
“The situation with the pandemia prevails. In Sweden the curve for new incidents is flat and the situation in Stockholm is a bit better but we now have over 1000 dead with the middle age 59, 75% are men and 25 % women. Worse parts of Stockholm are two of the immigrant dense areas but that is not the fule in other parts. Now they have found virus in the waste water also and this is really scaring. I get a report every day from our cityadministration, both generally and for my part of the city. It is very sad to understand that the right safety equipment is scarce in the home care organisations and elderly homes. Most people who died are old and this is not uncommon with ordinarie fules eather but here it has to be due to bad instructions and equipment. Furthermore elderly in elderly homes with care are fragile already when they get into the homes. Most elderly are at home even if they are very old and need a lot of help both from home care and from the health care. Many get more than 25 different people visiting their home over a two week period.
Reino from Finland, 15.4.20 and 18.4.20
Kris from Belgium, 9.4.20
The Belgian situation was not the worst situation, but not also the best. Since the 15 March we are in lock down and in a strict quarantine system !!
You can live your home only for a little walk (only or with max 3 persons from the same family), to buy food or to go at your work (necessary – because the mainstream is to work by internet). We have a population of 11 million people with 1,3 million are temporary unemployed. Even in our country, elder people suffers more from the corona crisis. And now we have a strong emergency plan in the retirement homes. But it is clear that the poorest people and families are hardest hit. It is not easy to live in a small apartment with three adults and four children.
The situation has now stabilized. It seems that we have reached “the peak”. The quarantine period runs just to 15 April. But an extantion just to the end of April is probably. However, normality will take a long time. Probably until September when the schools starts again. Travel will be allowed sparingly. And above 65 people will not be able to board the plane. Maybe people of other countries are allowed to travel (Austria, Denmark ??) , but it is sure that not every country will be ready on that time. We only have more clarity from April 15. But I’m afraid we won’t be able to travel before July.
As member of the urban sociale services of the city of Leuven, I was fully involved (and I still I am) in setting up urgent aid systems for this people. Fortunately, the population responded quickly with many volunteers. And most of them young people. In the meantime we learned to have regular meetings with videoconferences. (zoom and other programs). And also with our children and grandchildren we are in contact with apps, video and together systems.
If you need a doctor, only by your homedoctor. He/she will indicate a hospital if you need. No shops, no restaurants, no theater or concerts, no hairdresser, and so on.
