BBC Travel has published an interesting summary of how different countries are implementing social distancing and quarantine policies. Many of us have seen videos of Italian opera stars singing powerful arias from their balconies. But each nation has its own idiosyncratic way of responding to the pandemic.
Here are some highlights:
- BELGIUM: In Belgium, the nation’s iconic friteries are still doling out French fries.
- FRANCE: Included in the French Health Ministry’s list of businesses that are “indispensable for the continuity of the life of the nation” are boulangeries (bakeries), butcher shops, wine and cheese shops, and tabac corner stores.
- INDIA: In a country known for its crowds and lack of regard for personal space, supermarkets have encouraged social distancing by drawing numbered circles with chalk on the sidewalk indicating the order of service for customers.
- GERMANY: United We Stream, a government-backed initiative, is keeping Germanys’ nightclub culture alive by livestreaming DJ sets every night.