France and Spain Take Action to Close Shops

Each nation has its own culture. Outdoor cafes are a French obsession. But, in a pandemic, the behavior, even if it is outside, to be avoided. Spain has also seen a spike in cases and likely having too many people just out and about shopping for nonessential goods. 

Depending on how our own COVID-19 reveals itself here in the USA, we may need more restrictions on the movement of people. 

It will be a major hit to small businesses, but a necessary step to keep people healthy and alive. See two updates from Saturday below:

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced at a news conference Saturday that people in Spain are banned from leaving their houses with the exception of:

• Going to work
• Buying food or essential supplies
• Going to a hospital
• Supporting an elderly person or a minor under their care
• If people do leave their houses for any of those exceptions, they must go out by themselves, Sanchez said.

[Edited] PARIS (Reuters) -- France will shut most shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities from midnight on Saturday and people should stay home as much as possible as the spread of coronavirus is accelerating, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced.

People enjoy dinner and drinks, after the French Prime Minister announcement that the shut down of no essentials commerces and places will start in France at midnight, in le Touquet, France, March 14, 2020. Pascal Rossignol was speaking at a news conference after the public health authority said 91 people had died in France and almost 4,500 were now infected.

“I have decided to close all non-indispensable locations, notably cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops,” he said. “We must absolutely limit our movements.”

Exceptions to the shop ban will include food stores, pharmacies and petrol stations.

Philippe said the government had been left with no choice because too many people were still out in the streets and not sufficiently applying recently announced measures, including keeping a safe distance from each other.

That, he said, was helping accelerate the spread of the virus.

France has already ordered the closure of schools from Monday and had advised people over the age of 70 to stay home.

Jerome Salomon, the head of the French public health authority, said there had been a rapid increase in serious cases, including 300 people in intensive care, half of whom were below 60 years of age.

“To date, there has not been enough awareness by French women and men of the importance of their role in the face of the virus. It is urgent. Now is the time to change our behavior,” he said.

###

I would also add that many people I have spoken to when making my limited, out and about ventures, express thoughts that the whole virus thing is being overblown. Anybody got extra hand sanitizer?