Spain under lock down

PeteEU · Mar 15, 2020

As someone experiencing it first hand, here are some insights. 7000+ infected and 292 deaths.

The lock down is considerable. You are only allowed out of your home for specific things and need ID and proof on what you are doing. Police and soon military are out in force.

Things that are allowed.

Food shopping and pharmacy visits. Tobacco shop visit.. Yea I know. IT shops/businesses..somewhat strange. Newspaper stores. Banking. Hairdressers were allowed, but it has changed to home visits only...another strange one.

Doctor visits. Hospital visits.

Visiting vulnerable family members.

Dog walking but only alone. When dog has done business then back you go. If you are 2 people, then you get fined.

Work. Buses and subways/trains still run locally.

Drones and helicopters are being used to find law breakers.

Visiting neighbours in the same building is forbidden, but dunno how they can enforce it.

The first fines and arrests have already happened on day 1, aka today Sunday. The police say they will enforce fully from Monday as most people got off with warnings today. The first arrest was a 20 year old out on his bike and of course he refused to identify himself and tried to run...idiot. First fines were drunk Brits from what I understand.

Fines range from 100 euros to 600k and imprisonment.

Amazon pantry is all but empty, but supermarkets will now be open every day including Sundays in many areas. Sunday opening usually only happens in summer.

Buses ran normally today but were mostly empty. Will see tomorrow if people will use them since the bus drives right by me.

Traffic is down 90% where I am and the hum from the main motorway 7 km away is almost gone.

10 pm last night people showed thier gratitude by clapping enmass out of windows and balconies in many towns across the country...dont under estimate the power of WhatsApp.

That was day 1.. 14 more days to go.

On the bright side, stuff can be done around the house and perfect time to diet some....

Sent from my Honor 8X

Drawdown · Mar 15, 2020

How does one "prove" they are going to the tobacco shop or the grocery store if they haven't been there yet?

swing_voter · Mar 15, 2020

I hope we put the worst behind us.

Take care, and God bless.

Chagos · Mar 16, 2020

PeteEU said:
As someone experiencing it first hand, here are some insights. 7000+ infected and 292 deaths.

The lock down is considerable. You are only allowed out of your home for specific things and need ID and proof on what you are doing. Police and soon military are out in force.

Things that are allowed.

Food shopping and pharmacy visits. Tobacco shop visit.. Yea I know. IT shops/businesses..somewhat strange. Newspaper stores. Banking. Hairdressers were allowed, but it has changed to home visits only...another strange one.

Doctor visits. Hospital visits.

Visiting vulnerable family members.

Dog walking but only alone. When dog has done business then back you go. If you are 2 people, then you get fined.

Work. Buses and subways/trains still run locally.

Drones and helicopters are being used to find law breakers.

Visiting neighbours in the same building is forbidden, but dunno how they can enforce it.

The first fines and arrests have already happened on day 1, aka today Sunday. The police say they will enforce fully from Monday as most people got off with warnings today. The first arrest was a 20 year old out on his bike and of course he refused to identify himself and tried to run...idiot. First fines were drunk Brits from what I understand.

Fines range from 100 euros to 600k and imprisonment.

Amazon pantry is all but empty, but supermarkets will now be open every day including Sundays in many areas. Sunday opening usually only happens in summer.

Buses ran normally today but were mostly empty. Will see tomorrow if people will use them since the bus drives right by me.

Traffic is down 90% where I am and the hum from the main motorway 7 km away is almost gone.

10 pm last night people showed thier gratitude by clapping enmass out of windows and balconies in many towns across the country...dont under estimate the power of WhatsApp.

That was day 1.. 14 more days to go.

On the bright side, stuff can be done around the house and perfect time to diet some....

Sent from my Honor 8X

I can somewhat understand the IT shop thing (well, sort of).

Anyone having (for instance) their router breaking down while quarantined at home....................

Now multiply that with the crowds of mindless FB-users, tweeters and whatsappers and there'll be more than the sound of just clapping coming from the balconies.

Snazzy · Mar 16, 2020

PeteEU said:
As someone experiencing it first hand, here are some insights. 7000+ infected and 292 deaths.

The lock down is considerable. You are only allowed out of your home for specific things and need ID and proof on what you are doing. Police and soon military are out in force.

Things that are allowed.

Food shopping and pharmacy visits. Tobacco shop visit.. Yea I know. IT shops/businesses..somewhat strange. Newspaper stores. Banking. Hairdressers were allowed, but it has changed to home visits only...another strange one.

Doctor visits. Hospital visits.

Visiting vulnerable family members.

Dog walking but only alone. When dog has done business then back you go. If you are 2 people, then you get fined.

Work. Buses and subways/trains still run locally.

Drones and helicopters are being used to find law breakers.

Visiting neighbours in the same building is forbidden, but dunno how they can enforce it.

The first fines and arrests have already happened on day 1, aka today Sunday. The police say they will enforce fully from Monday as most people got off with warnings today. The first arrest was a 20 year old out on his bike and of course he refused to identify himself and tried to run...idiot. First fines were drunk Brits from what I understand.

Fines range from 100 euros to 600k and imprisonment.

Amazon pantry is all but empty, but supermarkets will now be open every day including Sundays in many areas. Sunday opening usually only happens in summer.

Buses ran normally today but were mostly empty. Will see tomorrow if people will use them since the bus drives right by me.

Traffic is down 90% where I am and the hum from the main motorway 7 km away is almost gone.

10 pm last night people showed thier gratitude by clapping enmass out of windows and balconies in many towns across the country...dont under estimate the power of WhatsApp.

That was day 1.. 14 more days to go.

On the bright side, stuff can be done around the house and perfect time to diet some....

Sent from my Honor 8X

What about post offices and sending letters/packages, etc?

Chagos · Mar 16, 2020

Snazzy said:
What about post offices and sending letters/packages, etc?

open in the mornings (til 12:30 h).

postage stamps for letters can also, as always, be bought in the "tabacos". Letter boxes emptied regularly.

Chagos · Mar 16, 2020

Meanwhile having driven down to the coast again today (for stuff I couldn't find yesterday), road traffic turned out as being only slightly reduced.

Bars and restaurants and any other location attracting crowds all closed, of course, but the supermarkets open as announced.

At the cash-out, if you haven't developed the necessary brains by yourself to figure it out, you're told to wait well away from the customer in front and all the staff is wearing gloves and face mask.

Many supermarkets have reduced their hours to close an hour or so earlier at night but since that still makes for 9 PM, no idea what that effects.

Smaller shops have people queuing outside, well apart from each other, only one at a time allowed to enter.

Not a cop in sight here but then "East of Malaga" isn't as much of a hub as the overrun Western Costa del Sol.

With today's replenishment I have everything I need to last me for the next 3 or 4 weeks, so I can hunker down now.

Snazzy · Mar 16, 2020

Chagos said:
With today's replenishment I have everything I need to last me for the next 3 or 4 weeks, so I can hunker down now.

You just may need 3-4 weeks to hunker down. Looks like Madrid is now considering extending the lockdown for an added 2 weeks.

Chagos · Mar 16, 2020

Snazzy said:
You just may need 3-4 weeks to hunker down. Looks like Madrid is now considering extending the lockdown for an added 2 weeks.

Yeah, it's an open-end situation.

Meanwhile I saw no signs of panic buying down here in this microcosm and the shelves were filled as usual. Stories from friends up North (long live Skype) vary. One was actually invited to a Corona party and has now edited his friends list.

Snazzy · Mar 16, 2020

Chagos said:
Meanwhile I saw no signs of panic buying down here in this microcosm and the shelves were filled as usual.

This is the message that governments REALLY need to emphasise to people.

There's isn't a shortage of ANYTHING (except common sense). Panic buying is completely unnecessary as even under lockdown you can still go out and top up if need be.

Drawdown · Mar 16, 2020

Spain not heading in a good direction

Snazzy · Mar 16, 2020

This has more to do with the slower response, and people not taking the whole thing seriously enough.

PeteEU · Mar 16, 2020

Drawdown said:
Spain not heading in a good direction

View attachment 67275688

Well the infection rate will peak within a week or 10 days I suspect because of the restrictions. Of course there will be many more sick before that happens.

The ones to watch over the next weeks is the US and UK.

Sent from my Honor 8X

PeteEU · Mar 16, 2020

Snazzy said:
This has more to do with the slower response, and people not taking the whole thing seriously enough.

Most people are taking it seriously but there will always be idiots. They come in all colours and nationalities here. I think the fact that the "Donald Trump" type of the far right VOX party got infected early, took the wind out of the "its only the flu" crowd.

Sent from my Honor 8X

PeteEU · Mar 16, 2020

Day 2. Slightly lower amount of traffic, since no tourists and thier buses. Building site over the road working as normal. Buses mostly empty, which means they most likely cutting service tomorrow...got an alert on that.

Internet and mobile companies reporting massive increase in Internet usage and warning people to not over do it... Guessing that means don't torrent so much.

Else a lazy day of doing nothing after I felt poorly yesterday, but great and fine today. Sun's out, that helps even though there is a cold wind.

Officially 14 days more but most likely it will be extended in certain areas if not all over. Time will tell. Information spreading by the government has been good.

Sent from my Honor 8X

Infinite Chaos · Mar 16, 2020

PeteEU said:
~ The ones to watch over the next weeks is the US and UK. ~

Someone needs to tell Boris and show him the graph as the angle if increase in the UK is just horrible.

Chagos · Mar 16, 2020

Infinite Chaos said:
Someone needs to tell Boris and show him the graph as the angle if increase in the UK is just horrible.

It's basically the same still at your end as it was everywhere.

When it was in China it was far away.

Ergo=don't do much.

When it was rising in Italy, the numbers were far higher than hereabouts.

Ergo = do a bit more

When the country here took second place to Italy (albeit still far behind it), "maybe we need to get our finger out?"

Ergo = let's have a friggin 7 hour conference in Monclova (No. 10's local equivalent).

Ergo, ergo, ergo = lockdown (and far too late for my liking)

Everybody else then suddenly wakes up including the economy-horny Germans and, lo and behold, even the von der Leyen twit pipes up from Brussels.

The biggest clown sitting in Downing Street doesn't mean he's the sole clown. When you've sold yourself on taking back control, you need to keep up that pretense as long as the figures don't kick you up the arse.

If I were prone to wish this thing onto somebody (and in it's most severe manifestation), my list would be endless.

Chagos · Mar 16, 2020

Spain will close her borders as from midnight. This comes following the EU's proposal for refusing entry to EU territory to any non-EU citizen, for a period of 30 days.

Where that latter proposal has to be approved by all EU Heads of State (and thus enacted), Spain will already allow entry only to returning Spanish citizens and/or people holding residence status in Spain.

Freight excluded as well as commuters with special permit and diplomats.

PeteEU · Mar 16, 2020

Chagos said:
Spain will close her borders as from midnight. This comes following the EU's proposal for refusing entry to EU territory to any non-EU citizen, for a period of 30 days.

Where that latter proposal has to be approved by all EU Heads of State (and thus enacted), Spain will already allow entry only to returning Spanish citizens and/or people holding residence status in Spain.

Freight excluded as well as commuters with special permit and diplomats.

To be expected. Denmark and others did days ago.. Spain a tad slow on that front.

Sent from my Honor 8X

Chagos · Mar 16, 2020

PeteEU said:
To be expected. Denmark and others did days ago.. Spain a tad slow on that front.

Sent from my Honor 8X

and right from the beginning.

But nowhere near as much in coma as the UK still is even today.

PeteEU · Mar 17, 2020

Day 3.. traffic is down. Rainy day, so that does not help with the mood.

Youngest person to die, died today.. age 20 and yes he had leukaemia. Also a child (under 8 I think) was transferred to ICU here on the Costa del Sol. Ex-pats and tourists trying to leave are having problems as airlines are not flying, not that their home countries are in any better condition than here. Danes heading home have to self isolate for 14 days.. so might as well stay here to be honest and hope the weather improves.

Lets hope tomorrow will be better!

PeteEU · Mar 17, 2020

Some people...

and...

Chagos · Mar 17, 2020

PeteEU said:
Day 3.. traffic is down. Rainy day, so that does not help with the mood.

got a fire going tonight, that always cheers me up. But had to shift my carpentry work to the garage during the day, darn showers kept interrupting.

Youngest person to die, died today.. age 20 and yes he had leukaemia. Also a child (under 8 I think) was transferred to ICU here on the Costa del Sol. Ex-pats and tourists trying to leave are having problems as airlines are not flying, not that their home countries are in any better condition than here. Danes heading home have to self isolate for 14 days.. so might as well stay here to be honest and hope the weather improves.

cloudy (by the looks of it) for the rest of the week but only occasional rain.

PeteEU · Mar 19, 2020

17300 infected 803 dead.. Day 4 of lock down, or is it day 5? Beginning to loose track.

One kinda hilarious thing I have noticed on the main road traffic, other than wayyyyyy less cars... Its that even people in cars are keeping thier distance and driving slower. Normally you would see cars ass to ass going up and down, but now most are at least 2 car lengths apart and driving below the speed limit.

More morons are being fined and arrested. One Evangelical Church is looking at a 10s of thousands fine for holding mass or whatever they do. The idiot priests excuse,.. We were only 50 people.. Which was a lie too as it was over 100. Hope they fine them the max.

British tourists have been causing problems as well on the Costa Blanca, refusing to self isolate and being drunk.

Running out of the fun food, so going over to the boring stuff soonish. Would kill for some chocolate [emoji515].

Sent from my Honor 8X

Chagos · Mar 19, 2020

PeteEU said:
~...............One kinda hilarious thing I have noticed on the main road traffic, other than wayyyyyy less cars... Its that even people in cars are keeping thier distance and driving slower. Normally you would see cars ass to ass going up and down, but now most are at least 2 car lengths apart and driving below the speed limit.

No idea whether this is the reason but if they crease their cars to the point of "non-functional", that's the end of individual transport. No garage open before this ends and I expect it won't end within the announced two weeks either.

Spanish friend (builder) still working but told me on the phone today that no more than one person allowed in his truck (obviously the driver). Was taking his partner along but the cops stopped them and told the partner to drive to the site in his own car. Then they gotta work 2 meters apart. Let's hope any heavy lifting is on objects 2,50 m long.

More morons are being fined and arrested. One Evangelical Church is looking at a 10s of thousands fine for holding mass or whatever they do. The idiot priests excuse,.. We were only 50 people.. Which was a lie too as it was over 100. Hope they fine them the max.

bloody wonder he didn't claim that god takes care of his sheep.

British tourists have been causing problems as well on the Costa Blanca, refusing to self isolate and being drunk.

corona parties, no doubt.

Running out of the fun food, so going over to the boring stuff soonish. Would kill for some chocolate [emoji515].

Your favorite shops run out?