The Dutch government opted for what it called a “smart lockdown” on 16 March, closing bars, restaurants, museums, schools and universities and banning large-scale events, and Belgium entered lockdown on 18 March. Non-essential shops and schools shut and the only non-medical reasons to leave home were grocery shopping or walking a dog.įrance followed on 17 March, telling residents to stay inside except for grocery shopping and other essential tasks or exercise for an hour a day, while Germany opted for tough social distancing measures, but no formal lockdown, on 22 March. Photograph: Pablo Cuadra/Getty ImagesĪfter Italy, Spain declared a state of emergency on 14 March, announcing a general lockdown for more than 46 million people. It was too early to say whether moods would improve when measures were lifted, she said, as happened last year.Īn empty street in Madrid, Spain, last March. People’s assessments of society have also “changed drastically”.ĭuring the first lockdown, Reis said, society was seen as coming closer together now the feeling is it is “rather selfish, and drifting apart”. Researchers at the Saarland University found life satisfaction had “decreased significantly – worries, stress and depression have all increased,” the project leader, Dorota Reis, said. Germans, one recent study found, are struggling much more with mental health issues during their second lockdown than the first. The downsides of lockdown, however, have been equally marked – more so since a second, sometimes heavier round of restrictions returned after the summer.
It’s too soon to say if these will prove permanent, civilisational shifts, but the collective psychology has certainly moved.” This has been a once-in-a-generation event, changing attitudes to consumer behaviour, jobs, homes. “Lockdown hugely accelerated trends that existed already. “On those occasions, inertia – status quo – has always proved stronger than desire for change.” The collective psychology has certainly moved
“We have seen something similar after other major crises such as the financial crash or the 2015 terror attacks in Paris,” said Frédéric Daby of pollster Ifop. Nearly 40% wanted more space at home, a balcony, a garden. Half said they would value relationships with friends and family more. Six in 10 felt their spending patterns had changed, with 74% ready to pay more for products made nationally. Nearly 70% of people felt permanent change at work was inevitable, according to a poll after France’s first lockdown last year, with more than 80% wanting to work more from home in future. Lockdown also changed European perceptions and priorities. Some novelties are welcome: especially in southern Europe, a mass of hitherto irksome bureaucracy has moved, at least partially, online. Just last week, the operators of the historic Royal Hotel – who have won accolades for their food – had to close their Willi's wine bar and let 11 employees go.Įxecutive chef Chase Weber said the hotel's earnings were down between 70 and 80 per cent compared to last year.In their place have come new habits – the heresy of takeaway coffee, internet shopping, elbow bumps. Many are frustrated that many companies are already reducing the number of workers they have at their CBD offices, despite no stay-at-home orders by the WA government. It's a perfect storm for retail and hospitality operators, who have fewer levers to pull to keep their businesses alive in a situation where a lot of factors are out of their control. Perth's hospitality stalwarts in dire straits "So it's a combination of those factors, which is overall adding up to reducing the amount of retail and recreation activity, particularly in the CBD," Mr Morey said. The other factor is that many people are avoiding crowded places like the CBD to reduce their risk of infection.
#One case total lockdown australias lessons professional
"We identify that about 64 per cent of those professional services firms - so whether that's in real estate, ICT, finance, insurance, professional services, those sorts of businesses, which are the lifeblood of the local CBD retail activity - have moved to a model where much of their staff are working from home." Aaron Morey from the WA Chamber of Commerce believes people are avoiding crowded places to avoid infection.
0 kommentar(er)
