European restrictions on going out Divided by relaxation and continuation 5:33 on April 15th
In Europe, it has been about one month since each country started to restrict the strict restrictions on going out to prevent new coronavirus infection. In Austria, where the number of new infections tends to decrease, while stepping out the restrictions on going out, in France where there are many seriously ill patients and the medical field is tight, the response is largely divided by countries, such as extending the limit on going out. I am.
In Austria, the number of new cases of the new coronavirus temporarily exceeded 1,000 per day, but since the 4th of this month, it has remained in the hundreds and is declining.
In response to this, the Austrian government has partially relaxed the restrictions on going out, which has been ongoing since last month, and allowed small-scale stores to operate.
In a downtown area in the center of Vienna, some stores, including clothing stores, resumed business after an interval of one month, and were back in business.
On the other hand, in France, President Macron announced on the 13th that he would extend his out-of-going restrictions until the 11th of next month, suggesting that it may be further extended depending on the future situation.
Since last week, exercises such as jogging that have been allowed in Paris have been banned during the daytime hours, and restrictions have been strengthened. The background is the rapid increase in critically ill patients.
The number of patients accepted at the intensive care units of medical institutions nationwide has increased sevenfold to 7,000 in the last two weeks until the 6th of this month.
In France, the number of newly confirmed cases of infection and death has been declining compared to the past, but medical institutions continue to be under pressure, and there is no choice but to continue restricting going out.
About one month has passed since the measures to strictly control unnecessary and urgent outings began in European countries, but there are differences in the control of infections and the situation at medical sites, and the response is largely divided.
Austria Gradual mitigation
In Austria, the restriction of going out was started relatively early in the whole country in the middle of last month, after the first death due to the new coronavirus infection was confirmed.
All stores are closed except for supermarkets and the school is closed.
Severe measures have been taken, including fines of up to 3,600 euros and approximately 420,000 yen in Japanese yen for those who violate.
Against this backdrop, the number of new infections exceeded 1,000 per day at one time, but since the 4th of this month, the number has decreased from 100 to 300.
Furthermore, the number of people who recovered from treatment exceeded the number of newly infected people, so the government gave a certain rating that the infection is heading for containment, and if this trend continues, medical collapse can be avoided. However, some measures related to going out restrictions were relaxed from the 14th.
As a result, in addition to small stores with an area of 400 square meters or less, gardening stores and home improvement centers are allowed to operate. According to the local chamber of commerce, approximately 14,300 stores, which is 38% of stores in Japan, have been relaxed. Is to be subject to.
The government-controlled parks, such as the gardens of the Schoenbrunn Palace, were closed to public and were open to the public on the 14th. In the downtown area of central Vienna, some stores, such as clothing stores, have resumed operations for the first time in a month, and the streets have returned slightly.
At the stores that have resumed business, salesclerks wear masks and take measures such as limiting the number of customers entering the store and disinfecting cash registers and doors in order to prevent infection.
Among them, a long-established clothing store that continued from 1890 in the Hapsburg dynasty also reopened at 9 am.
The shop also started selling new handmade masks as the first attempt in 130 years of history.
“I'm happy to open the store. I had one more coat, so I was glad I could buy it today,” said a woman who was a familiar customer who visited immediately.
“I'm a little relieved,” said store manager Elisabeth Schnepp. “The restrictions on going out will cause store sales to drop considerably, and the economy will not recover immediately, but I hope it will rejuvenate.”
The citizens also welcomed us, saying, "I think it's important because small stores are in a crisis of management, so I think it's important." "We should wait a little longer. There is also a voice that worries about it.
The government is obliging citizens to wear masks, and since 14th, they will be required to always cover their mouths and noses with masks when entering a store or using public transportation.
Regarding the situation of infection in Austria, Michael Binder, head of the medical department of the Vienna Hospital Association, told NHK in an interview, "It is very important to keep an eye on the number of infected people every day after the reopening of the store. If the situation worsens, regulations will need to be tightened again. "
From 1st of next month, we plan to expand the scope of business approval to all stores except hotels and restaurants, and we will carefully proceed with deregulation while observing the transition of infection status.
France is cautious about relaxing restrictions
In France, it will be a month shortly after strict restrictions on going out have begun all over the country.
The pace of increase in new cases of coronavirus infections and deaths is declining, but due to the large number of severely ill patients and the tightness of the intensive care unit, it is prudent to relax restrictions on going out. It is a posture.
French President Macron said in a public speech on the 13th that he would extend the restrictions on going out all over the country from the 17th of the month until the 11th of next month, and depending on the spread of the infection, it may extend further. Suggested.
Since last week, the city of Paris has also banned outdoor activities such as jogging, which had been allowed until then, during the daytime, and has tightened restrictions on outdoor activities.
In the background, there is a tight situation in ICU = intensive care unit that accepts critically ill patients.
In France, the number of patients treated by ICU increased by a factor of 7 to 7,000 in just over two weeks until the 6th of this month, well above the number of the most serious periods in Italy.
For this reason, a doctor at a hospital in eastern Strasbourg, which has the highest number of infections in the country, said, "On average, patients infected with the new coronavirus do not appear in the intensive care unit for 15 to 3 weeks." He showed that there is a limit to the number of patients that can be accepted by the ICU despite the increase in the number of patients.
In addition, he said, "We can expect that peaks of infection will continue to occur in the 2nd and 3rd waves in the future, and so on."
In France, more than one-third of the total deaths, more than 5,300 people are dying at an institution for the elderly.
The person in charge of the group made up of businesses of elderly facilities is unable to thoroughly implement measures due to lack of medical supplies such as masks, and it seems that outbreaks occurred in 70 to 140 of the 7,000 facilities in Japan I made it clear.
After that, in order to lift the restrictions on going out, "all the elderly facilities should be inspected, including those where no infected person is present. The virus may spread from one person, and it is the largest measure. If you don't do this, you'll get more deaths, "he said.
Current status of intensive care units in France
In France, from last month to this month, the number of patients who became severely ill and treated in the intensive care unit increased explosively. The number was about 1,000 as of the 19th of last month, but exceeded 7,000 on the 6th of this month, and in just two weeks, 7 More than doubled.
A doctor working in an intensive care unit in a hospital in eastern Strasbourg, one of the most infected towns in the country, Julian Poetushe, was interviewed by NHK in late last month and in neighboring countries such as Germany and Luxembourg and in the country. Hospitals in other regions accepted more than 50 Strasbourg patients, `` without such cooperation the patients would have been unable to enter the intensive care unit and have to give up new acceptance, '' he said. .
The reason why the number of patients receiving treatment in the intensive care unit continued to increase was that “onset of new coronavirus infection does not leave an average of 15 days to 3 weeks once in the intensive care unit. It is important to anticipate and prepare for the acceptance of intensive care units nationwide. "
Originally in France, there were 5,000 beds in intensive care units nationwide, but due to the spread of the new coronavirus, the number of beds increased to 10,000 as of the 1st of this month, and the government will be 14,000. The policy is to expand to the floor.
"We can expect peaks of infection to occur in the second and third wave in the future, and many more. In the future, the only way to limit the number of infected people and reduce the number is going out restrictions." He said that in order to prevent the spread of infection, it is unavoidable to keep strict restrictions on going out.
Elderly facilities have the largest measures
More than 5,300 people, one-third of all people who died in France, were those who were in an institution for the elderly, and the actual situation has been revealed.
Eric Fregona, an organization made up of businesses for elderly facilities, told NHK that 40% of the roughly 7,000 facilities in France were infected, and about 140 of these were infected. It is said that 30 people died in some places.
Many facilities prohibited the visit of outsiders such as family members at an early stage when the infection began to spread in Japan, but the virus was brought in by staff and infected with residents while medical supplies such as masks were insufficient. Seems to have spread.
In the eastern and northern parts of the country, where the infection has spread rapidly and patients have been flooded into medical institutions, it is considered appropriate for residents whose condition has deteriorated to be refused from the hospital or to be treated with resuscitation, and it is appropriate. In some cases, he was not able to receive such treatment.
According to Mr. Fregona, the people living in elderly facilities all over the country are staying in their private rooms based on the instructions of the government, unable to visit and walk with their families, and some people feel sick. It means that
In order to return to his normal life, Fregona said, "To conduct tests at all elderly facilities, including those that are not infected, the virus can spread from one person." There are more deaths if we do not take the maximum measures. ”He said that it is necessary to continue thorough measures.