Bavaria, the State I live in, has the largest number of infected people and strict contact rules in Germany.
As the curbs are being relaxed, we are allowed again to meet with one ‘non-household person’ outside, which is a relief, especially for singles.
I cannot say in general which living environment works better, but for me in the countryside it’s unbeatable to have access to fresh air, a garden, fields and forests nearby.
Mobile networks are working well in small villages, and everyone knows whose of the elderly people might need help in grocery shopping. Solidarity is here mainly based on long-term neighbourhood.
More than 1,00,000 companies in Bavaria have applied for short-time working in order to alleviate the economic consequences of the crisis.
Work From Home has increased of course too but is only for some few professions to realize.
For the children whose parents are working in a systemically relevant profession, there are arrangements for emergency child care centres.
Freelancer or mini-jobs are badly affected even though the Bavarian government launched an emergency aid programme.
Everyone here seems to be dealing with the situation differently. While some are still in a kind of shock, some feel safe alone thinking that they do not fall in any risk groups.
But, most people appear willingly content with less freedom and income in these testing times, to protect the vulnerable.
Although we have a good health-care system that covers everyone, we will need to discuss the problems of profit-driven hospital managements and a chronic shortage of nursery staff in future.
It shows us how dependent Germany is in on a global supply of medicines and protective equipment. There should be decisions to relocate some of the production.
In comparison to other countries, I am not facing existential fear and I can make the best of the lockdown situation at home.
Next to the home-office work, I see this as a temporary chance of spending more quality time with my family. Not all have this chance in the world; those who have it should be grateful.
Bavaria, home to nearly 13 million inhabitants, is located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest of the 16 federal states of Germany. It is Germany’s most popular travel destinations, and borders Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland. The capital city of Bavaria is Munich (München).
