Cape Argus E-dition

South Africans in Europe lockdown amid new wave

ROBIN ADAMS robin.adams@inl.co.za

EUROPE has once again become the coronavirus epicentre. Austria and Slovakia are in lockdown, and Germany is considering a similar move after a surge in Covid-19 cases.

There are large-scale protests against mandatory vaccinations across several European countries and thousands of South Africans are caught up in the storm.

Megan Klausner is originally from Cape Town. She’s been living in the Austrian capital Vienna for the last 11 years. This is lockdown number four for her and the nearly two million residents in the city.

“A lot of us are quite angry, because things aren’t getting better,” she told Weekend Argus.

“All the shops have been closed since Monday. You’re only able to get bare necessities. So groceries, pharmacies and the post. Hotels are closed, restaurants are closed. What’s different this time, though, is that schools are still open, so parents don’t have to do home schooling,” she said.

Austria plans to make Covid vaccination mandatory. The law is set to take effect in February. Klausner has had her jabs. She said the latest round of lockdown restrictions are starting to take their toll.

“Lockdown feels like it’s always been here. Back when corona came to town, the government introduced us to a new normal. It meant a restricted social life and many started working from home. I know people who have

been doing home office for the last two years. Mentally they struggle,” she said.

In Germany, hospitals are battling under the pressure of the country’s worst coronavirus wave to date. The national death toll has passed 100 000. Just this week the nation’s health minister issued this stark warning: “Residents will either be vaccinated, cured or dead”. A full, nationwide lockdown is being discussed.

This is worrisome for the Burke family who are due to relocate from Gauteng to Bonn in the western part of Germany in the next 48 hours. South Africans will well remember Kieran Burke, former etv and eNCA news anchor. He is about to take up a journalism job at international broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

“Germany’s been hit quite hard by this fourth wave,” said Burke.

“I think authorities are sending out a pretty strong message that they need to get the vaccination programme in full swing. There’s that level of concern. We had that in South Africa, when we had that Delta wave, it was pretty severe. Our health facilities were quite strained. I don’t think any of us have come through this unscathed, in terms of people we know that that illness

has taken. In that context, I think the German health authorities are doing what they can to protect society from a real threat,” he said.

Both Germany and Austria have seen tens of thousands of people gathering regularly to protest against Covid measures.

As has the Netherlands. The Adams family from Cape Town, Vaughan, Lee-Anne and their two children, live in Hilversum, about 30km outside Amsterdam. They said that they have largely been shielded from the demonstrations.

“It relatively quiet here, unlike Den Haag, Rotterdam and Amsterdam where there are usually protests. We try not to frequent the bigger cities at the moment, but we do feel safe enough if we find ourselves there during the day,” the couple said.

The couple, who have both been vaccinated, added: “Mask mandates are in place in public spaces such as clothing shops, grocers and public transport. Restaurants, museums and cinemas request a valid vaccination certificate.”

Elsewhere in Europe, a 90-day state of emergency is in place in Slovakia. At 43%, the country has the worst vaccination rate in Europe.

And Italy has introduced a raft of new restrictions, including the “super green pass”. From December 6 only vaccinated people will be allowed to access gyms, bars, restaurants, theatres and nightclubs.

Russia has long been one of the worst affected European nations. The country is nearing a grim Covid-19 milestone of 10 million cases and 263 000 deaths. New infections average around 33 000 cases daily.

All indications are that the sharp rise in cases and deaths across Europe will lead to stricter lockdown measures. That could mean travel restrictions. And the knock-on effect could ruin South African expats’ plans of returning to Mzansi for Christmas, or as we like to call it “the big days”.

METRO

en-za

2021-11-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

http://capeargus.pressreader.com/article/281595243804671

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