Spain, France, and Italy Ease Coronavirus Lockdowns

Keshav Agiwal
Staff Writer

The coronavirus is a reality that humanity is currently struggling to deal with. The pandemic has devastated the lives of thousands of people, leaving the international community in a panic. Though the virus originated in China, it quickly spread across almost every continent, including Europe, and claimed thousands of lives. Countries like Spain, France, and Italy were especially hard hit by the pandemic. However, through efforts to reduce the number of cases, these countries are starting to ease their coronavirus lockdowns. Many people hope for life to return back to normal soon, and countries are doing everything in their power to support their citizens through these trying times.

Countries are trying to fight and find solutions to  the virus’s  severe impact on the economy, . According to Vox, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Contedoes not believe prolonging his country’s lockdown will be beneficial because it, “would risk seriously undermining the socioeconomic fabric of the country”. The lack of revenue that many companies are receiving is forcing them to lay off workers; the United Nations believes that nearly 25 million jobs could be lost worldwide due to the pandemic. The loss of wages is placing people in situations they have never experienced before.

For many civilians, asking for charity to support and feed their family is something they have never done. France’s poorest areas find themselves in a food crisis along with a list of other problems the country is struggling to face. PBS reports that thousands of people are lining up for food distribution twice a week and it is clear the crisis is simply making the problems that were already there more visible. Even worse, Euronews explains that with harvest season coming up, farmers are warning that they will not have the labor necessary to pick all the produce. Given the existing food shortages, lost harvest will only increase the severity of the problem.

With these countries easing their lockdowns, workers might try to return to work. This could create a second wave outbreak, but with the proper precautions this can be avoided. Many families have already lost members and the number of deaths due to the virus are shocking. BBC says the health ministry now reports a total of 23,190 fatalities in Spain. However, things are getting better and the number of deaths per day are decreasing. After a 42-day lockdown, the children of Spain are finally allowed to go outside and many believe this will be good not only for their physical, but for their mental health as well.

Though the virus may define the new norms humanity may have to live by, the global community is working harder than ever to solve the issues the virus continues to bring. Many are struggling and facing great losses but, the best anyone can do is to stay home to reduce the spread of the virus. Though the situations in these countries may not be significantly better than what they were at the height of the pandemic, the governments in these countries are trying to find and implement solutions to steadily progress towards hopefully returning life back to what it once was.