(Zaman Al Wasl)- With the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in Germany, Syrian refugees have started preparing to fight it. As of Friday night, the number of infected reached 6,600 confirmed cases throughout the country.
Germany on Monday became the latest country in Europe to restrict movement across its borders in a push to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The measures were announced on Sunday by Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, according to DW.
The German government took a number of measures to contain the spread of the pandemic, closing schools, canceling gatherings and celebrations, and postponing the football league. Many refugees still took their own preventive measures, especially since a significant number of their families are old and sick.
The global death toll is now nearly 6,300, with more than 175,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization, which declared the outbreak a pandemic.
Mohammed, a young man from North Rhine, which holds the highest number of infections with more than 1260 confirmed cases, said that, a week ago, he started self-isolating and limiting his time outside the house to important meetings and food shopping. Mohammad said that he stocked on food, water and sanitizers in anticipation of any emergency, and that he decided to self-isolate since the method of transmission of the virus has not been completely clear.
Noha, who lives in another city in North Rhine, said that she completely avoids any contact with her environment. “I did not reach the point of isolating myself, but I avoid meeting with friends and family, as many of them do not yet realize the seriousness of the situation and believe that it is just media sensationalism.” She also criticized panic buying in favor of adherence to medical instruction.
Many refugee families and parents criticized the German government's delay in its decision to suspend classes. Souad, a mother of three, said that children contracting the virus is not only dangerous to them, but also to the adults and the elderly from their families. “Children do not recognize the consequences and cannot adhere to medical instructions without supervision, so they are more likely to get infected. Children, naturally, spend long time with their grandparents and parents, which increases the possibility of them transmitting the disease to those who are most vulnerable to it.”
Raed, a young man who lives in the border state with France, Saarland, said that his city was affected by the spread of Coronavirus not only in Germany, but also in France, because of the heavy traffic between his state and the French cities by university students and business trips. Raed was quick to secure as many necessities as possible a few weeks ago, right the beginning of spread of the virus in France. While food is still available, he talked about the lack of hand sanitizers and medical supplies to prevent infection, which according to him reflects the level of anxiety in the state and people’s readiness for a more difficult period to come. The German government’s decision to control the borders has somewhat contributed to alleviate some of the anxiety.
The government has not yet reported any refugees among those infected. Chancellor Angela Merkel has previously announced that around 60-70% of the German population are at risk of contracting the virus.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO). Europe has become the epicenter of the global epidemic.
Zaman A Wasl
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