How could it have gone so bad? The world is in a critical state of being, with thousands and thousands of citizens, directly and indirectly, being affected by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. And what to do, how to behave, what decisions to make and how long will this take?

The consequences are unforeseen, but for now, we decided to reach out to our international network of correspondents and captains, to listen and read what they experience, what we could potentially learn from each other, but also to unite and share some encouraging words.

Stay healthy city enthusiasts!

GREEDILY BULK-BUYING TOILET PAPER - MELBOURNE

We’ve had a surreal summer here in Australia. After a season of devastating bushfires along comes COVID-19 to really test the ‘no worries’ attitude of the nation.

Well, people are starting to worry, and when one person worries the next person does, and that’s when mayhem sets in. I found it rather strange a couple of weeks ago when I saw people greedily bulk buying toilet paper, laughing to myself of the overreaction.

Well now, down to my last roll, and with all local stores emptied of their shelves, I find myself in a spot of bother. Turning to my online neighbourhood group, I am warmed to see that there is another side to the community – those offering to share their stockpile of goods with neighbours in need, or those now in isolation.

With the cancelation of some of the city’s biggest events involving gatherings of more than 500 people, like the F1 Grand Prix and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the wider effects of this crisis will really be felt. It will take some time, but in the words of Victoria’s premier Dan Andrews “We're all in this together – and we'll get through it together.”
Words by city captain Netta Justice
Follow @melbourne_madebypeople

WE HELP OURSELVES WHEN THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T - HONG KONG

It is such a precarious time when the Coronavirus outbreak happens under the current socio-political context of Hong Kong. For those who are not familiar with Hong Kong, this is a city that suffered from the 2003 SARS outbreak which caused nearly 300 lives and also experienced the largest political movement triggered by last year’s proposed extradition bill since the handover of HK in 1997.

The painful memories of SARS made Hong Kong people acutely alert upon hearing the news of Coronavirus in early January. In light of the high infection rate and the concern of the Chinese government’s politically-driven response to the virus, many requested to close the border between HK and mainland China. Yet it was refused again and again until community transmission started locally. People have been desperately looking for surgical masks. Reaching out to suppliers across the globe isn’t uncommon to even normal citizens.

During the early stage of the outbreak, the price of surgical masks was raised 6 times the normal price and any kind of disinfectant was sold out all around HK. Everyone is wearing surgical masks or gas masks on the street. There is a humorous saying that the mask has now become one of our essential clothing items.

The Hong Kong government’s refusal to close the border was believed by many as a political gesture to show closeness towards mainland China even though it gambles on the health of its local citizens. The growing fear of the virus coupled with the public mistrust of the government led to a huge wave of grassroots response in HK civil society. Many local pro-democratic restaurants and shops, pro-democratic district councilors and activists, and even individuals started initiatives to help purchase surgical masks for local residents. People are looking out for each other, developing citizen’s health centers, doing research and sharing information about Coronovarius with friends and families.

While it’s wonderful to witness, our government is more interested to purchase tear gas and guns to tame its citizens even the entire city could be in jeopardy, we could still be grateful for the solidarity displayed by Hong Kongers during this difficult time.

Words by Hermion Au
Follow @hongkong_madebypeople

THERE’S HOPE - BUCHAREST

As I am writing this, Romanian President just said that he will decree a state of emergency starting Monday, March 18.

People started panicking a week ago here when there was no case reported. Now that we have 113, markets are almost empty and almost everybody stays indoors. We have a saying here, in Romania: “Prevention is the mother of health.” And we surely put this into practice.

The Bucharest streets are like a Quentin Tarantino movie set. No people and when some strangers appear, they avoid each other. We know that our health system and hospitals cannot handle the virus and we are afraid.

But in the midst of all of this, we have hope! We are not just staying indoors and doing nothing. Some of us are working against the effects COVID-19 might have on our society as we speak: the civic tech NGO Code for Romania is working non-stop with the support of the Government to inform us better, to help the authorities with their aid and supply management and to fight against fake news. This is our silver lining. That and reading optimistic news from the other countries.

We must remember this: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!” No one else is coming.
Stay safe everyone!

Written by city captain Adriana
Follow @bucharest_madebypeople

VIRTUAL BEERS - MADRID

Who would have told us, after talking so much about the catastrophic threats of climate change or international terrorism, that the great disruption would come from a microscopic bug. Well, the city of Madrid reached today, Saturday, almost 3.000 cases, and 133 deaths from this invisible threat: the COVID19. Almost everyone is already working from home, schools and universities closed on Monday, and La Liga (the soccer league) got suspended, along with Easter religious celebrations (one of the biggest and most important holidays we have here).

But, when did this all really change for us? When on Friday, the Community of Madrid decreed the imminent closure of all establishments except food businesses (shops and markets), pharmacies and kiosks, in order to curb contagions by a coronavirus. The second, after 3.30 p.m. that day. With the solemn declaration of the "state of alarm" by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.

Each day that passes by, the feeling in the city has been drastically changing, along with the citizens' perspective about the real danger that this entails. The empty streets, the people who stand in huge lines at supermarkets and run to fill the cupboards with provisions for what might come, the suspicions of the neighbors, the nerve with which millions of screens are giving a timely account of each small advance, the protocols and lists of instructions and admonitions of authorities. Fear is intensely spreading. I will not lie. The situation here is tragic. The cases are drastically increasing by the day, and hospitals are collapsed. Even when we have one of the best public healthcare in the world. So we need to take this seriously and stay home. #YoMeQuedoEnCasa already went viral on social media, and each citizen is challenging each other to do the same: to stay home.

Madrid is cloistered: parks, bars, and empty streets, and almost no cars due to the Corona. How can we, one of the most social cities of Europe, can cope with this? Embracing technology. I had for the first time "virtual beers" with all my friends, and it was a blast. This is just a big gesture of love. A huge step towards social responsibility and we should all commit. Today I looked out of my window and I could see people in their terraces at home (those lucky ones), enjoying the 20 degrees, reading books lying in bed through their open windows, music coming out of the apartments, and in the horizon, I could see a blue sky shining bright thanks to the pollution break that we are providing. So at least, not everything is bad. I just hope that this time for confinement will let us find some inner peace, enjoy time by ourselves, call or beloved ones more often, and enjoy the little details like going out for a walk once all of this is over.

Written by Marta, city captain Madrid
Follow @madrid_madebypeople

INNSBRUCK - CLOSE TO THE EPICENTER

Innsbruck's panic levels can be easily pictured through the following image: a guy wearing a mask gas goes into a supermarket, placing on the counter endless rows of canned food and packs of toilet paper. Did I just describe every other individual in Europe at the moment? Fortunately, this is not any exception in Innsbruck. It is true: being so close to the epicenter of the virus in Europe (Northern Italy), Innsbruck and Tyrol, in general, are the most affected areas out of the whole Austrian territory.

With cultural and educational institutions closed until mid-April, content delivery is taking innovative shapes, being consumed online. It appears that people are taking a break from their usual busy lives and get to read what's on their shelves.

Written by Angela, Innsbruck captain.

Image by @cobinrox — *Image by* *@cobinrox*

LET’S SUPPORT EACH OTHER - AMSTERDAM

As fast as the virus takes over Europe and the rest of the world, just as fast did the city of Amsterdam change within a couple of days. The measurements announced last Thursday, made citizens run to the supermarkets, resulting in no more toilet paper, fresh vegetables and fruit, no more aspirin and vitamin C.

Events of 100+ attendees (cultural, sporting, recreational) are canceled, the majority of people need to work from home, and just now (finally!), all schools, gyms and bars/ restaurants will be closed for the coming 3 weeks. Officially, we’re not in lockdown but we’re not far off, streets, stations, and public areas are empty.

But, the biggest take from the last days: let’s not panic and we have to stick together!
Don’t only look after yourself, don’t be selfish, stay at home or offer your help to those in need in your neighbourhood. Locally, there is #CoronaHulp if you need help others with groceries, health products, dog-walking, same as numerous Facebook communities you can join, such as facebook.com/groups/coronahulp.

A few other social initiatives:
voorelkaarinamsterdam.nl
gewoonmensendiemensenwillenhelpen.nl
facebook.com/groups/AmsterdamCoronaHelp
stcamsterdam.nl/corona/

For anyone out there, I surely could use a virtual beer.
Stay healthy and be alert!

Words by Amsterdam captain Robin
Follow @amsterdam_madebypeople

*An empty Praça do Comercio in Lisbon - credits: Luis Guerreiro*

#STAYTHEFUCKHOME! - LISBON

In Lisbon (and in our country) as in the rest of the World we are living in some extraordinary times.
Not even our grandparents can recall such a thing.

When WHO declared the state of Pandemic worldwide (last Wednesday), some public schools in Lisbon areas (namely in “Costa do Estoril” which includes all the seacoast between Cascais and the capital) decided to close doors without Portuguese Government permission. Thousands of students were supposedly told to go home and stay there, as part of a social isolation campaign that has been decreed and installed in our country. Instead, thousands of students decided that due to extremely good weather conditions (high temperatures and sunny days) they should all go to the beach. But not only were there students but also workers that were sent home for social isolation and some even under the imposed quarantine if they were a suspicious case.

As the numbers of infected started to rise (official number for today: 245), the Government decided to create even more drastic measures – besides the warnings to #stayhome. On Thursday it was declared that all schools will be closed from next Monday on until further notice and that parents could stay home with kids until age 12; most companies could decide to let workers go home and start working from there; to keep minimal distances in public places; to close beaches avoiding big concentrations; boat cruises were not allowed to let anyone out etc.

On Friday, Cais do Sodré, one of the nightlife centers was filled with people, most of them tourists. What about the others that were Portuguese, Lisbon born and raised? Quoting the words of a youngster to a news channel: “Covid-19 only happens and kills older people and kids, right? So, if something happens to me I may not even feel any symptoms. Why should I care or stay at home? It’s exaggeration not to live my life.”

And that’s how I believe most young people are seeing the problem. They don’t understand that the problem of the virus cannot be the death percentage but how quickly it is transmitted. The school closing can eventually become a health problem as most kids are over age 12 – so parents can go to work every day. This leads to the “break of rules” so typical of teenagers. It was yesterday told by a member of the national health organization (Direção Geral de Saúde), that grandparents are not the solution for those cases as they can become ill if contagious by their grandchildren. So we are really experiencing some very tricky times, not only for families as well for the government.

Nevertheless, not everything is bad – after these first days of confusion, paranoia, and fear, people are slowly (I hope) understanding the information, what´s really happening. Because it doesn’t happen only to others, to the elderly or kids. It happens to everyone. Right now we are potential biological weapons carrying a potentially deadly virus. Each one of us.

Last night around 10 pm a wave of applause broke out from most Lisbon (and surroundings) windows. It was a way to say Thank You to all of the health professionals who are dealing with this in a much closer way. So, for them, who can that can be our rescuers, and for each and anyone of us, our families, friends, loved ones, Humankind please, #stayfuckhome!

Written by captain Claudia Silva

EMPTY SHELVES - CHICAGO

The first case of coronavirus was reported in Chicago days before the Chinese Lunar New Year, resulting in the smallest attendance to the parade and a mass avoidance of Chinatown. Then our state governor and the president declared a state of emergency triggering fear and panic to people starting to stockpile toilet papers, hand sanitizers, and water.

Walking into the grocery store and seeing empty store shelves was unnerving. The current moods in Chicago are fretful, they’re irresponsible folks continuing on as usual and not taking it seriously. The majority of people’s attitudes here are when they will contract it and not if.

Written by Chicago captain Touly/ Uptown Design Studio

Thank you guys for all your contributions! And remember - #StayTheFuckHome
#acitymadebypeople

Perspectives From Our Cities in Lockdown