The following selection of statements express, in their own words, some thoughts, anxieties & concerns expressed by Bremain members with regard to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown in Spain.
“I worry that with my husband & I both being over 65, we would not have access to ventilators, should the need arise – they are in short supply & would likely only be offered to younger patients.”
“With my husband still working, I am alone with the kids all day. I am finding it difficult to juggle their schooling with my own work.”
“I am worried about my family in UK – especially my daughter, who has asthma. I would rather the UK had the same tough restrictions we have here.”
“I run a small local business and am not eligible for any of the assistance being offered by the Spanish government, unless I close down the company. I’m worried that if schools remain shut until September it will be very difficult to get back up and running at work, even if there are clients to sell to.”
“I have had 2 trips to the UK cancelled already, & I worry about my elderly mum living in a residential care home. It’s difficult not knowing when, or perhaps if, I will see her again.”
“My main concern is that the UK are not taking things as seriously as Spain, & not enforcing compliance with lockdown. I’m very concerned for older parents/relatives & sad for cancelled visits, but just want them all to stay home and stay well.”
“My main concern is for my mental health at the moment. Whilst in my house things seem okay, and I appreciate how lucky I am to have a garden, but when I first ventured out to buy bread recently, I felt like a criminal. Now when I go to the supermarket, I feel incredibly sad.”
“I am very worried about my family & friends in the UK, & I hate the fact that I am unable to visit them.”
“Who knows how long the lockdown may last or the long-term effect on so many towns & villages that rely totally on tourism.”
“Living in an apartment, my main concern is for my mental health. I have used running as my main form of exercise to combat it for the last 2 years. Now all we have is a small balcony with 2 hours of sunlight a day.”
“I travel a lot between Spain & UK for business, which has now ground to a halt, causing our small start-up to lose £1000’s in revenue.”
“Although I am used to doing some work from home, it is strange having my wife & son in the house all day, every day. I am concerned mainly for my son’s physical & mental health as despite all our efforts, it is boring for him & he needs fresh air & exercise.”
“The first concern is that family & friends are okay, but I’m also concerned about the impact on the economy & what comes after the virus is over.”
“I run a hair & beauty salon business, which is currently closed & unable to operate. Waiting for information on government help, while still having to pay rent on the premises, is crippling.”
“I live just across the Portuguese border, & now cannot access facilities in Spain, which I rely on. This has affected my shopping, education, exercise & entertainment.”
“I own a relocation business. Not many people are able to relocate during lockdown & I wonder how long this may continue.”
“It’s difficult living on a development with young children. We overlook a huge communal area that they usually use often, but they can only stare at now.”
“I am hoping that rapid tests will be available soon as I have had some mild symptoms.”
“We can’t go out to exercise in Spain, quite rightly, yet it’s still happening in the UK.”
“When this is all over, how do we to return to “normal?”. If the infections/deaths reach their peak and we enter a downward trend, then when and how will we begin to lift the restrictions?”
“I live in La Linea & work across the border in Gibraltar. My company won’t allow working from home. I am not an essential worker, so I get questioned by the police every day and I am scared.”
“My partner is a nursing auxiliary at one of the local hospitals, assigned to A&E, so she’s one of the first people to come into contact with new patients. The effect of her work on our everyday life has been quite dramatic. We’re having to keep apart, whether eating, sleeping or watching a TV program.”
“Isolation has left me feeling lonely at times and it has been challenging adapting to working from home, but I think it is the right move and I’m grateful that I can still work.”
“I’ve been made temporarily unemployed from my teaching job so my main concerns are financial. The system is inundated with ERTE applications & my employer has no idea how long it will take for our applications to be processed.”
“My daughter’s education is a worry as there has been no notification of any online classes. Apparently, schools won’t open until June at the earliest.”
“I own an estate agency & my concern is for my staff – we are a close family business, & I worry about their future as well as my own.”
“My boyfriend’s family are from Madrid. His father is recovering from lung surgery & I am extremely concerned for his safety. He is locking himself in his house with his wife & they can’t even leave to go shopping as it would be too risky.”
“Both me & my boyfriend work in hotels – even after the crisis passes, we will not be able to restart our jobs due to all the cancellations. I don’t have a permanent job so am unable to get any financial help.”
“I have worked in tourism all my life. My principal worry is the economic situation. Where I live, almost everyone is involved in tourism & obviously 2020 looks like it will be a nonstarter.”
“I’m self-employed and it was a bit of a shock to wake up & find I had lost all my work. I love my job & worked hard to build up my business.”
“My young children & I live in a city flat with no garden so it’s really tough for them.”
“It’s a worrying time, I’m a self-employed dog groomer & my husband works in a bar – neither of us can work, we have a young son to feed, with no money coming in & rent to pay.”
“My heart goes out to the many in tourism with small businesses, who, like myself, have now lost every single booking for March & April, with cancellations pouring in on a daily basis for future months too.”
“The Government response is appropriate and necessary! I’m complying with lockdown by using the time to re-connect with my partner & finally get around to all those ‘been meaning to do projects” to improve my home.”
“I am concerned for my family here who are all worried financially as can no longer work & have young families to support. They are wondering how to pay bills, rent, etc. They are not sure what help they will receive.”
“I am used to working from home but having the kids home from school whilst working at the kitchen table is not ideal. I am trying to make the most of this by enjoying the time I have with my kids & doing craft activities with them.”
“My biggest concern is for my partner & her colleagues who work at a local hospital. We have to keep a safe distance from one another at home, which is not a natural situation.”
“I run a language school, so overnight we were shut down. Getting hundreds of students onto an online platform has been a nightmare. If this doesn’t work & the lockdown continues, I will have to fire all my staff. If we have no income, I don’t know how long we could last.”
“As I’d be classed as ‘vulnerable’, I’m grateful for the actions of the Spanish government.”
“The hardest thing is not seeing our family as we are not allowed out.”
“I feel the government here really cares & everyone is working together to try to get through this with as few deaths as possible. I worry about the economic & social after-effects.”
“I feel very relieved to be in lockdown. I feel as though I’m in a much better situation here than many of my family & friends in the UK who see little danger ahead.”
“The UK is depending on the good sense of the public & will get into serious problems resulting in unnecessary deaths. Advice, & reliance on everybody’s good sense is not enough. If speed limits were only advisory many would ignore them. COVID-19 advice is exactly the same, Spain is correct in enforcing the lockdown.”
“Isolation is not a great way to spend the day but it’s preferable to being dead!”
“I’m stuck in UK! I was due back to finalise my residencia in Spain & am now worried I might not manage it before end of year.”
“We all need to pull together and support each other.”
“I am enjoying the clear skies, lack of airplanes & the reduction in pollution.”
“I am concerned about the number of people who are ignoring the guidelines. They are putting others at risk.”
“I feel for those who are lonely and am so sorry for those losing their income & will find it a big struggle. There are a lot of people with worse problems than I have.”
“I miss the physical contact of friends & family. On-line is fine to compensate if you are not able to see them but not all the elderly have this facility.”
“I am bored!”
“I love that people are finding the bright sides. How people behave in crises like these says a lot about them.”
