Angela Merkel’s remark on 11 March 2020 that up to 70 percent of Germany’s population could contract COVID-19 was brutal. Being highlighted in various Indonesian news outlets, I can imagine how her words baffled their audience. Still, as someone…
Blocking the Pandemic: Regional Boundary Controls in Indonesia’s Far East (#WitnessingCorona)
Indonesia, whose population of 267 million inhabits a vast archipelago, has not been spared the challenge of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The difficulty of managing the disease has been compounded by limited public health and health care capacity, and high…
#StayAwake in the Time of Pandemic: A Case of Anti-Government Protests in Slovenia (#WitnessingCorona)
Almost every Saturday afternoon in the past two months, the so called ‘Hygiene-Demo’ takes place at the Rosa Luxemburg Platz in Berlin, where up to thousand people gather. According to local media, the participants protest against the ongoing lockdown…
Why Can’t I Walk Your Dog? Not Accepting Help as a Coping Strategy During the Swiss Lockdown (#WitnessingCorona)
“Et nous souhaitons ici lancer un appel à l’ensemble de la population et notamment un appel aussi aux personnes âgées et vulnérables: Restez à la maison pour protéger votre santé. Évitez autant que possible les contacts avec d’autres personnes”[1]…
What COVID-19 Reveals about Borders and Citizenship: Europe’s Migrants on Their Way Back Home (#WitnessingCorona)
Travel restrictions became a global response to combat the spread of COVID-19. According to an analysis from April 2020 at least 93 percent of the global population live in countries with coronavirus-related travel restrictions. Nearly half of that proportion…
Wenn aus Tätern Opfer werden: Freilassung von Gefangenen wegen des Coronavirus in Argentinien (#WitnessingCorona)
SARS-CoV-2 hat die gesamte Welt in einen Ausnahmezustand versetzt. Jeden Tag geschieht etwas Neues, Unvorhersehbares, worauf die Menschen reagieren müssen. Die Regierungen der Länder und ihr Krisenmanagement werden auf die Probe gestellt. Oftmals treffen sie Entscheidungen, die nicht…