Covid19 in Mauritius

Have a question or answer for us? covid@reddot.mu

Last updated 17 April at 11:00PM.
(NEW) There has been a surge in online home delivery of food in the last 48 hours, so here's a crowd-sourced sheet and mobile app collating all the providers so you can get your orders in (and stay at home).

The Numbers

As of 17 April 2020

Number of official confirmed cases: 324 (source)
Number of people in quarantine: 1750 as of 29 Mar (source)
Number of people tested: 9755 as of 17 Apr (source)
Number of recovered cases: 108 as of 17 Apr (source)
Number of serious cases: 2 as of 17 Apr (source)
Number of deaths: 9 (source)
Number of recoveries: Not Published

Important Updates

(10/4) Curfew Extended until May 4 (source)
(30/3) Supermarkets reopening this Thurs 2/4: Opening hours will be from 9AM to 5PM, Monday to Saturday. The alphabetical roster by surname is as follows: A-F on Monday and Thursday, G-N on Tuesday and Friday, and O-Z on Wednesday and Saturday. It is compulsory for all shoppers to wear a mask, show your NIC or passport, and bring your own shopping bag. No children are allowed. You will have have a maximum of 30 mins and 1 shopping cart, and there will be markings on the floor to ensure a one-way traffic flow and a 1m distance for queues. There will also be a quota on basic necessities like rice, milk, floor, tissue, and oil. (source)

(NEW) Important & Helpful Resources

Below are online services that we have received from various community groups. As things are evolving very quickly, please let us know if you find any more helpful resources, of if they are changes or inaccuracies in the links below:

Online Food Delivery

In the last two days, many new food suppliers are now getting into the online delivery game!
(NEW) We have compiled all the online food delivery providers that we come across on this GoogleSheet. It is open for anyone to add and edit!

Medicine and Doctor Consultations

For urgent pharmaceutical products, call the hotline 8957 between 9AM and 3PM and get home delivery. Payment is by juice or cash.
A limited number of pharmacies will be open, and with limited opening hours. See list of pharmacies here.
If you require a consultation, you can ask the team of doctors in the Morisyen San Frontyer C19 Facebook group, contact doctors privately on medicine.mu or call the hotline 8924.

Give Help

Money. Caritas Ile Maurice is asking for donations for a "Solidarity Fund" to offer sanitary kits and food parcels to families in need. I61 Foundation complements their efforts to fund emergency food packs.
Food and Delivery. If you are a food supplier who would like to help the most vulnerable families, or if you have a fleet or ways to deliver food with a work access permit, FoodWise is working on the logistics and distribution to NGOs on the ground.

In Other News...

(31/3) Self-Employed Assistance Scheme: Any self-employed Mauritian above 18 years of age and who has been in business or in informal trade for at least 3 months is eligible for a bank transfer of Rs 5,100 to cover lost revenue during the period from 16 March to 15 April 2020 (source). Applications must be made through the MRA website.
(30/3) Curfew extended!!: Until April 15 while certain business will be allowed to operate from April 2 (source)
(26/3) If someone in your home presents symptoms, contact the authorities and get tested! In the meantime, self-isolate by keeping to one room, wearing a mask and leaving at least 2m from everyone at home. Other precautions include:
- Avoiding physical contact with others in the house (e.g. by avoiding the kitchen when everyone else is there).
- Have your own set of plates, knives and forks that are kept separately from everyone else's crockery.
- Go to the toilet last with your own set of towels
- Wipe down surfaces, eg door knobs, before leaving the room.
- Put soiled clothes directly into the washing machine without shaking or if no washing machine is available, keep clothes separately in a corner for 3 days before washing
- Family members in the household must maintain safe hygiene practices of regular & thorough hand-washing, avoiding touching the face, wiping down surfaces around the home, and maintaining a safe distance from them. (source)
(26/3) Online Delivery of Essential Food and Products: During the lockdown , you will be able to place orders on food baby, and cleaning products from 5 "official" service providers for home delivery. They are dreamprice.mu, ordermanzer.mu, priceguru.mu, shopwise.mu and theshop.mu. (source)
(26/3) Banks will now be open: From 9:30AM to 11:00AM, but please call your branch to confirm.
(26/3) Double Down on the Lockdown: Some of the new infections reported today were from supermarket visits or driving travellers from abroad. The authorities are therefore reminding the Mauritian public about the importance of confinement at home, of practising good hygiene of regular and thorough handwashing, not touching one's face and not meeting others. (source)
(26/3) Increased Testing Capacity: 20,000 tests and 1,000 protective gear and 100,000 masks arrived yesterday from a donation by the Jack Ma Foundation to the government of Mauritius. (source) 10,000 more tests are expected to arrive from Europe on Saturday. In addition, the Mauritian embassy in China is preparing our order for even more tests and protective gear, which will be flown into the country at a later date. (source)
(26/3) Increased Hospital Capacity: The conversion of additional hospital beds to accommodate covid19 patients has been planned in phases as the number of cases goes up. The entirety of the ENT hospital at Vacoas will be converted to treat covid19 patients. (source)
(26/3) Distribution of basic foodstuff to the needy: The distribution of 35,000 packages to needy families on the social register, recipients of carer's allowance and residents of shelters and homes, has started. This is being done on a region-to-region basis for the time being. Fleet operators who can help with distribution are requested to call 2122067. (source)
(26/3) Solidarity Fund: This has been set up by the government to support the needy during the covid19 crisis. All government MPs and the President of the Republic will contribute at least 10% of their one-year salary to this fund. Members of the public can also contribute to this fund through a transfer to one of 4 bank accounts. (source)
(26/3) Farmers harvest: During the confinement period, farmers and small planters with a Farmers Card are allowed to go harvest their vegetables and fruits on their farm. They need to carry their identity card and their Farmers Card with them. Supermarkets will pick up the harvest from them. (source)
(26/3) Legal matters: All courts of justice will be closed during the confinement period. For urgent matters within district courts, the public and legal professionals are requested to contact the Prosecutor's Office. Lawyers for urgent intermediate and commercial court matters are requested to contact the secretary of the Bar Council or of the Law Society, as appropriate. For urgent matters in the Supreme Court, calls may be made to the relevant parties according to the case. The list of contacts is available here. (source)
(26/3) No cases in Rodrigues & Agalega: Thankfully, no confirmed cases have been detected so far in Rodrigues or Agalega. Tests from Rodrigues are currently carried out in Mauritius. (source)
(25/3) The government will be giving out 35,000 packs of food to the needy, and a home delivery system is currently being worked out. (source)
(24/3) All shops, supermarkets, and bakeries will be closed: From tomorrow until 31 March Tuesday. (source)
(23/3) Curfew Announced: From Monday, March 23/3 to Thur 2/4, anyone found outside their home will be fined an amount not exceeding Rs 500 and imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months (source). Exceptions are made for those with a work access permit. (source)
(23/3) It is getting serious: Mauritius' Director of Health Services Dr. Vansatrao Gudjadhur warned today that the number of cases are doubling day by day. And if the current trend continues, there will be 2,000 cases in 10 days and 9,000 cases in a month. 735 cases are expected within 5 days, and the worst possible scenario in Mauritius is that "there will be the death of one elderly person in every home" with more than 1,131 deaths among those over 60 years of age. This will also overload the hospitals, causing collateral problems (source 1) (source 2).

(23/3) Stay at Home, or get arrested: The police now has the power of arrest without a warrant. Anybody seen on the streets without a work permit may be fined or arrested by the police.
(23/3) Contact Tracing finding more cases: For all positive cases identified so far, dedicated teams are tracing and testing everybody these patients have contacted in the past 10-15 days. This process discovered a medical practitioner who tested positive for the virus yesterday. Until 22/3, 308 cases have been found due to contact tracing. (source)
(23/3) Wage Support for companies: The government announced a Wage Assistance Scheme that will help companies cover 50% of employee basic salaries of up to Rs. 50,000 during the 2-week lockdown period. Application requests can be made from the Mauritius Revenue Authority at this link. This will costs the government Rs 2.6B. (source)
(23/3) Special Work Permit For Businesses: Which need to make arrangements to pay their employees' March 2020 salaries, a special work permit will be given between the administrators' home and their workplace this week. (source)
(22/3) Banks giving grace: The Bank of Mauritius announced that families facing financial difficulties will be able to freeze the principal repayments on their household loans with commercial banks for 6 months. Interest can also be waived for those with household income less than Rs 50,000 between 1 April to 30 June 2020. (source)
(22/3) Increased testing capacity and medical equipment: There will be a delivery of 3,000 test kits tomorrow and 10,000 over the week. One private lab is now also being able to conduct the tests. More medical equipment is also being bought from china on special cargo.
(22/3) Reduced Supermarket and Petrol Station Hours, No more Food Markets: From Monday, March 23, supermarkets will operate from 9AM to 3PM only on weekdays, and will be closed over the weekend. Food markets (la foire) will remain closed. Fuel and household gas will be available at 70 out of the 140 petrol stations from 9AM to 3PM everyday, including weekends. (source) Note that this coming Wednesday (25/3) is a public holiday so services will be closed as well.
(22/3) The Metro will stop running, reduced bus services: From Monday, March 23/3m the metro has stopped running. The National Transport Corporation will only operate 32 buses (8% of normal capacity) from 6AM to 7PM. View the routes that are still running here. (source)
(22/3) Increased healthcare capacity: 3 hospitals (Mahebourg, ENT hospital in Vacoas, Montagne Longue hospital) will be dedicated only for covid19 patients while Souillac hospital will be used for the most serious cases. Government vehicles will be converted for ambulance use. More equipment and protection materials like masks and gloves have been ordered (source). 15 hotels have been claimed by the government, bringing the total number of quarantine centres to "nearly 30" (source).
(22/3) Mauritians are wisening up: The hotline number (8924) has processed between 8,000 to 10,000 calls, and police record less traffic on the road (source) - Hooray!
(22/3) Request for Contact Tracing: Passengers who arrived in Mauritius on flights MK015 from Paris Charles de Gaulle on Tuesday 17 March and on flight KQ274 from Nairobi on Wednesday 18 March are requested to contact the authorities on 2011903.
(22/3) Access to Newspapers: Le Mauricien newspaper is making its online version available for free during the period of confinement (see live coverage link here), while L'express has introduced a "simplified version" of their site with a call to purchase the full newspaper to help cover their costs (source).

(23/3) Wage Support for companies: The government announced a Wage Assistance Scheme that will help companies cover 50% of employee basic salaries of up to Rs. 50,000 during the 2-week lockdown period. Application requests can be made from the Mauritius Revenue Authority at this link. This will costs the government Rs 2.6B. (source)
(22/3) Banks giving grace: The Bank of Mauritius announced that families facing financial difficulties will be able to freeze the principal repayments on their household loans with commercial banks for 6 months. Interest can also be waived for those with household income less than Rs 50,000 between 1 April to 30 June 2020. (source)
(23/3) Special Work Permit For Businesses: Which need to make arrangements to pay their employees' March 2020 salaries, a special work permit will be given between the administrators' home and their workplace this week. (source)

(21/3) Permits required for going out: You can get stopped and fined by the police if you are found outside of your house, unless you have applied for and been granted a work access permit for essential services.
(20/3) Hotels repurposed for quarantine: Emerald Beach Attitude in Belle Mare (source) and The Be Cozy Apart hotel (source) in Troux aux Biches are now also used for quarantine.
(20/3) Mauritians returning from overseas: Air Mauritius is making arrangements to bring Mauritian residents and their families back on three flights from Mumbai, Johannesburg, and London (source).
(20/3) Double the Wifi: Until the end of the lockdown period, Mauritius telecom will double home broadband for customers at no additional cost. There will also be no disconnection of the line due to non-payment, as well as free channels! (source)
(19/3) No Going Out: Mauritius will go in lockdown from 6AM on 20 March 2020, where only essential services like the police, medical services, fire and rescue services, as well as essential businesses like banks, supermarkets, shops, bakeries, and pharmacies will operate (source).
(18/3) No School: All schools and training centres will be closed until further notice. (source)
(18/3) No Flights In: All passengers whether locals or foreigners will be prohibited from entering Mauritius for 15 days from 6AM on 19 March 2020 to 6AM on 3 April 2020. (source)

Practical Information

This list of recommendations is from a Stanford physician and infectious disease researcher that we have found very specific and helpful:

For Everyone

If you have any symptoms at all, even if you have been tested negative, rigorously isolate yourself and do not go out for 14 days, or longer if guidance from public health officials change.

For the Elderly and Immunocompromised

Don't leave your house
Don't have your kids and grandkids (or anyone else from outside) enter your house unless it is absolutely necessary.
If you have kids or grandkids living with you, ensure they are strictly isolated and enjoy the family time!
Get help from others to leave you food and supplies once or twice a week, knock on your door, and say hello from more than 1m away
If you absolutely have to leave your home for doctor's appointments, wipe door handles and anything the public touches, wash your hands regularly, don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth

For Parents of Kids Under the Age of 18

Do not let your kids interact with other kids in your neighbourhood. Playdates are NOT OK.
Do not take your kids to the grocery store or any public place. Keep them in the house, or the garden, as they are most likely to have no symptoms but are still able to spread to others. Decreasing the density of people in stores reduces everyone's risks, especially the workers there.
Designate one healthy adult to shop with a targeted shopping list. Get in and get out quickly. Distance yourself from other shoppers. Wash your hands after. Plan in advance and buy enough for a few days, no need to hoard more than that!

For Young Adults

You are by far the most socially active, and thus at the greatest risk of infecting others.
You are also uniquely positioned to make the greatest impact on stopping the pandemic. Exercise at home to keep your immunity up, and drink lots of water.
It is your responsibility as an adult to help the community, and change your behaviour to break the chain of infections. This means staying at home, washing your hands with soap regularly, and not touching your face.
Think about ways you can help those who are elderly or have pre-existing conditions, or are immunocompromised in the community. They should not leave the house for at least 14 days, and possibly longer. Help organise their groceries and medicines and leave them at the front door, call or face time them regularly to decrease their sense of isolation, and if you see them outside walking, stop and talk to them at a safe distance to offer your help and ask them to stay at home.
Do also be kind and look out for front-line workers including medical staff, cleaners, police, as well as those with less means who might not be able to stock up on provisions because of money or time. Check in with them and see how you can help.

Great People to Follow

Dr. Sumayyah Hosany is a Mauritian doctor who has been on the front lines in Wuhan. She makes regular videos of practical advice and debunks many myths (e.g. Do homemade masks work? What about water + salt?)
Dr. Zeenat Aumeerally has fantastic videos in creole on answers to practical questions, and her observations and explanations on the numbers and impact on the healthcare system.

FAQ

1. Where can I get news about COVID in Mauritius?

Covid19.mu is the official website by the government with basic information about the disease and hotline numbers, they also have a facebook page.
http://besafemoris.mu/ is the government's official way to communicate news updates about the situation. The same information is presented in an app called beSafeMoris. The app is freely available on both Google Play Store and iPhone App Store.
COVID Tracking Mauritius is the most active citizen-powered facebook group posting all the latest news on the ground.
Morisyen San Frontyer C19 is moderated by a group of medical practitioners for all medical aspects of the virus, help-desk style.
The Mauritius Police Force Facebook Page puts up Police Bulletins especially on physical movement and curfew information.

2. I am feeling sick, do I have the virus?

While it is estimated that 20%-60% of the global population will be infected with the virus at some point, there is no need to panic as most people experience only mild symptoms - but you could still spread the virus!

So please stay at home and do not leave your house! You can also use this little chat bot to assess how likely you might be at risk. You do not have to visit a clinic if your symptoms are mild.
If you are still unsure, call your healthcare provider over the phone first, or you can also call the Mauritius covid hotline at 8924.

3. Why is covid19 so serious then? Isn't it just like a very bad flu?

It is new, so nobody really understands what it is or how it works
It is highly viral: You could have the virus (and spread it) even if you are not showing any symptoms. If every sick person can infect 2 or more people, you get cases exploding exponentially.
Nobody has immunity: So everyone could get it
There is no vaccine or cure: While there is a lot of research and clinical trials right now, a safe and tested vaccine is realistically and optimistically 12 to 18 months away.
What this means for Mauritius: If 20% of Mauritius catches the virus at the same time, that is 253,000 people. Assuming 5% of those will need ICU beds, that is 12,650 people. We have 4,371 total beds for the whole of Mauritius across government and private clinics (Source data as of 2017), and if 5% were ICU beds, that would be only 218 beds, for 12,650 people.. where these beds not only have to be used for covid19 treatment, but for regular health emergencies. With free healthcare, our hospitals are already heavily utilised. That is the real problem, and that is why #flattenthecurve is trending. This is a fantastic graphic simulation of how the virus spreads, why social distancing is key to stop the cases from rising, and how to flatten the curve.

3. How many people in Mauritius already have the virus?

No one knows, as most people who have the virus might have none to mild symptoms.
The first imported case was a 59-year old man who arrived in Mauritius on the 7th of March from the UK, who did not show any symptoms, and was only announced to have tested positive on 18 March, 11 days later (source).
(23/3) It is getting serious: Mauritius' Director of Health Services Dr. Vansatrao Gudjadhur warned today that the number of cases are doubling day by day. And if the current trend continues, there will be 2,000 cases in 10 days and 9,000 cases in a month. 735 cases are expected within 5 days, and the worst possible scenario in Mauritius is that "there will be the death of one elderly person in every home" with more than 1,131 deaths among those over 60 years of age. This will also overload the hospitals, causing collateral problems (source 1) (source 2).

4. What tests does Mauritius use?

Mauritius uses PCR tests. (source)
(21/3) 90 to 100 tests are being carried out every day, and testing is being done only at government hospitals (source). While private labs and clinics have been asking permission to perform tests (which would triple the testing capacity in Mauritius), they have been declined by the government.
(22/3) An estimated 120 tests are now being carried out per day, and a private lab will now support more tests.
(23/3) A total of 523 tests have been carried out
For details on how the tests work, see question 11 below.

5. What happens when I'm in quarantine?

Not Known. Please contact us if you have answers to this.

6. What happens when I'm tested positive?

Not Known. Please contact us if you have answers to this.

7. What has the government done to prepare for the socio-economic impact of the virus?

The negative impact of the virus on GDP growth is estimated to be at least 0.9% (source).
The government reduced overall government spending by 10% including travel by ministers (source).
The prime minister announced on 13 March a support plan "Plan de Soutien" across all sectors including local manufacturing and SMEs. These include equity participation schemes by the state investment corporation, a revolving credit fund of Rs 200M by the development bank of Mauritius, and a review of the SME Equity Fund among a litany of other initatives. More information and sectorial support can be found on EDB's press release (source).
The prime minister announced a Wage Assistance Scheme that will help cover 50% of all salaries up to Rs 50K during the 2-week lockdown period. This will costs the government Rs 2.6B. (source)

Responses for the questions below have been compiled from a doctor on the front line in South Africa and a biologist.
8. How is the virus transmitted from one person to another?
When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the droplets they release contain many viral particles.
These droplets can make their way to a surface around the patient, like a table, the door, their hand. When a healthy person touches this infected surface, and then touches their own mouth, nose or eyes, the healthy person transfers the virus to their own body. In addition, when a healthy person is physically close to a patient, they might inhale the droplets directly and get infected.

9. How long does the virus last?

Showing symptoms: The incubation period for the virus is 14-21 days. This means that when a person is first exposed to the coronavirus, it can take up to 21 days for them to start developing symptoms, i.e. for them to know that they have been infected. This is why people must isolate for at least 14 days if they experience symptoms (because they’re infectious and can spread the virus).

Recovery: According to the WHO, mild cases take about 2 weeks on average to recover, whilst more severe cases take an average of 3-6 weeks to recover. (source)
On surfaces: A recent study determined that the virus particles remain stable in aerosols (droplets suspended in air - most relevant for frontliners dealing with critically ill patients) for a few hours, on copper for about 8 hours, on cardboard for about 1 day, and on steel and plastic for up to about 4 days. (source) This is why it is best to always wash your hands and avoid touching your face!

10. What kills the virus?

At present there is no cure for the virus. Researchers are looking at some drugs which may have an effect in combating the disease but there has been no concrete result as yet.
Right now, patients have to rely on their immune systems to overcome the virus.
(31/3) Exciting news: Johnson & Johnson has announced that it has a candidate for a vaccine against Covid 19. This vaccine will be tested in humans around September 2020, and will hopefully be ready for use by January 2021. (source)
If you are worried about catching the virus, washing your hands thoroughly with soap helps kill the virus on your hands. This video explains how and why this works.

11. How does the Covid 19 test work?
There are two types of tests: a genetic test and a serological test. (source)

The genetic test uses a technology called the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). It works as follows: A swab is taken from suspected patients. The genetic material inside the sample is multiplied (scientific term: amplified) using reagents in the lab. In coronavirus' case, the genetic material is called RNA for ribonucleic acid. The amplified RNA is tested for the presence of covid 19 viral genes. (Genes are sections of genetic materials.) A person is considered infected (positive) when the sample contains viral RNA corresponding to the coronavirus.
The serological test looks for antibodies in a person's serum. The immune system of a person infected with the coronavirus creates antibodies that fight the virus. This test detects these antibodies, and, as you can imagine, it can help us detect infection that only showed mild symptoms.

In Mauritius, PCR tests are used. (source)

12. Is the test always right?
No, depending on when a person is tested during the infection cycle, and the test being used, the test might not show positive results.
An infected person might be told that they do not have the virus (false negative), or a healthy person might be told that they have the virus (false positive). This is true of any test, but is particularly noticeable with this coronavirus because it is completely new. (source 1)(source 2)

13. What does 'flatten the curve' actually mean?

The hospitals in every country in the world have a limited number of beds to host and look after very sick patients at the same time. In Mauritius, for example, according to a Government report (source), in 2017, we had less than 5000 beds across all our public and private hospitals.
Covid 19 is a disease that spreads so fast that it can overwhelm a country’s health care system.
Consider the following scenario: only about 15% of people with the Covid 19 disease get very sick. If everybody in Mauritius gets infected, and 15% of this 1 million people get sick really fast, this means 150,000 people potentially need hospital beds or ventilators at the same time.
If we only have about 5000 beds available, it will be impossible to provide care for every critically ill patient at the exact time they need it. This will likely cause many deaths. These deaths could be avoided with fewer infections to begin with.
Hence, flattening the curve means decreasing the rate of new infections so that the health system can manage sick patients. This is explained very nicely in this cool video.

14. How does confinement help?
Confinement helps to flatten the curve. The disease spreads by droplets expelled by infected patients. People are in contact with these droplets when they shake hands, stay less than a metre from each other, or touch surfaces that have been infected.
Confinement limits these interactions. This reduces, or even stops, the spread of the virus, and reduces the number of people who get infected. Hence the term “flattening the curve”.

15. What happens when viruses like the coronavirus attack a human cell?
1. The virus attacks respiratory cells, i.e. cells that line your nose, mouth, your throat all the way to your lungs.
2. The virus sticks to a respiratory cell and injects its genetic material inside.
3. The infected cell starts making viruses from the viral genetic material.
4. Eventually, the infected cell makes so many viruses that it bursts and releases the viruses, ready to attack even more cells.

16. How does the body react to a viral infection?

The body has an immune system to guard against infection from foreign invaders, like the coronavirus.
Two types of response are possible, and usually happen in parallel:

A. An immune cell recognises an infected cell, and asks it to kill itself. This prevent the infection from spreading from cell to cell.
B. The virus is recognised as foreign and the body makes antibodies against it. These antibodies lock up the virus and prevent it from attacking the body's cells.
3. When the virus has infected many cells and has multiplied a lot (when there is a heavy viral load), the body may face an inflammation, which is when the immune system calls upon an army to fight an infection. This inflammation may be seen as fever, body aches, accumulation of phlegm and coughing.

17. What happens when a person is infected with the Covid 19 coronavirus?
The Covid 19 virus is new, and different teams around the world are collecting data about this. What we know so far:

The virus attacks cells in the respiratory tract, and multiplies.
In most (~80%) patients, the immune system finds infected cells, and responds to the infection quickly. The patient only shows mild to no symptoms.
In other people, it might take their immune system slightly longer to fight the infection, and they develop a fever, shortness of breath and fatigue.
In the most vulnerable patients, such as those with pre-existing conditions like diabetes or heart disease, or those who are immune compromised (with weaker immune systems), the virus multiplies in the patient's lungs much faster than the immune system can clear the infection. More severe symptoms develop, like a strong fever, pneumonia, and eventually, respiratory failure and death.

18. Are there more resources where I can find out more about Covid 19?

These awesome videos summarise a lot of information about the virus, and about flattening the curve.
Harvard University has a great repository of information about the virus and how to cope with it.
Google has a microsite on the virus. It also has resources on working and learning from home, as well as links to communities of people around the world who are connecting online whilst practising social distancing. You can join others around various activities (studying together, cooking together, etc) from the comfort of your home.

19. I am having trouble coping with the confinement. What can I do?

Here are some ideas on how to maintain your physical and mental health during the confinement period.
You can keep your family healthy and happy through these tips here and here.
You can support your kids' learning with these resources from the Khan Academy (daily schedules included!), this resource hub for home schooling, or these remote learning solutions.
You can also learn a new skill, from the 450+ courses that Ivy League universities and IBM have opened up for free.
If you have to work from home, here are some tips for you from Google, Fast Company or Time.
If you need a break from all the grim news, #loveincovidtimes can help restore your faith in humanity.

Most importantly, experiment and find what feels right for you and your family!

Answers are coming for the following questions...

What can we learn from countries that have contained the virus?
Where can I give or get help?

COVID WATCH