How Covid lockdowns are impacting children around the world

A teacher checks the body temperature of students arriving at a school in Lahore, Pakistan

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As Britain endures its third period of national lockdown, conditions are as challenging for youngsters as they are for adults. Playdates and socialising are forbidden, grandparents are off-limits, sports clubs are shut, and the novelty of not attending school has long worn off.

Earlier this month, the Royal College of Psychiatrists warned that the combined impact of school closures, cancelled exams, and forced confinement threatened a mental health crisis that could plague the scar the younger generation permanently.

How does the UK compare? 

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United Kingdom 

• Nurseries: Open. 
• Primaries: Closed, except to key workers’ children.
• Secondaries: Closed, except to key workers’ children. 
• Can they visit grandparents? Only if in childcare "bubbles", for the purposes of looking after children.
• Playdates: Not allowed. 
• Masks for children: Required for children over 11 years old in England and Wales, over five in Scotland. 

United States 

With lockdown decisions made by individual states and school districts rather than by central government, America has a varied patchwork of Covid-related restrictions. One of the hardest-hit areas currently is California, which remains under a stay-home order. More than 11 million people have been vaccinated. President-elect Joe Biden is planning to ask Congress for $130billion to help “a majority” of primary and secondary schools reopen within his first 100 days of office.

Coronavirus USA Spotlight Chart — cases default

• Death toll: 398,000
• Nurseries: Many closed since last March. Some limited provision in some states for key workers. Also some emergency places for children from poorest communities.
• Primaries: Mostly closed, relying on distance learning. 
• Secondaries: Mostly closed, relying on distance learning. 
• Playdates: No nationwide rules. Some parents have created ‘learning pods’ where they bubble with another household in order to let their children play and learn with friends, but there are no federal rules in place.
• Grandparents: Up to individual families, generally allowed.
• Masks: no nationwide requirement in public. Shops and businesses allowed to set their own rules, many expect children to wear masks. 

Spain

During Spain’s nationwide state of emergency lockdown between March and June last year, all schools closed down for all age groups, without exception. There were some attempts to open certain classrooms with regional variations before the end of the summer term, but very limited in scope. 770,000 people now vaccinated.

Coronavirus Spain Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll 53,000
• Nurseries: Open.
• Primaries: Open.
• Secondaries: Open, but some schools switching between part-time attending and remote learning on alternate days. During emergency lockdown between March and June last year, all schools were closed.
• Playdates: Banned during first six weeks of nationwide lockdown last year. Now permitted within rules that allow socialising between a limited number of people who do not live together.
• See grandparents? Yes.
• Masks: Compulsory in public places for over-5s.

Belgium 

Belgium has been in strict lockdown since the end of October after recording the highest per capita rate of infections in Europe.

There was no relaxation of rules forbidding more than one visitor per family household over Christmas and infections have slowed since the country’s second lockdown began. Belgium began vaccinations in January. 

After an outbreak of the British variant of Covid-19 in Flanders at the weekend, meetings were held to discuss new measures. A decision on them is expected on Friday.

Coronavirus Belgium Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 20,435
• Nurseries: Open. 
• Primaries: Open.
• Secondaries: Open but half of teaching is done via remote learning. Social distancing must be observed.
• Playdates: Meetings outside in groups of up to four but children under the age of 12 do not count against that total.
• See grandparents? A family can have one close contact with one person. This “cuddle contact” is exempt from social distancing, and can be invited for home visits.
• Masks: Obligatory in public places for children over 12.

Poland

Poland is still under strict lockdown regulations with bars, restaurants and hotels closed, although non-essential shops can still open. Since the pandemic started 33,407 people have died of Covid-19 or Covid-19 related complications but the daily death rate has been in a gradual decline since hitting a high in late November. So far nearly 470,000 people have been vaccinated.

Coronavirus Poland Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 33,407
• Nurseries: Open
• Primaries: Previously only open to 6-7 year olds, now also open to 7-9 year olds. No extra provision for key workers.
• Secondaries: Closed since October. Remote learning only.
• Playdates: Children can meet socially but in groups of no more than five, and see only classmates.
• Grandparents: No ban, but health authorities advise against.
• Masks: Yes

Additional reporting by Matthew Day

Australia

With a population in excess of 25 million, has lost only 909 people to Covid-19. More than 820 of those deaths have occurred in the state of Victoria, where the capital, Melbourne, was the only Australian city to experience prolonged restrictions as a result of Covid-19. Its second lockdown period ran for 112 days from July to October last year.

Coronavirus Australia Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Nurseries: During that time, nurseries were  shut except for key workers’ children
• Primary and secondaries: Closed with remote learning in place.
• Playdates: Children were not allowed out of household bubbles for playdates or visiting grandparents
• Masks: Compulsory for over-12s

Brazil

With the discovery of new coronavirus variant in the Amazon region, Brazil is now on high alert for a devastating second wave of the pandemic.

Coronavirus Brazil Spotlight Chart — Cases default

Chaos ensued last week in the Amazonian city of Manaus as hospitals faced a shortage of oxygen tanks, with several patients left to die of suffocation.

A vaccine program has just begun, despite far-right president Jair Bolsonaro casting doubt over the efficacy of Covid-19 jabs.

A gravedigger works at the Parque Taruma cemetery amid the coronavirus outbreak in Manaus, Brazil

Credit: Reuters

• Death toll: 210,000
• Nurseries: Shut. São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, opened six “emergency nurseries” for key workers’ children.
• Primary/secondary: Shut. Pupils restricted to remote learning, despite a quarter lacking internet access at home. Some states plan to reopen schools by the end of February, with limited class sizes and remote learning.
• Playdates: No legal restrictions on children mixing with friends or relatives, but officials advise against inter-household mingling.
• See grandparents? As above.
• Masks: Compulsory in public but not strictly enforced.

China

Despite the city of Wuhan being the first place to be hit by Covid, China managed to control the pandemic rapidly, thanks to a centralised response system honed during the Sars outbreak and the imposition of very strict social controls. Around 10 million people have now been vaccinated.

Coronavirus China Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 4,600
• Life has now largely returned to normal, although in the event of localised cluster outbreaks, as has now happened in the north-east city of Shijiazhuang, lockdown is quickly reimposed and schools there now shut.  
• Schools: All over China, parents are now expected to report their kids’ temperatures daily to their school and also give details of where anyone in the same household has travelled to.
• Playdates: no fixed rules but thanks to SARS and previous Covid outbreaks, most parents observe ‘stay at home’ mentality anyway.
• See grandparents? See above.
• Masks: children expected to wear masks in school, and in some cases wear "one-metre hats" — caps with sticks on top to remind them of social distancing.

India

A two-month lockdown from March helped slow the spread of Covid in India’s and gave its underfunded public healthcare system time to prepare. However, with more than 10m cases, it is second only to the US in terms of infections. This week, India became the first major developing country to roll out the vaccine, aiming to immunise more than 1.3 billion people.

Coronavirus India Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 152,000 
• Nurseries: Shut.
• Primaries/secondaries: Most shut since last March, some limited reopening now in some areas. In Delhi, schools reopened this week for older students facing exam years. Only around half of Indians have internet access, so remote learning opportunities limited, especially in poor and rural areas.
• Playdates: Discouraged.
• See grandparents? Discouraged. 
• Masks: Not compulsory but advised.

Sweden

Sweden is currently the closet to lockdown it has ever been, although restrictions are still light by European standards, with bars, gyms, restaurants and shopping centres all still open. Vaccine rollout began on December 26th, with 80,000 people now vaccinated.

Coronavirus Sweden Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 10,323
• Nurseries: Open. 
• Primaries: Open. 
• Secondaries: Varies by area and age group. 16–18-year-olds taught mainly by distance learning, except for courses requiring physical presence: eg carpentry, hairdressing.
• Playdates: Allowed .
• See grandparents? Yes. People are advised (but not required) to socialise within a set group of eight people.
• Masks: advised on public transport in rush hour

France

France has avoided full post-Christmas lockdown but on Saturday imposed a nationwide 6pm to 6am curfew as it seeks to slow the rise of the "British variant" which experts say will inevitably spread around the country. Several warn full lockdown may be inevitable within "a few weeks".

The main question is whether it can be avoided before half-term holidays.

Vaccine rollout began late December and after a woefully slow start has now reached 422,000. France’s Covid death toll surpassed the 70,000-mark this weekend with 141 deaths registered in 24 hours on Sunday. In that period, some 16,600 new cases were registered.

The total number of hospitalisations now stands at 25,200 with 2766 in intensive care — a rise of 136 with ICU occupancy at 54.7 per cent.

Coronavirus France Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 70,000
• Nurseries: Open
• Primaries: Open
• Secondaries: Open to all up until Lycée (14 to 16-year olds), where physical classes are half-size. Children spend a half-day in the classroom and half remote learning.  
• Playdates: Only before 6pm curfew.
• Grandparents: No fixed rules, physical distancing and a six-person social bubble advised.
• Masks: Compulsory for over 11s in Paris and many other town and cities.

Additional reporting by Henry Samuel

Germany

Germany looks set to extend lockdown measures until at least mid-February, amid fears of new variants of the Covid virus, with possible night-time curfews in coronavirus hot spots.

More than 1 million people have now been vaccinated.

A teacher hands over learning materials to pupils through a window of a primary school in Dinslaken, Germany

Credit: SASCHA STEINBACH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

• Death toll: 47,000 
• Nurseries: Open only to children whose parents are both key workers.
• Primaries: Closed. Emergency childcare available to parents who are both key workers. List of key workers varies by region, includes utility and food workers, finance and insurance, media and armed forces.
• Secondaries: Open to a limited extent for final year exam students only. For all others distance learning is in place. Emergency childcare if both parents are key workers.
• Playdates: Yes. In most regions people can meet up to 1 person from outside their household. Children under 14 do not count towards the limit, meaning playdates are possible.
• Grandparents: Yes
• Masks: Compulsory for over 6s in shops, on public transport and in certain designated busy streets.

Israel

Israel is in its third nationwide lockdown, which is likely to be extended as the infection rate remains very high. More than a quarter of the 9 million population have been vaccinated, the highest rate in the world. 

Coronavirus Israel Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 4,000
• Nurseries: Open, unless in case of Covid outbreak.
• Primaries: Open if a parent is a key worker, e.g. teacher, doctor, nurse or carer.
• Secondaries:  Closed, except in cases where both parents are key workers or do jobs that cannot be done from home.
• Playdates: No
• Grandparents: Only outdoors, and if the grandparent lives within a 1km radius.
• Masks: Required in public.

Italy

Having been the first Western country hit by the pandemic, Italy is now in the grip of the second wave of infections. 

A patchwork of lockdown measures has been imposed on the country’s 20 regions, colour-coded yellow, orange or red according to the number of deaths and infections. More than a million people have so far been vaccinated since the roll-out began in late December.

Coronavirus Italy Spotlight Chart — deaths default

• Death toll: 82,000
• Nurseries: Open
• Primaries: Open, except in worst-affected "red zones" (currently Lombardy, South Tyrol and Sicily).
• Secondaries: Government has allowed partial reopening, but most remain shut, or operating at 50% physical capacity, with distance learning on alternate days.
• Playdates: Yes, except in red zones.
• Grandparents: Not forbidden but advised against.
• Masks: Required in public for over 6s.

South Africa

South Africa’s health service is already buckling under the strain of a new variant of coronavirus, plus an infections surge caused by flouting of lockdown rules and “superspreader” events during the festive period.

In late December, the government placed the country under “level three” lockdown restrictions – banning alcohol sales again.

A vaccine programme — mainly for front-line healthcare workers — will begin next month. Nurseries: Open

Coronavirus South Africa Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 36,851
• Nurseries: Open
• Primaries: Closed until Feb 15. Some distance learning in place via Zoom and Whatsapp. Limited in areas with lack of access to technology and electricity. Teaching programmes on radio and TV, which had previously lost popularity, now back in use for remote learning.
• Secondaries: Closed until Feb 15. Some distance learning as above.
• Playdates: Permitted outside of 9pm-5am curfew. With 60 per cent of South Africans living in high density housing or townships, restrictions are impractical.
• Grandparents: Yes
• Masks: Obligatory for over 5s, but only seriously enforced for over 12s.

Japan

Japan has recently reimposed a state of emergency in the major urban centres of Tokyo and Osaka as well as the seven heavily populated surrounding prefectures.

The state of emergency regulations are relatively mild, with the public "urged" not to go out unless necessary, while bars, restaurants and other venues are "requested" to close at 8pm.

The majority are abiding by that request. The government is encouraging companies to make employees work from home. Vaccination rollout begins next month.

Coronavirus Japan Spotlight Chart — cases default

• Death toll: 4,50
• Nurseries: Open.
• Primaries: Open.
• Secondaries: Open.
• Playdates: Yes
• Grandparents: Yes
• Masks: Yes

Lebanon

Lebanon is currently in its fifth and strictest lockdown since the pandemic began, with all but essential workers banned from leaving their homes. The country has recorded nearly 30 percent of its total 250,000 coronavirus cases since New Year, when restrictions were relaxed to allow people to celebrate in groups. The first vaccines are not scheduled to arrive in the country until mid-February.

• Death toll: 1,906 
• Nurseries/primaries/ secondaries. All shut. No keyworker provision.
• Playdates: No. 
• See grandparents? No.
• Masks: Compulsory in public places for over-8s. 

Luxembourg

Luxembourg is in lockdown with non-essential shops closed and a curfew in place. The Grand Duchy is preparing to step up its vaccination programme. 3,223 people were vaccinated by Friday and a new batch of vaccines is due to arrive in the country soon.

• Death toll: 552 
• Nurseries: open, but activities should take place outdoors as much as possible.
• Primaries: reopened on January 10. A large scale testing campaign aimed at children between four and 19 years old and teachers is being organised.
• Secondaries: alternating classes between remote and face-to-face learning
• Playdates: Any gathering of more than 4 and up to 10 people is allowed provided masks are worn and two metres of social distancing  is observed. This includes children, regardless of their age.
• See grandparents? A maximum of two visitors from the same household can visit a family home.
• Masks: Over -6’s must wear mask in public and at school.

Netherlands

The Netherlands extended its lockdown by three weeks to the end of February, amid fears over the British and South African variants of Covid-19. The vaccination rollout began in January but the Government, which resigned last week after a child benefit scandal, was criticised for the slow roll-out of the program. 

Coronavirus Netherlands Spotlight Chart — Cases default

• Death toll: 3,006
• Nurseries: Closed except for children of key workers, which include medical staff, logistics and transport workers, teachers and some shop assistants.
• Primaries: Closed except for children of key workers.  The Government is considering re-opening them on January 25, depending on research into the British variant of Covid-19.
• Secondaries: As above. Exceptions for some practical lessons and pupils in exam years. Pupils now have to observe 1.5 metres social distancing.
• Playdates? No. No more than two people can go somewhere together outside, not including children under 13. They can be more than two people in a group but only if everyone in it lives at the same address.
• See grandparents? Yes, but the government strongly recommends no more than two guests over the age of 13 to a home in any 24 hour period.
• Masks? Over-13s must wear masks by law in shops, public transport, car parks and buildings. At schools, masks must be worn when people are walking or standing but they can be removed when seated.

Pakistan

Secondary school students have their temperature checked before entering classrooms in Peshawar, Pakistan

Credit: Fayaz Aziz / Reuters

By official figures, Pakistan has fared reasonably well, with deaths lower than expected thanks partly to the relative youth of its population. Cases are now surging thanks to flouting of rules and the prevalence of anti-Covid conspiracy theories. Prime Minister Imran Khan has ruled out a second full lockdown, saying it would decimate the economy. First vaccinations due in March.

• Death toll: 11,000.  
• Nurseries/primaries: Mostly shut since March, with limited opening in autumn. No provision for key workers. Online learning limited due to lack of internet access in many areas.
• Secondaries: Partly reopened.
• Playdates: Yes
• Masks: Yes​