Every Friday evening, hundreds of thousands of senior citizens across Serbia are setting their alarm clocks to wake up at 2am. That's because people older than 65 are only allowed to leave their homes between 3am and 8am on Saturday morning. For the remaining 163 hours a week, they are confined to their quarters.
The Serbian government says the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to take drastic action to protect the elderly from a deadly virus, which they are more susceptible to. If the disease spreads among them, Serbia's weak healthcare system could collapse.
This generation is used to hardships. Many still remember the horrors of World War II, the breakup of Yugoslavia, famine, and NATO bombardment of Serbia. But this confinement is something entirely new for them.
Although many volunteers throughout the country have mobilized to bring necessities like food and medications, it is the loneliness that most affects the elderly. Their children and grandchildren are asked not to visit them because of the possibility of infecting them with COVID-19.
In urban areas, many senior citizens live in apartment blocks that don't have any outdoor space. Spending time walking and socializing with their friends and family are some of their main necessities – and now they are deprived of it. 🏢😔
