France now receive their very own polilice escort. Thank you much for joining us here on france 24. We begin with the coronavirus, which has affected more than one billion people ininfected moe than one Million People around the world. New york remains the epicenter of the outbreak, and that citys mayor is advising residents to cover their faces when stepping out. Theange of tact from epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. New york has joioined californ in recommending all peoplele cor ththeir faces in public. We are advisingng new yorkers to wear r a Face Covering when u go outside and can be near other people. It could be a scscarf. It could be somethining you cree yourself at home. It could b be a bandana. It does not need to be profesessional surgical masks. Leave those alone. Leave those to the people who are saving lives. Ofhor other forms protective equipment are in short supply. If a hospital in brooklyn pleaded with authorities to do more. Every day when i go to work, i feel like a sheep going to slaughter. My colleagues and i are writing our last will and testament. I am 28 years old. We are dying. We are getting sick. It doesnt matter how many ventilators we get if we are dead and cannot run the ventilators. Anchor as people line up to get themselves tested, the numbers in new york just continue to grow. Almost 100,000 in the state have tested positive for the virus, meaning that if n n york wererea country, it would be the fourth most affected country in the world. Over 900 people have died in spain from the coronavirus for the second day in a row. The figure has fallen for the First Time Since the 26th of march. In total, just under 11,000 people have died from the virus in the country, and authorities there are hopeful the outbreak will soon reach its peak. Measures in spain have also spoke fears of a spike in domestic violence. The government has launchehed aa campaiaign to tackle the issueu, and d the Prime Minister has reminded victims of Domestic Abuse that they can break confinement if necessary. France 24 reporters took a look at the Police Network supporting and helping these vulnerable womomen. At the police station, this network specializes in cases of helping wowomen abused by thther partners. Since it began, helpline calls have risen. French]king attacks she has lived ththrough, when she left herer husbanand, who nearly killed h. That is why she called her International Support network forc survivors. [speaking foreign language] anna and 2020,000 former victims like her are offffered support. [speaking foreign l language] in a country where all nonessentitial Economic Activity pharmacists had taken on the role of raising the alarm. [speaking spanish] while many risk isolation, neighbors are asked to keep an eye out, a Community Role that could save lives. Anchor wuhan, china was once the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. While life is slowly starting to return to normal, local authorities are warning residents to remain vigilant and avoid going out. Tough lockdown measures imposed over two months have succeeded in bringing down the rate of new infections. Just 31 covovid19 infectctions were reported in china. Can goe on the story, we across to our correspondent, patrick fox, standing by in beijing. Authorities are treating this new law in the coronavirus outbreak . Well,l, in a mixed sort of m manner dealing wiwith it. You u mentioned wuhuhan, notabl, being the epicenter. The lockdown is set to be lifted, by which time the residence of wuhan will have been living under those harsh restrictions for a total of 76 days, so there is obviously a lot of optimism about the situation improving there, but, you know, at the same time, authorities are trying to remain vigilant, so today we have been hearing about authorities advising people to stay indoors and basisically keep themselves safe. Itit has been quite a journey, d in particular, this week, there have been more restricteds restrictions lifted along the way. Roadblocks have been removed from private vehicles returning to streets. Noticeably as well come on monday, shops reopened for ththe firsrst time for it as you can imagagine, a v very big, importt step for the people there to normrmalize life, as you lilikt at the same time, auththorities e tryingng to remain cautious, because there are a lot of cautions about concerns about a second wave at this time. Anchor s speaking of a second wave, authorities seem to have gotten control of the situation this time around. There are fears that the virus could be imported from other parts of the world. Patrick yeah, that is right. Imported cases are certainly a big concern. Those numbers have remained fairly consistent for a few weeks now, and the concern really for authorities as they haveve not b been able to shakef this issueue of in wowooded cas, and it has takaken the focus awy from wuhan, in many ways, because it is the fault of entry, cities like beijing a and shanghai, where these impoported cases aree arrivining, and thats really prompting a lot of concern. N. Besides that, therere has alslso been thihis new development as well that has happened in central china, in an and province, and that is an area where a population of around 600,000 people, there appears to be several thousand new cases they are, and that is prompting concern also about the potential second wave of the disease comiming bk k to hau china, you like. So therere are verery sort of md feelings right now. China, we have hearing we have been hearing about this ststory abouout how china a hasn recovering and t the countryry s successfullyly reverse thehe spd of t the disease, but it is tt the time to let its guard down, and there is a lot of concern about what happens moving forward. Anchor patrick, thank you very much for the update. Patrick fox reporting for us from beijing. To nicholas can go. Ocker, expert virologist thank you for joining us on france 24. You heard they are, authorities in china fearing a second wave of infections. Is t this something wewe shoulde preparing for . I i mattersi thinin how w well we manage the firir wave. Letts try to control the ououtbreak that is cururrently ongoing. One of the worries with that potentiaial second wave is wt could happen if we were to lift the control measure and the lockdodown measures too e early . Thele that are naive to virus, separating in the potentiallyand these very healthy individuals could be infected, and a new source of spread for the virus, and you know, this is why, in a way, we need to be extra carefel with the currentnt lockdown. We need to enforce it across europe, across the world, actually, just to make s sure tt we get everything under control right now. Anchor i know there is a lot unknown about the coronavirus. One of the things i want to find out is, i want to ask you, is if you have any idea about this. If asymptomatic people, people who have had covid19, w who wee popositive, who did not show symptoms, could they possibly get a Second Time Around and this time show symptoms . Yes, so that is really the Million Dollar question. Everybody is asking that question. We canannot answer definitely ts question right now for a various number of reasons, the main one being that we lack some of the tests that would be able to and monitor the susceptibility of a ofmptomatically patatients f asymptomatic patients. If you compare this to the coronavirus infections, we know, that the corora cases ththat are mild, in the ce of influenza, we seem to be protected, again, from the virus separating at one point in time, and as we get immunity to the virus and as the virus mutates, which is the natural process, we tend to be susceptible to infection the next season by, say, the next crop of the same virus. And there is no particular reason to think that this coronavirus would be different. A good knowledge of against the currently circulating coronavirus is getting, and hohow we are the vaccine design and control have ologies in the pocket pathologies right now and in the future. Anchor very quickly, the mayor of new york has advised people that they should cover their faces once they leave their houses. He says you should not use medical masks but a scarf or something. Do you advise that . You know, first of all, i am not an advisor. I do not advise anything to anyone. I am just ava rolla just. What i will say a virulogist. What i will say is it will not do any harm, as long as you are not creating to the shortages for the frontlinene workers. Ananchor nicolas locker, thank you very much. Dr. Locker ok, so if you want to cover your face and i ananchor anchor sorry i interrupted you there. Thank you for joining us on the program. By the events have been canceled in an attempt to put a hold on the virus, but has not stopped stand comedians from uploading new videos. We have been checking out the videos to raise your spirit. Hello, i am from the government with an urgent message from the coronavirus. From polished productions some say it is no big deal. Italians are freaking out. The chinese are holding it. And others seem to think the virus attacks your butthole. To amateur videos. Virus, baby humor is one way people in confinement are keeping up morale. Comedy clubs are now closed, and it is cerertainly not let a laughing matter as the livelihoods of thousands of artists and entertainers are in peril. The comedian mark moorman hit the streets. Have corona beer sales plummeted just because of the name similarity, which i dontt get, because w when oj killed hs wife, i did not stop drinking orange juice. I i did not stop drinking orange juice. Yeahah isbriritish comededian lucas leaving left to share a more serious message. Hihis video has b been shared millions of times. Remember not to touch her facece thank you, mr. R. Bezos if you want to have a better day it is safe to say andnd american cocomedian Jim GaffigansLive Streaming his videos on youtube, so just about anyone can virtually have dinner with the comedian, his wife, and his five children. The idea is to help people at home. Its dinner with the gaffigans kay is on the piano. Mom is on her phone. I love you. Patrick is on wheres patrick . Hael is on [laughter] in a a bood mood jim we are making burgers. Anchor that is it for me. Thank you very much for watching. Welbys caged birds s dream perhaps of while these caged birds dream perhrhaps of spreadg toirr wings, he has no desire join them. His room. Ely left a is a a japanese word for person who never leaeaves isolation. I need the sound of the tv, otherwise e i do not feel well. The silence remised me i am not alone. I often stay in my futon much of the day, and just stare at the ceiling. He had a normal childhood, but at the university, he was bullied by one of his professors and other students. The trauma turned him against people in general. Since then, time has stood still. Certain, too, that his room looks like a teenager. He is struggling to find words to express himself, as he struggles to find direction in life. It is as if i forget everything, but nothing as clearcut. All i know is that my body feels heavy. I am afraid of the world. Even a phone call or an emamail stresses me out. A form of depression or other Mental Health problem, a social phobia or an act of rebellion . Whatever the diagnosisis, hihikikomori p people are united by a rejection of japans strict rules of social interaction. His mother is preparing a meal for him. Most hikikomori rely on family to survive. Parents are ashamed of their children, members of a lost generation in a society that places a any of my work. [speaking japanese] translator i stood outside his bedroom door many times and begged him to come out. To go to the shop, the bird chop, because he likes birds. I dont know what to do. I h have consulted dodoctors, ie been to seminars. All i can sayay is that it is hard, really hard. He is not interested in anything. I have tried to get him interested in things, but he does not want to go out. It is making me depressed, too. Phenomenon wasri identified in the late 1990s, when japans postbubble economic peoples hit young particularly hard, but today, the hikikomori generation is not made up of a specific age group or people from a certain social background. Most of them are men, but an increasing number of women. The ability to order jusust abot everything theyy need onlinene means they never h have to leave the room. Life has led the reclusive for a total of five years. [speaking japanese] translator i went through my first hikikomori phase when i was young, but i managed to come out of it. That i went to university, found a job, and a boyfriend. Spared, andhad been then finallyly i had a relapse. It is as if the lights have been turned off. I have no willpower, no desire to do anything. There is nothing inside anymore. Alice ended up leaving her job and her husband. Thesesdays, though, she feels more comfortable talking to people. Others are not so fortunate. An estimated 30,000 reclusive people die alone in japan. If not suicide, then from solitary, silent ends. Once home to a 68yearold man. [speaking japanese] translator keep all of the documents organized, Social Security slips, tax papers, and bank cards. Alerted the o authorities of the smell two months after his death. These are the belongings of a person who died alone. Several Companies Specialize in cleaning apartments once occupied by tenants who died alone. [speaking japanese] translator his legs were here and his head there. He must have had a fall. The mysterious life of the former occupant is slowly unraveling. After working as an accountant for r 40 years, he, like an increasing amount of japanese, stopped communicating with the outside world after he retired. [speaking japanese] translator ratatouille, beans, ready meals. These are typical of the foods eateten by people who live alon. I go about my cleaning methodically and try not to think about the circucumstancesr delve too deeply into the lives of the p people whose placeses m cleaning. All the same, i cannot avoid seeing their possessions, so i tell myself i am going to get married and not end up alone like that. As Japanese Society ages, so do the hikikomori. The older they are, the lonelier they become, with no family or friends to look out for them, they simply stay from view, and more by the rest of society. [speaking japanese] translator if these people have more contact with their neighbors, we could have avoided the solitary deaths. People should pay more attention to others and try to build a Real Community spirit. With proper communication between neighbors. [speaking japanese] translator the dead man did have someone. To collect his possessions and clean the pay the bill. [speaking japanese] translator do you want to keep these documents . [speaking japanese] translator yes, i want to put aside all the important ones. I care. I called him, i would come to visit him or call or send a message. So i cared. Come out, likeo go to a dinner or something. He did not want to. They are very lonely. Mmhmm. He lived alone and he died alone. Seeme hikikomori determined to hang onto their solitude, yet many dream of a different life. Problem, thee japanese government this year conducted its First Nationwide study of hikikomori aged over 40. One has published a book on modernori and says Japanese Society is to blame. Owaranai [speaking japanese] translator an individuals value is dependentnt on his abity toto conformrm to the ruls set by the group. The hikikomori are people who arare unable to do that, it is a result, they feel completely useless. They arere ashamed. Joining incapable of society, and they feel enormous guilt as a result. Some offer job training [speaking japanese] translator this is how you create an excel slide. Group teaches the basics, composing an invoice, emailing a senior colleague, speaking in public, or simply laughing and reacting among people. [speaking japanese] translator i would like to ask a question, but i dont know how. [speaking japanese] translator first, we ask them as,ome only twice a month, initially, the aim is just to persuade them to leavave their homes. We start slowly. We dont have sessions every day. We cant ask too much of them. Around two out of three participants lose interests, but others go on to find jobs with companies associated with the nga. [speaking japanese] translator before, i was incapable of speaking, but i am not scared anymore. I can communicate with my colllleagues and work as part oa team. I think that is what i really learned here, to collaborate and communicate. I can start my life again. I have more confidence now. Normality and others, means accepting societys conventions but not its stress and conformity. Alex has been working at a startup for the past few months. Her employer knows about her past and allows her some freedom. Most importantly, she is no longer afraid of going out and meeting other people. [speaking japanese] translator in the beginning, my eyes were so used to the darkness in my room that the sunlight was blinding. I could not bear it. I suffered with that for a long time. To ane a month, she goes editorial meeting of the magazine that is by and for thee hikikomori. Everyone working for the publication, which launched earlier this year, has spent time living in isolation. Today, though, they are eager to share their experiences. [speaking japanese] translator in the beginning, it was a voyage of discovery. I finally felt comfortable with [singe v vocaling]g] vverlaing g trsmissisis] [highpitch t tones tatatic ssining] uug aien arwe accerating