Ah yes I forgot to mention that. I wasn't here then. But I can go off anecdotal stories...
I'm told it was light in comparison to most places. There was no strict lockdown like most capitals and major cities. Although most schools, shopping centres and borders were closed, they encouraged but did not force people to work from home.
One friend told me living outside the major cities that had it not been for Twitter, they wouldn't have known there was a pandemic happening. Another friend who worked in the major corporate district quit his job as he was asked to mask-up when entering the office.
In general, everyone I'm told went out, enjoyed their days, hit the beaches without hysterics. Remember it's a country with relatively low population density. Many businesses had a change of policy, opting for delivery or collection of foods to stay open and serve more customers. Now, PedidosYa the delivery firm is really prominent and still delivering to homes.
In the U.K, what I found interesting was people no longer hugging or shaking hands with friends following the pandemic. Following the Boris elbow-bumping, fist-bumping became commonplace. Here, people are still sharing mate, drinking from the same 'bombilla' (metal straw), kissing when greeting friends and going about their lives just like before. Uruguayans are tough in general & very friendly people.
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Something to be mindful of in any country but particularly here, is that it can take some time to feel accepted by local Uruguayans. I have heard it is particularly challenging for other South Americans, who are used to more warmer interactions. Just like in parts of Europe, people are fairly private and so it may a few meetings before being invited to someone's home.
πŸ’―. It can be quite the adaptation for people from those countries you mention. For the few I have met from warmer climates, it took 18 months to 24 months to really settle and find their tribes here.
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