Portuguese living in London – a hotbed of virus propagation within the UK – have been telling Lusa news agency how they find the whole panic relating to the pandemic “exaggerated”.
“We’ve been through things like this before”, João Barros told the agency as he drank a bica and ate a sandwich at the counter of his son’s Portuguese café O Barros. “What has to be, has to be”.
Delivering supplies to the café, Barros senior said the crisis, for the time being, has not affected business. “We had to turn people away over the weekend”, he said. “As we did not have space for them”.
The interview was clearly done before prime minister Boris Johnson’s latest speech where he advised the population to “avoid non-essential contact with others” and keep away from restaurants and pubs.
But other Portuguese frequenting O Barros seemed equally unphased. “It’s just a flu that will pass”, said Cândido Pinto, himself still off work from heart surgery in August, and therefore within the high-risk category.
Carpenter Inácio Furtado also appeared relaxed and unconcerned that his job might be affected.
“Everyone should take precautions”, he agreed, but said he wasn’t unduly alarmed by the pandemic and “prepared to stay at home” if this is what is needed.
