As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak and urges people to self-isolate, one man has decided to keep fit by running a full marathon on his balcony.
Elisha Nochomovitz, 32, from Balma, a suburb of the southern French city of Toulouse, took the internet by storm after he was seen running 42.2 kilometres back and forth on the 23-ft long balcony outside his property.
The fitness enthusiast, who decided to complete the run at a slow yet steady pace of six hours and 48 minutes, said he decided to carry out the challenge to ‘de-dramatise the confinement situation’.
He said: ‘It was about launching a bit of a crazy challenge and bringing a bit of humour, to de-dramatize the confinement situation.’
Elisha Nochomovitz, 32, from Balma, Toulouse, France, decided to run 42.2 kilometres back and forth on the 23-ft long balcony outside his property
The fitness enthusiast, who later shared his video on social media, decided to run at a slow yet steady pace of six hours and 48 minutes
Despite being overcome with nauseousness and fearing the neighbours would complain about his pounding footsteps, Mr Nochomovitz said he wanted to show others that it was possible to stay fit as virus containment measures tighten around the world.
He also shared the images online as a way to extend his support to the entire medical personnel who he said were doing an ‘exceptional job’ and who he hailed ‘the real everyday heroes.’
He continued: ‘If everyone thinks the same way and does the same thing, we’ll all find ourselves outside and that won’t help anything, and the message that we need to stay confined at home will have had no impact.’
Mr Nochomovitz, who had been training for a marathon and needed to assure himself that he ‘could still run 40 kilometers whatever the condition’ said he lost track of how many laps he did, but his pedometer kept track while his mind wandered.
In Limassol, Cyprus, Vakis Demetriou (left) decided to take his pet dog Oliver (right) for a walk using a controlled drone
Meanwhile one man in Spain decided to flout the rules and take his pet goat for a walk outside
In other parts of the world, former Bond star Pierce Brosnan, 66, was seen enjoying the waves in Hawaii
He said: ‘I thought about many things, what’s going to happen, when I see that the world has stopped, sports, economy, finance.
‘We learned in history about wars between nations, men and weapons, but this is something that is beyond us.’
The runner, who has since been inundated with messages of support, went on to praise his girlfriend who helped steer him on.
He added: ‘I had my girlfriend here who was giving me drinks and M&Ms.’
The French authorities still allow people to go outside for ‘individual sports’ like running, if they sign a special form explaining why.
Australia’s Bondi Beach in Sydney was packed with visitors on Saturday (left) however was empty on March 22 (right)
In the U.S. Reverend Scott Holmer was seen offering absolution to people in their cars outside his church in Maryland
But the number of joggers in French streets has multiplied in recent days, amid exceptionally balmy weather and that has authorities worried that too many people are still out in the streets, threatening efforts to contain the virus.
Mr Nochomovitz’s viral video comes after France announced that it was building military field hospitals after the number of cornavirus deaths rose to 674 and those infected with the virus hit 6,018.
Soldiers were today seen setting up the centres in Mulhouse, which along with Alsace, is France’s worst-hit region, as the country tried to cope with the surge in its cases.
It comes as the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a press conference on Friday that he would be shutting down pubs, bars and restaurants in an effort to manage the spread of COVID-19.
Pictured: French soldiers wearing protective masks have a meeting before setting up the tents that will form a part of the field hospital in Mulhouse, France
He told the conference at Downing Street: ‘I know it has been difficult … but these actions we are taking together are helping to take the strain off the NHS.
‘The speed of our eventual recovery depends entirely on our collective ability to get on top of the virus now and that means we have to take the next steps on scientific advice.
‘And following our plan we are strengthening the measures announced on Monday. We need now to push down further on that curve of transmission between us.
‘And so following agreement with all the … devolved administrations, we are collectively telling cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow.
‘We’re also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close on the same timescale.’