(CNN) Tens of millions of people around the world have suddenly found themselves under various forms of lockdown as governments scrambled to impose new coronavirus-related restrictions over the past 24 hours.

But with different governments taking different approaches, many people have been left confused. If schools are shut in one country, is it really safe to send children into class in another? Why are restaurants shut but shops still open? Why are some countries advising against non-essential travel while others are banning it?

The extent of the measures partly depends on the severity of the epidemic in each country. The British government, for example, justified its initial reluctance to impose restrictions by saying the country was behind the rest of the Europe in terms of the spread of the virus.

The stark differences are most noticeable in Europe, where some countries, including Spain and Italy , have imposed strict nationwide lockdowns, shutting down all but essential services, ordering people to stay inside and threatening those who ignore the restrictions with fines.

Elsewhere, though, the rules are not so stringent.