Italy Issues National Quarantine
On March 9, 2020, the every-day lives of Italian citizens were drastically changed. Under the orders of Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, the government of Italy implemented a nationwide quarantine that has completely restricted the movement of the Italian population from their houses, except for necessity, work, and health circumstances.
As the days went by, the government also implemented the temporary closures of non-essential stores and other businesses. Now after a whole week on lockdown, the citizens of Italy continue to be mandated to stay within their homes and listen to the available news each day. The Italian government has restricted all social gatherings of any kind, as well as temporarily banned all non-essential travel until April 3rd. This includes; weddings, funerals, going to the local cafe, gym visits, school, and since April 12th, no leaving the house unless necessary.
During this government mandated lockdown, Italians have found themselves doing the same activities that many of us have been engaging ourselves in as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to leave nations stupefied in how rapidly it has been able to spread. From streaming their favorite shows, working from home, or even reading a good book, the entire population of Italy and that of most of the modernized world has been given a task that has been somewhat difficult to accomplish: find something to keep you from being bored.
Despite many similarities in our situations, Italy’s government seems to be taking a much more serious step in slowing the spread of Coronavirus within their country. Police have been ordered to closely observe the movements of those who find themselves needing to leave the house, and now require individuals to have the required paperwork to validate where the individual says that they need to go. Italians may not even be permitted to walk along their block or go on a short run to stay healthy, though it usually depends on which cop is roaming your street that day.
Though these have been tough times, the residents of these Italian “ghost towns” seem to be more unified than ever, as many take their balconies and chat, play music for their neighborhood, or even listen to the professional opera tenor, Maurizio Marchini, perform from his balcony in Florence. One can only hope that this pandemic fades out fast, and that these signs of unity continue to prosper when life gets easier from here on out.