Coronavirus in Italy

I can't believe it's already March, and I skipped an entire month of blogging. Whoops! We've all been busy.

The big news here right now is the coronavirus...as it is big news worldwide. We've been very impressed with the responsiveness and reaction by the government here, although we don't completely agree with all the measures they've taken.

The current situation is that the northern part of Italy is in lockdown quarantine. That means no moving between towns, no congregations of any type (including weddings and funerals) and highly restricted movement even in bars and other establishments of that kind. Those that are open are not allowed to serve you at the bar (the common way of getting your cup o' joe is to stand at the bar, wait for its production, and then down it and leave) but rather, you have to have table service...and the tables must be spaced quite far apart.

In our region, it has not come to that. Yet. Our current situation is that the schools have been closed nationwide until April 3 (this strikes us as a bit silly given that many kids are going out and about and therefore congregating; that said, it prevents 22 bodies breathing in enclosed classes all day long, so there's that). Masses are still being held, although we are not to shake hands in a sign of peace, and Communion is passed out strictly in the hand rather than being delivered to the mouth (the classic way of receiving it, it is usually seen about 50% of the time here). Gatherings have not yet been banned (in fact, there are signs up for an event next week in the theatre, and we have cinema ads for the films that will be going on this week).

However. There are definitely signs that are out of the normal. These would include a completely empty piazza, even during the traditional morning coffee rush. There is a sign on the tabacconist's basically saying that per decree whatever, you can't congregate in the shop and must maintain a meter's distance between customers. There are very, very few tourists despite lovely weather.

Sign on the tobacconist's door,
describing the rules in place

That said, we have been highly impressed with the media's take. While it's definitely being taken seriously, there is a real attempt at a positive spin. Rather than "x ill, y deaths," the news outlets are declaring, "w tests given, x people already cured, y currently ill, z deaths" (pointing out the positive). We have seen no panic buying, although we have augmented our pantry stores slightly. Our goal in doing that is, if we were to show any symptoms of respiratory tract problems, we would self-quarantine voluntarily. Our town has a large population of elderly people who are frequently out and about, and we would hate to be responsible for passing on the virus to them.

Another measure they've taken is to put up posters in various obvious locations (like the doctor's office) declaring that IF you exhibit these symptoms, you are not to go to the doctor's office, the emergency room, or anywhere else. Rather, you are to call your doctor, who will triage and order a coronavirus test if it's appropriate.

When I went to the dentist's, they immediately squirted my hands with disinfectant, definitely not something they usually do.

Again, though, there is a huge emphasis on keeping things as normal as possible. The reality is that the best thing you can do is keep your hands clean. In the poster below (displayed at the local bars), it says roughly: "Umbria isn't closed! Shops, tourist sites, and professional services remain open...don't close yourself down! You can continue to have breakfast at the bar, buy your newspaper at the stand, shop in your favorite stores, buy shoes and clothes in the newest styles, meet up with friends for aperitifs, eat in your favorite restaurants, plan the vacation of our dreams at your travel agent's office, and stay in hotels. Continue to live your life as usual, purchase and plan as you normally do, and trust your local merchants."

That said, we suspect it's only a matter of time before we see greater quarantining here. Umbria already has had a few diagnosed cases. We, honestly, are minimizing our time out as much to protect others as ourselves. We are absolutely washing our hands religiously as soon as we get in and multiple times throughout the day. I'm very aware of using my cuffs or sleeves to scratch my face rather than my hands.

So far, so good, though...thank goodness.

Love,

Alexandra

P.S. As of tonight, it was announced that all Masses are suspended here until April 3, including funerals and weddings.

P.P.S. It is now March 9, and we are on essentially a town quarantine. Bars and restaurants are open from 6-18:00 (no dinners out), but must have seating that allows a distance of 1 m between tables. We are not allowed to move between towns, and must stay in our own village/town unless we have a legitimate reason (basically, work if you’re a delivery person or courier, or medical appointments).