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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis was written by an American ex-pat living in Italy
Posted by a friend on FB...
This was written by an American ex-pat living in Italy 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹
"Many people are asking how we are able to have concerts and other public events in Italy, in Summer 2020. We took drastic measures; this is not a full list but here is what I can remember:
-During the lockdown, only one person per family was allowed out at a time.
-When that one person went out, they had to carry with them an autodichiarazione. It was a form that needed to be filled out every time you went out, dated and signed. You had to explain who you are, where you live and where you reside, where you were going and why you were going out. The only reasons permitted were food shopping, medical necessity, or if you were an essential worker.
-You were not permitted to leave your town borders except under extreme circumstances that had to be documented.
-You could be stopped by the police at any time and required to show the autodichiarazione (and other documents). Matt was stopped twice, in our town of around 8000 people.
-If you didnt meet the criteria, or were caught outside your town borders, there were fines up to 3000 and potential jail time.
-Masks were required in all spaces, indoors and out, during the lockdown. When you went in to a store, you had to use hand sanitizer, then put on gloves afterward. (It took a long time to master putting fruit and veg into a thin plastic bag while wearing thin plastic gloves!)
-People gathering outdoors in groups, even just two people chatting in the square and at a 2-meter distance, were broken up by carbinieri immediately. Socializing was not permitted more than a passing hello.
-There was also a curfew, basically sunrise to sunset.
-People with dogs were permitted to walk them, but only within 200 meters of their home.
-It's worth noting that in this lockdown time, we were reading articles by doctors in China (where they experienced their surge of Covid several weeks earlier) who were saying that Italy wasnt being nearly strict enough.
-During the lockdown, the government released daily figures telling us, by region (and town) how many were diagnosed with COVID, how many hospitalized, how many died, how many recovered. It was all very transparent and new figures were released every day. Tests were free, of course - the entire medical system here is not-for-profit.
-All these restrictions were for the general, "not-infected" population. If someone was diagnosed positive for Covid, a whole new and much more strict set of rules were imposed, including complete isolation quarantine, special handling of trash, delivery of food and other necessities, and other regulated details. Local businesses that previously didnt deliver went out of their way to provide contact-less (and usually free) delivery to the town and surrounding areas, to help people stay home. For example, we had tomato seedlings and gelato delivered to us. (The gelato was a gift from a friend - thanks, you-know-who-you-are!)
-There were significant government programs to help people manage. Rent/mortgage suspensions, suspension of electric and utility bills, grants for businesses, grants for food shopping.
-After about 10 weeks, they relaxed the rules somewhat, based on the fact that we flattened the infamous curve to the point that hospitals were not overwhelmed.
-For a week or two after that, we were allowed to travel within our region (analogous to states in the USA), but absolutely not to cross state" borders.
-After the initial reopening, when numbers didnt skyrocket, they allowed us to travel freely within the country.
-In the meantime, rules have been relaxed a bit. For example, masks are no longer required outdoors unless safe distances can not be maintained. But many people wear them outdoors anyway. Masks are required in all indoor spaces and everyone adheres to it. I have not seen a single meltdown or tantrum over it. Everybody just does it and gets on with their business.
An analogy that occurred to me is this: Reopening" is like running a marathon. No one can run a marathon without preparing. Trying to run one without preparing would be disastrous. Italy (and other countries who followed the advice of health professionals and other scientists) went through a financially and psychologically devastating period of time, in order to get to the new normal that we are experiencing now.
Integral to the relative success of Italys pandemic response (and that of some other European countries who have done well) is a nationwide public health care system. No one is reluctant to go to the doctor if theyre not feeling well for fear of incurring a huge bank-breaking bill.
When Italy started the lockdown, it didnt really have a model to show how long it would last or what an end would look like. That was very intimidating for us because we didn't know when we might be able to leave our homes... 10 weeks? 10 months?
But if you are in the US reading this, you do have a model....Italy's. These measures were tremendously expensive and frustrating, but they saved lives and they worked. They sound extreme, because they are; but a pandemic is extreme, and requires a proportional response."
ornotna
(11,045 posts)Unfortunately I can see it getting much worse in the US. We have imbeciles running this country.
babylonsister
(171,538 posts)the rest doesn't seem achievable with this inept admin.
CurtEastPoint
(19,111 posts)calimary
(83,904 posts)It's a nice thought! I think I'll visualize it!
calimary
(83,904 posts)northoftheborder
(7,602 posts)LuckyCharms
(18,733 posts)you are in a country where:
1) 30% of the population is not clinically insane
2) Citizens recognize that responsibility to the greater good goes hand in hand with "freedom"
3) Don't wear red baseball hats with a message that requires their country to be "great again"
yonder
(9,992 posts)Like a wart that keeps growing back in nearly the same place.
Wednesdays
(20,094 posts)bdamomma
(65,820 posts)would have been in a way different situation if they did not have this psychotic narcissistic wack job Russian agent in the WH.
And if we could take an example from other countries who did control the virus, but no, we have a sick demented shell who wants people to use bleach. How effed up is that? And now we have 152,000 Americans dead crimes against humanity as plain as day.
luvtheGWN
(1,343 posts)other countries, you might even have universal health care by now.
But no........
tclambert
(11,123 posts)KS Toronado
(19,325 posts)non-maskers yelling "Give me freedumb or give me Death"
C Moon
(12,518 posts)"We are not the mask police."
With idiots like that in top leadership positions, we will NEVER be able to do ANYTHING CLOSE to what was done in Italy.
I'm sure there are many more like that chief.
JHB
(37,381 posts)iluvtennis
(20,718 posts)From February until mid June her schooling was done online via Skype - all classes from 9am til end of day.
In addition she did her piano related lessons online (my daughter is a classical pianist and going and attending a music arts high school in preparation for going to the conservatory)
The shutdown was very difficult for her and she being the youngster with lower risk did all of the shopping for her older aunt and grandma.
If I recall correctly, she was on lock down for almost 3 months from February until early June.
Italy really "kicked butt" on controlling CV-19 as they locked down the entire nation.
When Dr Birx said that the US covid curve was on same path as Italy, I knew she wasn't being truthful as we (USA) never implemented the kind of lockdown and controls that Italy did.
But I'm an optimist and I think we can still get CV-19 under control....BUT we need to lockdown the entire country simultaneously.
BigmanPigman
(52,147 posts)and we were forewarned. My sister bought some N95 masks in Feb after getting emails from our relatives in the northern part. I kept saying, "Poor, poor Italy" but they kept saying, "You will be us in two weeks...get ready!".
I never listened to team tRump, I listened to the European countries and China. I was the only one wearing masks and everyone laughed at me, including my various doctors (this was before all the lockdowns).
BadgerMom
(2,939 posts)warmfeet
(3,321 posts)have had sound leadership during this crisis. They are moving forward.
Other county, not so much. Yes, I intended to say other country. Get it?
live love laugh
(14,111 posts)should be reason enough to vote out every single Republican.
DSandra
(1,188 posts)That seems way too extreme for Americans to accept, even under a Democratic Party rule. Talk about a pandemic enforcing Darwinism...
Thyla
(791 posts)and decidied to throw it all away and live with the virus until a vaccine hits. The numbers can´t really be trusted as it looks like they are cooking the books.
I see the daily press briefings and half expect a Spongebob´Meanwhile´ cut scene followed by Baghdad Bob saying all is well.
Never would of imagined that Italy had their shit together more than anyone else but there you go.