COVID-19 Update to the Update

Hey guys I am back. I feel like it’s time to re-update everyone with the situation here. I haven’t been posting a lot about it because it changes every day and it’s not extremely clear what is going on. I do want to reassure everyone that I and Pasquale are fine, as well as Pasquale’s family and no one we know of is sick. So let’s get down to what’s going on.

Last time I posted Italy had quarantined 10 small towns outside of Milan and closed all schools for one week in the Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Veneto regions. The Italian ministry of health released some rules for the general public to follow and assured everyone not to panic. They suspended public events and closed places with crowds like cinemas and museums and asked bars to close by 6 p.m. Lombardy was the biggest affected area but the rest of Italy was very much fine and functioning. Surprise, things have changed. Although really not a surprise come on people. So let me break down what has happened since then.

Since the first week of the outbreak, the government had announced schools were closed in our region for another week, however museums would open again but would only allow certain amounts of people at a time. Bars and restaurants were able to stay open again, as well as shops and shopping centers. The government just asked that people still follow the rules sent out by the ministry of health. Someone somewhere messed up! Our numbers of people who have been infected or contagious jumped and not just a little*. We are second behind China in deaths. We are running out of places to put people and asking people with any medical experience to come help. This is serious.

I don’t know if the government didn’t take this seriously or us as the public didn’t take it se

riously but now would be the time to take it very seriously. This started out like we were panicking too much and that we needed to relax and continue to live our lives. There was even an advertisement about how Milan doesn’t stop and we won’t stop. You want to know what advertisement is being run now? A government advertisement is now telling us to leave the virus at the door and stay home. This back and forth of its ok don’t worry, but be worried is confusing and making me think there is a lot of information not being shared. On March 8, 2020 the Italian government declared the Lombardy region to be a red zone and closed all the borders. People have been running away from Milan! There are videos of people rushing to catch the last train out of Milan. With everyone running away, it has led to more advertisements about how it is safer and more responsible to stay where you are. However, as of March 9, 2020 all of Italy has been declared a red zone. What does that mean? Well basically we are quarantined. We are not forced to stay home but they are asking us to leave our homes only if necessary. If you have to leave, you need to declare why you are leaving and have a little piece of paper to show in case you are stopped on the street. They are patrolling the streets, train stations and airports. This is a really weird time. The recent decree of declaring Italy a red zone is supposed to last until April 3. I honestly don’t know what will happen in these next weeks or if it will even be over by then. There is a lot of uncertainty.

My opinion on the situation? I am so glad you asked. I think Italy didn’t do the greatest job in the beginning but I think with these recent measures hopefully there will be an end. I think the strict measures they are taking now should have started in the beginning. Milan is a commuter town and if they were going to shut town those suburbs outside of Milan they should have shut down Milan as well. I know its international and it would hurt the economy but look at it now. Hurt the economy for 2 weeks and figure out a game plan or drag it out and hurt the economy for years to come? I do however think this could be an example for other countries in these upcoming months. If you don’t think it’s coming to you, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it is and you need to be aware and prepared. I am not saying panic and buy all the toilet paper. I am saying stay informed and aware where the confirmed cases are. In my opinion something about this virus is not being explained. They say fever, watch out for a fever, but all these people are traveling and having their fevers checked and there are still outbreaks? If you have any symptoms even cold symptoms stay home! I don’t care if you are young and have no health problems there are other people to think about and I am not just talking about the elderly and children. Avoid crowds. Honestly do what you can to keep your distance and wash your hands, like all the time. The CDC recommends vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc so stock up. If it comes down to it, I would say be ready for a quarantine but like I said before don’t stock up on toilet paper (showers? Have we not heard of those?) get food that will last you awhile. Frozen food is your friend. Pasquale and I have food and essentials but the government has made it clear that grocery stores and pharmacies will not close so if needed we can go. I think that’s all I got for now. If you want to talk more about it or need some more information email me. I got time.

What am I doing these days you ask? Not a whole lot. My work has been trying their best to keep the kids entertained and still working. We prepared kits for them to do at home last week but since the new decree we have been making lots of videos for the kids to watch. I have watched too much TV and I don’t want to turn it on anymore. I have read 2 books and my eyes are starting to cross. I have bought some puzzles and will attempt to learn something new so if you have any other ideas let me know.

If you have made it this far, thank you. Like I said I am fine. Pasquale and his family are fine. We are doing what we can to stay healthy. It is a really weird time. I hope that others can learn from us and work together better.

*I have not included any official numbers because those are released daily and change everyday