National lockdown and solidarity : how Italy is coping with Coronavirus
Italians rediscover national unity and regard for the rules amid Lockdown
How Coronavirus originated
On December 31st last year, China alerted the World Health Organization of numerous cases of pneumonia discovered in the densely populated province of Hubei. Several of those infected were undoubtedly workers at the huge Seafood Market in Wuhan.
On January 7th, Chinese experts identified a new virus and named it COVID-19, belonging to the coronavirus family.
On the 11th of January, the president Xi Jing Ping announced the first death related to the new virus.
For a few more weeks, COVID 19 was deemed to be just a common cold.
Most experts and national media organizations failed at first to recognize the potential danger of such a highly contagious epidemic.
As COVID-19 spread in Italy
On February 22nd, the local health organization registered two deaths in northern Italy, in the region of Milan.
Covid-19 started spreading from the small village of Codogno to the surrounding provinces. In about 10 days, whole Northern Italy is at risk.
After locking down the northern regions, Italy clamps down completely. The government puts 60 million Italians in self-quarantine. Schools and public buildings close, while people only go out to go grocery shopping or in cases of absolute necessity.
Surprisingly, the Italians turn out to be quite respectful towards the new rules, appreciating the serious nature of the situation.
The queues at supermarkets are obviously endless, customers respect the 1-meter distance rule and a limited amount of people enter the shops at a time.
We rediscover our typical love for family ties as meals break up the day and give a sense of routine to life at home.A new wave of national unity surges, everyday at 6PM Italians sing the national anthem on the balconies.
Our traditional culture is often used as a lifeline to avoid anxiety and stress. Moreover, musicians take out their instruments and delight their neighbours with traditional tunes.
Here in Rome, people project traditional movies on apartment buildings to celebrate local culture.
The world is on our side, as a medical crew flew over from China on the 11th of March.
Nevertheless the acts of support and solidarity for the italian situation didn’t take long to come. The massive Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE turns green, red and white to recall the italian flag.In addition to this the city halls in Tel Aviv, Sarajevo and Mostar pay homage as well.
It’s us against the invisible beast, we cannot lose.
Everything wil be fine.
