Today marks a month since the Italian public was told that Italy would be under a nationwide lockdown. Today, Monday, April 6th the sun is shining bright and there is a cool breeze floating in from our windows. There’s a bit of birdsong and the air smells of flowers: spring really has sprung in Trieste.
There is an occasional interruption of helicopters’ whirring which keep flying around town. What or who are they looking for? According to Il Piccolo, Trieste’s daily newspaper, there have been a number of people breaking the quarantine rules: walking around without a justifiable reason, not wearing masks at the supermarkets or lying about the reasons for their outing. It seems that not even a steep fine of 3000 euros can stop some Triestini from heading out to enjoy a bit of primavera. There have also been two cases of people under quarantine walking outside without wearing any protection. Among them, MD Chief of Geriatrics at Maggiore Hospital, who was tested positive and was found walking down the street without wearing a mask on Saturday morning. When stopped by the police he insisted that he just went out to throw out the trash.
A month ago we had no idea how long this lockdown would last, what it would entail, or how many lives would tragically be lost during this period. It definitely feels like a lifetime has passed since that anxious Monday when nobody knew the world was going to change forever.
We are cautiously optimistic this afternoon that the curve does appear to be flattening. On Saturday, Italy reported its lowest daily rise in COVID-19 deaths in nearly two weeks, and the number of patients in intensive case has also fallen. It does feel as if we are in the right direction in controlling this virus but the future still remains uncertain.
Italy remains strict in regard to lockdown measures, as new cases are still cropping up, though quarantine protocol appears to be beginning to show results. Only time will tell in regards to how we can continue to stabilize the situation and eventually return to some sort of normal life. Needless to say: stay healthy, stay safe, stay smart, and stay home.
By In Trieste
