Many people have asked me what’s going on here with the coronavirus and Italy closing its borders. I’ll briefly sum it up here:
On 24 February, the first restrictions were put into place in Milano due to the escalation of COVID-19, especially in neighboring towns. At first people complied to the guidelines but by the 3rd day, many started to live life as usual, going out and gathering in large numbers. The immediate and rapid increase of the virus was alarming.
Measures were taken to put 1/3 of the country, most of the north, in lockdown. But before it could actually go into effect, the media leaked it to the public and consequently thousands of people on Saturday night, 7 March, flocked to the train stations and roads to get out before the closing of Milan’s “Red Zone”. Many of these individuals unwittingly took the virus with them, as carriers often have no symptoms. Others who sought refuge in the south were already sick. Just one train alone had 41 people with fevers, though not necessarily with COVID-19.
Furious, the government immediately put the whole country on lockdown.
Though it might seem extreme to the outside world, in reality isolation is the only way to stop the wildfire spread of stealthy COVID-19. People can have and pass the virus without having any symptoms. And, should one get the virus and recover, even after all the symptoms are gone, they can still be positive carriers for several weeks. The virus can live for days on surfaces such as plastic, metal and glass.
The actions of the Italian government regarding COVID-19 have to be applauded. Italy is taking a huge hit economically for these actions, but what is being done is being done for ALL. We’re all in this together, no matter where we live.
