Italy
After a curfew of two months, the Italians are allowed to take steps outdoors again. And yet there is resentment.
- After a strict curfew, there will be various easing measures in Italy on Monday.
- Most of the shops in the whole country are still closed and the schools are closed.
- There is confusion about what is allowed and what is not.
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The new freedom has the taste of cappuccino and coffee in a paper cup: not nearly as good as the original. After almost two months of strict curfews, the Italians are allowed to take steps outside again.
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“Nothing has really changed for us, except that we can now buy take-away coffee,” says Chiara, a mother who stands with her child in front of a bar in Rome.
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Joggers make their rounds in parks this Monday. You can run again now, but only on your own, have to keep a safe distance and some even wear respiratory masks – although they are not compulsory when running. The Italians seem traumatized after so many weeks in quarantine and after a bombardment with horror news of around 29,000 deaths. It was here in February that Europe first became aware of how violently Covid-19 can strike.
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Tourism is out of the question
The current “phase two” of easing is supposed to be the beginning of a new reality. Then factories are allowed to open again, and dots on the subways indicate where who can stand at a distance. But the vast majority of businesses across the country are still closed. Museums, fashion shops, libraries, hairdressers and bars and restaurants are closed to visitors. Tourism is still out of the question.
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«It is not comparable to the time before Corona. We make a lot less sales, of course, but I try lunch and coffee to go, »says coffee owner Juan Cataneo from Rome. He serves coffee from the window of his bar with a face mask, plastic gloves and disinfectant.
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Confusion in police controls
Police officers continue to lap, stopping people who get too close. There is confusion about what is now allowed and what is not. You are not allowed to visit friends, but relatives are. You can go into the park, but you can’t sit there. You can walk, but not sunbathe. A policewoman is amazed by the explanation when asked what you should and shouldn’t do: “It always depends on who controls you.”
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Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is under pressure to open more shops. The economic consequences of the long lockdown are too bad. But he warns. “The future of the country is in your hands like never before,” he said on Facebook. The message: Anyone who misbehaves can expect the measures to be reversed again.
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Schools closed until September
Many people are exhausted, especially parents: schools and kindergartens are closed until September. So far there are no alternatives. A recent poll showed that those who are now returning to work are primarily men. The women take care of the children.
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“I have two children, 4 and 7, and the easing is frustrating. Opening up the parks but not allowing children to play with each other contradicts one another, »says the Roman Joy Giovanelli. “After so many weeks in an apartment without a garden, it’s hard to find new ways to keep children happy.”
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(SDA)
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