PaoloBillsFanFromItaly Posted March 13, 2020 Posted March 13, 2020 Hi everybody, I decided to open this topic to give you a witness of the “ordinary” life in Italy under the “Stay at Home” legislative decree to fight the spread of Covid19. I just want to tell you about my day, with few words and photos. Because I can only attach one photo per post, the report will be split in several small sub posts. I kindly ask you not to reply until my final “subpost” is finished. Ok let’s start. Today is my last day at work in office. I work in a industrial automation company and from next Monday I will work from home. In all this week I decided to go to work on foot, in order to avoid public transportation. It is about a 40 minutes walk. I exit my apartment bringing with me a document that states where I live and where I work. People is allowed to move only to go to work, to buy food, or for strict necessities. Like many citizens of Genoa my neighbourhood is upon a hill, in order to go to downtown I take a “creuza”, the typical pedestrian red bricked street from my city. There are a lot this old and steep narrow paths in my town. Usually I met several people going to downtown like me, but today I literally met no one… Oh well, I lied, I met someone…meoooowwww… Now I am in Via Balbi, this is the core of the humanistic university center in Genoa. Law school, history, literature, politics are here, and usually this street is crowded with students. Schools have been closed since last week of february, all bars, restaurants are closed by the decree. 1 3
PaoloBillsFanFromItaly Posted March 13, 2020 Author Posted March 13, 2020 Only a Pharmacy is open, its sign is blinking I take a picture of this little square, because it is always full of people, while today is totally empty. People waiting for the bus. Public transportation is not shut down, but it can be dangerous these days, wearing gloves and masks is strongly recommended. I arrive to my town main square, I just see one person, can you spot him? Post offices are open, like every service of public utility, but in every closed environment open to the public, only a few people at time is allowed. The others are wating outside, far from each other by at least one meter and a half. This security distance must be always respected, when two pedestrian cross their way, they must “maneuver” to keep the distance. When people has to cross the road at the zebras, the have the keep the distance too. Also tobacco shops are open, this caused some protests. Government earn a lot of money by tobacco selling due to taxes. Anyway, this shop is small so only one person is allowed inside, wait outside girl. I arrive in my building, the typical downtown skyscraper. At building entrance, a disinfectant dispenser has been installed. Wash your hands and don’t bring the virus in fellas! 8 5
PaoloBillsFanFromItaly Posted March 13, 2020 Author Posted March 13, 2020 I take the elevator to go to my office. The elevator is designed to carry 8 people, but in these days only two people are allowed. When people are in, they don’t talk, they don’t open their mouth, not even to say “Ciao”, and “Arrivederci”. Good manners are abandoned for the sake of the common good. Today a nurse measured our temperature and gave us protective masks. Here is my colleague working with the mask: On the way back I decided to take the train. I have two laptops with me and two copybooks full of notes and I don’t want to walk back home. I am confident that trains will be empty. At the station there is a police checkpoint, everybody must go through and answer policemen questions. I show my certificate and my Id card and they let me inside. As I supposed, the train is almost empty. Now I have to go up to my hill. I decide not to walk up the “creuza” like I usually do because of the luggage I am carrying and because it is heavy raining. I decide to take the bus, there is some people inside, I don’t feel totally safe. It’s cold and raining outside but I decide to open the bus windows. People understand and do not complain. I get home, I wash my hands, I change my clothes and I disinfect the cell phone. My mum texts me, she wants me at her home for dinner. Every day she invite me for dinner, my parents are 69 and 73 years old, I told her that I won’t come. We will meet again when this thing will be over. So folks, that’s it, I hope you appreciate this. Here there is no panic, only some anxiety and boredom, but I am sure that if everybody will do his thing, this pandemy will be over. And please be careful, I think that all parts of the world are facing the same adversity and should be headed toward the same direction! 4 1 9
OldTimeAFLGuy Posted March 13, 2020 Posted March 13, 2020 ...my cousin and his wife are on an 89 day cruise which ends in Italy...he has a place in Florence......how are things around Florence?
PaoloBillsFanFromItaly Posted March 13, 2020 Author Posted March 13, 2020 Laws and rules must be followed in the whole national territory, without exceptions, but the health care emergency right now is only in Lombardia region. In Florence there is no emergency right now, but the infections for sure are destined to grow, the effects of the decree will begin to show the consequences in quite some time. My opinion is that Italy took the most dratic countermeasures in Europe, second only to South Korea and China in the world, at the moment I think that Italy can be safer than most countries.
row_33 Posted March 13, 2020 Posted March 13, 2020 Stay strong and give up updates, our thoughts and prayers for your great country!! 4
KD in CA Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 42 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said: Where’s all the big breasted women at ? I'd feel much better about the whole situation if I could see some pics of hot Italian women. Seriously, thanks for posting Paolo. Pretty strange. I had to go into our office today (closed for a week), but San Francisco was still reasonably active.
Tiberius Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 Thank you for this. Are the stores getting enough food? How are they feeding the elderly who can’t get out?
PaoloBillsFanFromItaly Posted March 14, 2020 Author Posted March 14, 2020 6 minutes ago, Tiberius said: Thank you for this. Are the stores getting enough food? How are they feeding the elderly who can’t get out? Yes stores are getting food without any problems, people understood this and they don't leave the stores empty like before. Elderly people are helped by their younger parents or by community associations, scouts, churches and so on. 1
Doc Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 5 minutes ago, PaoloBillsFanFromItaly said: Yes stores are getting food without any problems, people understood this and they don't leave the stores empty like before. Elderly people are helped by their younger parents or by community associations, scouts, churches and so on. Any toilet paper you can send me? We're all out here. 4
PaoloBillsFanFromItaly Posted March 14, 2020 Author Posted March 14, 2020 Unfortunately yesterday night many people from Milan area avoided controls and came to Southern Italy, where their parents live. They think they are safer to run from the "core" of the epidemy, but instead they are bringing the disease to their beloved ones. This is not good news. It's like in USA people from Seattle would come back to Oregon, Wyoming, Montana... 1 minute ago, Doc said: Any toilet paper you can send me? We're all out here. No problem of toilet paper here Only italian one is slimmer than american one, in USA most of the stuff is bigger...
Doc Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 2 minutes ago, PaoloBillsFanFromItaly said: Unfortunately yesterday night many people from Milan area avoided controls and came to Southern Italy, where their parents live. They think they are safer to run from the "core" of the epidemy, but instead they are bringing the disease to their beloved ones. This is not good news. No, that's not. Hoping for the best. 2 minutes ago, PaoloBillsFanFromItaly said: It's like in USA people from Seattle would come back to Oregon, Wyoming, Montana... No problem of toilet paper here Only italian one is slimmer than american one, in USA most of the stuff is bigger... I'll take anything! Just kidding. I'm laughing at toilet paper here being sold out. It's as if people expect massive uncontrollable diarrhea from the Wuhan virus.
PaoloBillsFanFromItaly Posted March 14, 2020 Author Posted March 14, 2020 Covid attacks the throat, the bronchus, like the seasonal flu. In the worst case it attacks the pneumonia. No need to be worried about toilet paper shortage... 1 1
3rdnlng Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 29 minutes ago, PaoloBillsFanFromItaly said: Unfortunately yesterday night many people from Milan area avoided controls and came to Southern Italy, where their parents live. They think they are safer to run from the "core" of the epidemy, but instead they are bringing the disease to their beloved ones. This is not good news. It's like in USA people from Seattle would come back to Oregon, Wyoming, Montana... No problem of toilet paper here Only italian one is slimmer than american one, in USA most of the stuff is bigger... And I thought it was just me.
Just Joshin' Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Doc said: Any toilet paper you can send me? We're all out here. On a conference call yesterday with people from Ireland and Switzerland - same TP shortages. I guess people act the same regardless of location. Edited March 14, 2020 by Just Joshin' 1
Koko78 Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 1 hour ago, PaoloBillsFanFromItaly said: No need to be worried about toilet paper shortage... Unless you're out of toilet paper, and the ***** have bought out all the stores...
Doc Posted March 14, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020 4 minutes ago, Koko78 said: Unless you're out of toilet paper, and the ***** have bought out all the stores... We're getting close. I had the wife buy the flushable wipes for backup.
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