Giuseppe Conte — who is the current prime minister of Italy — signed a decree earlier today, Sunday, March 8, 2020, which places most of northern Italy under lockdown as a result of the biggest jump in infections in one day in Italy. It is the toughest and most restrictive measure taken to control the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outside of mainland China.
16 Million People Quarantined in Northern Italy
This means that approximately 16 million people — or greater than 25 percent of the population of the entire country of Italy — are under quarantine through at least Friday, April 3, 2020.
“Confusion reigned from Milan to Venice as residents and tourists tried to figure out exactly when and how the new rules were coming into effect”, according to this article written by Frances D’Emilio and Yuri Kageyama of the Associated Press. “Travelers rushed to train stations and crammed aboard standing-room only trains, tucking their faces into scarves and sharing sanitizing gel.”
At the time this article was written, at least 3,380 people have died of the minimum of 98,192 confirmed cases in 88 countries and territories worldwide, according to Situation Report 47 of the World Health Organization pertaining to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, which is also known as COVID-19 or 2019-nCoV. Of those statistics, at least 197 of those deaths occurred in Italy, where 4,636 confirmed cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus have been reported.
The majority of the cases were reported in the Lombardy region when the 2019 Novel Coronavirus was first discovered in Italy. Travel alerts were first issued by airlines for northern Italy on Tuesday, February 25, 2020; but those travel alerts were extended to all of Italy two days later.
In addition to the Lombardy region being included in the current decree are 14 provinces:
- Alessandria
- Asti
- Modena
- Novara
- Padova
- Parma
- Pesaro e Urbino
- Piacenza
- Reggio Emilia
- Rimini
- Treviso
- Venezia
- Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
- Vercelli
Suspension of Services and Events in the Entire Country of Italy
Cafes and restaurants will be permitted to stay open between 6:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening on the condition that business owners can ensure people are distanced safely by at least one meter. Any violation of this condition by any business will mean the suspension of its operations.
Although most of northern Italy will be covered under the new lockdown decree, numerous measures will also apply to the entire country of Italy — including the suspension of:
- Congress and meetings that involve health care personnel and servants of essential public services
- Dance schools, pubs, disco and bingo
- Religious ceremonies — including funerals
- Schools and university classes
- Sports events
- Theaters and cinema
Summary
According to the aforementioned article, “Italy’s move echoed China’s lockdown of some 60 million people in central Hubei province in late January, which is now in its sixth week.”
Do you believe that the mass quarantine of northern Italy is necessary; not enough action taken by officials in Italy; or an overblown reaction to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus?
This article is the latest in a series pertaining to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in an effort to get the facts out with information derived from reliable sources.
Other articles at The Gate which pertain to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus include:
- Are Masks Effective Against 2019 Novel Coronavirus That People are Stealing Them?
- As Many as 46,000 People May Have Died in the United States Alone From…
- Lodging Companies Issue Travel Waivers and Elite Status Extensions 2020 Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Update: More Airlines Suspended Change and Cancellation Fees 2020 Due To Coronavirus
- Airlines Which Suspended Change and Cancellation Fees 2020 Due To Coronavirus
- Should You Be Concerned About Coronavirus?
- Travel Alert February 2020: Italy Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Travel Alert February 2020: Northern Italy Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Travel Alert February 2020: South Korea Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- A Deal to Antarctica Because of 2019 Novel Coronavirus — But Hurry
- Update: Do Not Travel to China Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Says United States Department of State
- Travel Alert January 2020: Hong Kong Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Update January 2020: Additional Airlines Issue Travel Waivers for 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Travel Alert January 2020: 2019 Novel Coronavirus Affecting Air Travel
All photographs ©2004 and ©2014 by Brian Cohen.
