Lorna at Vicenza

Hello friends,
how are you all getting on? Anybody in a danger zone? Anybody in a panic zone with supermarkets emptying as fast as the Australian fires spread? The Veneto has shut down all schools and stuff but they would have been shut for three days this week anyway for carnival holidays.

Last Thursday I picked up my old school friend from Treviso airport where she was forehead tested along with every other arrival. Life here was normal and we partied and watched the carnival parade on Saturday and went to Lake Garda on Sunday and did anything we wanted to. Yesterday I drove her back to Treviso but at Manchester airport there were no checks or warnings at all. Now the BBC is going crazy telling everybody coming in from Northern Italy to self isolate.

PaxPacis

We live in Veneto too, but close to the Austrian border. So far so good, no panic whatsoever, no cases up here, yet. Mind you, where we live we don't even get visits from Jehovah's Witnesses, so I think we will be fine.

Geordieborn

We are in the UK and will be for some time. Friends are heading back after the winter here in the UK, she is in a big panic about driving over down to Abruzzo, he has no idea why.... I would be a bit in between, not too sure which way this is going.

philat98

My local outdoor market was completely deserted this morning. The busiest fruit stall that normally has 4 checkouts each with long queues had nobody on the till. Surprising since Umbria has no reported cases.
The pharmacy had the counter windows closed too with a tiny gap to speak through.
I am amazed that they let the Juventus game go ahead in France.
The situation is quite serious with 400 cases and 36 in intensive care. A region like Umbria with a high population of over 60s could be quite vulnerable.

Nand

I guess you might expect a smaller number of people on Ash Wednesday, still I think it shows Italians are wanting to survive the onslaught of the Covid 19. That's a good thing.

Take good care of yourself.


I also regret that the French attitude has been far from helpful and typically is 'we don't care very much' because we aren't ready for a pandemic anyway here in France, to paraphrase President Macron today.

Sure the government doesn't intend to isolate or so far have not made an effort to stop holiday travel. That sort of method may work toward the infection of millions of people in france and then we just make the best of it? Or maybe this solves the recent popular revolt about problems with the french pension plan? After all it will eliminate a lot of elderly pensioners if the SARS Cov 2 is just let run amok since they ill be the ones mostly dying from it.

I apologize for the depressing tone, but it is a little bit unnerving atm, as you also must be experiencing even more so where you live.

lindaf

Hi Lorna Re your friend getting the forehead test last Thursday, I wonder how long they have actually been testing new arrivals. I didn't see anything on the news about Coronavirus being in Italy at all until Friday evening, and then it was right in the area (Vo, Euganeo) we normally visit.
We've got flights booked to Treviso for this weekend, not cancelled yet but I don't think we'll be making this trip

AstridK

Just got back from house hunting in Abruzzo.
Infa red line up of masked officials coming INTO Rome but zero happening the way out.Either at Stansted.
Lots of people on our flight and in airport in masks..

philat98

It makes you wonder if the UK is looking for the infection. That might be why they have so few cases.

Nand

It does make sense to get ahead of the thing rather than be left behind with it. I hope the UK manages to do that.

Geordieborn

I understand from our local Abruzzo forum that the 1st case has been confirmed there as well

Plan B

Just heard today that the schools, which have been closed around us north of Treviso , will now be re-opening on Monday 2nd March.
I don't know if this is because the perceived level of risk is now lower, or that mothers have badgered the authorities in desperation so as to get their children out of the house and back to school.

philat98

There are 2 cases in Umbria now. Its going to be difficult for Italy to follow China's lead on lockdown when so much revenue comes from tourism.

Plan B

No longer sure if this applies to all education establishments, or just the adult education school (where my wife teaches) which has said it will reopen.

Serrano

... and how many tourists do you think there will be gagging to come to Italy this summer? Or was that just British irony???

philat98

The boss of the Veneto Zaia is putting the blame on the live rat eating Chinese. A councilor in Pavia puts the blame on the filthy habits of folks from Naples, France and Romania. A restaurant in Umbria has a sign on the door saying no Chinese or anyone who even looks a bit Chinese.