Serrano

Well, I wouldn't quite say "created the law". As explained in the ordinanza (and in the online article) he was trying to eliminate the obvious lack of clarity in the Ordinanza of the Ministero della Salute 20/03/20 which limits exercise to "in prossimità della propria abitazione" by defining this as a radius of 200m from the residence. However, insofar as this applies, it only applies to the Comune of Terni (not the Province). And could be overturned in Court anyway; if the Court rules that there is a conflict between Comune law and Region/State Law then the latter will take precedence.

carcajou

My wife found and showed me this video yesterday, of Italian mayors yelling at citizens:

carcajou

Thank you both. He was of note in his field, and my wife and mother-in-law found out unexpectedly yesterday - he lives on in hours of YouTube footage of him at work that had been posted by many others during the years. They found joy in that, and that they can access him in action now at any time.

Lorna at Vicenza

Sorry to hear this sad news and know that so many families will be in the same predicament.

Woodstore

Following my previous blog on 20/3, can anybody confirm whether giornalaio/newspaper shops of which there a thousands in Italy are still open and still classed as 'essential' in Italy by the government?

If still open can anyone state WHY, given health experts and the government mandate the population stay at home? These shop keepers touch scores of people's money and invite people to congregate and could themselves be carriers.

Or are they now ALL closed? I truly hope so.

My 92 year old mother in Rome still insists that her family brings her a newspaper daily......!

philat98

Tabacchi are still open. They do sell a few useful things like photocopies, phone cards, stamps and marca da bollo etc.

Woodstore

We're not on the same wavelength....

Geordieborn

Explain?

modicasa

The right to be informed is in the constitution - thats why the government has allowed edicole to remain open - so people can buy newspapers, which are an essential service.

philat98

In the 1800s they were distributing quinine for malaria and salt. Now they always have a gambling machine.

Woodstore

Ok let me explain. We are in a war like situation but worse as one cannot see the enemy which can strike anyone at anytime with the ultimate outcome that 80% of the worlds population will be hit at some point and thousands upon thousands will and are dying. The key issue is to delay being hit so the health services can continually be in a position to cope. Italy has decreed that only essential services remain open and stated these are food services, pharmacists, post offices and they make a big thing of this, quite rightly. However they have not openly stated that edicoles/newspaper shops are to remain open but they allow them to. I believe newspaper shops have to close. They are NOT essential.

I understand that it is important to give people information but not at the cost of lives. Information today is now electronic, TV, PCs, cellphones. This electronic medium covers practically 100% of the population so in my view newspapers given the highly contagious nature of the virus should and must not be classes as essential. Yet the Italian government deemed the public can go and buy newspapers. WHY?

My sister in Rome (I live in the U.K.) at the insistence of my 92 year old mum goes to the local edicole/newsagent stand and delivers to my mum her paper - everyday. I’ve tried to counsel her not to but it goes on deaf ears. My mum constantly watches TV so she gets her news there but out of habit her newspaper is essential reading citing the governments own position too.

My sister in defending says but the doctors here say the virus only stays on surfaces for seconds. WHY when the international scientific community say it can last for days. Is that convenient just to appease my mum?

So my sister hands over money, change and mixes with the few and hands my mum a potentially infected newspaper on a daily basis.

I agree this cannot be helped for food and the essential things in life but a daily paper? Surely its not the and and be all to miss out on a newspaper. You only have to see the heartbreaking stress on the TV the doctors and nurses go through everyday, seeing patients die all day long and having to talk to bereaved families. It’s an emotional catastrophe. But yet the Italian government still allows my mum to have a possibly infected newspaper given to her. If only they would stop paper newspapers then my mum would not be in such daily danger and my sister would not have to go out and be at risk herself.

Italy is all but closed down commercially so the shutting of physical newspapers in my view would not cause any significant commercial difference but it might just might save my mums life.

WE MUST PROTECT THE ELDERLY AT ALL COSTS.

That’s my wavelength. I hope some are tuned in.

Geordieborn

Well thanks at least for the explanation Woodstore, and to a large extent I agree with most of what you have said. But if Modi has it right, then perhaps it’s not that easy to stop. Bits like your “100% cover statement “ I’m certainly not convinced about. Neither your emphasis on having to protect the elderly, it’s the health system that needs the protection. If you read and listen carefully here in the UK they are suggesting we need to think about end of life management and discuss if really elderly people will want to go into intensive care. Indeed from what I heard the other day they are already making these decisions and putting certain patients on wards that are not intensive care, but where they will die – the doctors know they are going to die no matter what they do. So in that sense I very much agree with you it is very serious situation. However the difference between this and war is that it is likely going to be quite short term in comparison.

philat98

In the region of Umbria before the crisis there were only 69 intensive care beds for a population of 900k. On the 17 March 21 beds were occupied by Covid patients. Yesterday that had climbed to 44 patients. We are lucky in Umbria that the number of cases is still low when there is so little capacity in the health service. If you compare Umbria say with South Tees NHS Trust the critical care capacity appears to be even poorer.
I wonder if Italy will follow Trump and try and reopen businesses after Easter? In the 1918 pandemic it was the second wave that was the most dangerous.

Woodstore

Thanks Geordieborn. Exactly my point. Every means of stopping the virus from spreading and 'flattening the peak' has to be actioned to safeguard the health service. Granted that not all the newspaper sales are to the elderly, but this 'distribution' of a virus surface ie news paper HAS to be eliminated. The Italian government chooses not to. This is my point. There was the Italian mayor who went viral on social media shouting from the top of his voice 'what are you doing outside...go home'. I agree with him. Stop people from being attracted to going outside and mixing with others.

The newspaper shops are an attraction Italy can do without. There is enough electronic means to get information.

I rest my case.

athoni

There was a recent Guardian article on how long the virus will survive on surfaces. It quite clearly states that paper and cardboard is low risk,however,on receipt of any mail I always wash my hands thoroughly.
When walking my dog I have noted that all my local "edicola" vendors in my suburb of Rome wear disposable gloves.