Italy Day8 – A Message of Hope From Italy

Dear Friends,

Since the start of the outbreak, I have been trying to keep you updated as best as possible, however at this point it is useless to talk about the many cases still growing here in Italy and how much this is breaking our hearts as we still have not reached the peak of the curve, our hospitals are overwhelmed and our doctors, our nurses are weeping in our hospitals corridors as they need to decide which patient to care for first, this is a problem that we pray other Countries will not experience.

We are 2.5 weeks ahead of you, some countries a bit less, others a bit more, so I’ve decided in this Newsletter to give you an overall idea of what it feels like being in Lockdown, hoping that our experience could be useful to others.

At the beginning it feels like we have been falsely accused and being imprisoned for something we haven’t done, that the world is somehow against us. So the first thought is “why would I stay inside?” Mainly the younger generations are trying hard to avoid the restrictions, this is why it’s so important for them to know that they shouldn’t feel as if they are being forced into this, they should understand they are also a very important part of it, that they are doing a great service to us all. To exit your home here in Italy you need to carry an auto certification that lists the reason you are going out (i.e. going to the supermarket or the pharmacy, going to work, going to care for a sick relative..) Some people are overusing these documents, saying that they have a good reason to be out when they just need some fresh air. It is natural to feel trapped and looking for a way out, but this is a sacrifice that we all need to make, and most people are getting the message and doing what’s needed. This is the smart thing to do, because the Lockdown is the only way to contain the spread of the virus, anything else is useless. And the lockdown itself is not going to work if a few decide to ignore it. We need to start thinking less about ourselves, and more about everybody else who is living this nightmare just like we are. Let’s think of our elderly, who I imagine are so frightened by what they hear on the news everyday, by knowing they are so much more susceptible to the violence of the virus. It breaks my heart to think of their condition… My father is currently going through chemo and he can’t have his loved ones around him, can you imagine this?

So wouldn’t it be wise if we were all together in this? So this situation gets sorted out and we can all go back to our lives sooner than later? We are not at war, this means that we can give and get help between nations with supplies and/or staff if needed. In fact, we are so deeply grateful for China’s recent contribution of supplies and medical staff.

But enough talking about us. This is a Global Emergency, so from my ‘’little corner of the world’’ let me tell you what we are doing here on Day 8 since the beginning of the Official lockdown. Because schools are closed, we are trying to set up online classes. However, this is proving rather difficult due to our outdated internet network, that cannot handle the huge increase in the traffic load. While the Public Administration in general has become quite more digital over the last couple of years, schools are still not ready for that. Due to the huge number of accesses at the same time some platforms are simply not a solution to try and carry on with the programmes.

Unfortunately there was not a pre-set plan for that. So, schools are not providing one unique tool for pupils to use, but they are quite often asked to switch from one to the other.

Every teacher has been trying to find his/her own way of working, which resulted in a big mess for parents. For both the ones in smart working and the ones going to work, having 1, 2, 3 or more kids who have to study from home is so challenging! Kids are in need of parents’ help to download content of all sorts (both digital or that requires printing at home). Here a couple of simple suggestions. First thing is to push your School to get ready for the Lockdown as soon as possible and select one single Platform (although might be challenging to find one that fits all needs in such a very short time).

The other suggestion for parents is to get everything prepared on the night before, so that the kids have a clear plan to follow in the morning! You will be in need and will be sharpening your managing and organizing skills for sure! Better than any Course or meeting on how to make good use of your time at work!

While bars and restaurants are closed, any shops/companies that offer basic need supplies or services are still active, while implementing procedures to ensure the safety of their workers. Plumbers and electricians are still making repairs, taxis are providing transportation, newspaper stands are still providing information, our delivery system has been enormously implemented especially for our elderly, and so on.

I truly applaud all those brave people that risk their lives to keep providing necessary services, especially the medical staff that is fighting the infection on the front lines, that are being quarantined away from their families and are contracting the virus they are trying so hard to fight.

A thought goes to our Ministers and Government Officials that have the huge responsibility to devise the best strategies to recover from this. The hit our economy has taken is unspeakable and we will be seeing its effects from years to come, but now is the time to be smart and react as strongly as possible.

We are also trying our best to keep in high spirits, Italian style. You may have seen that many spontaneous flash mobs are becoming a habit at 12:00 pm and 06:00 pm every day, and now even at 09:00 pm. From the confinement of our homes, we show our support to one another, we sing classic songs and the national anthem, we dance, we wave at our neighbours perched from their balconies. Yes we are scared, but we know that together we can get through this and more.

To cope with the emotional impact of the lockdown we are also using applications like Skype, Facetime and WhatsApp to keep in contact with our friends and loved ones. In fact, this Friday night I have a video-aperitivo appointment with my friends – say what you will about Italians, but it takes a lot more than a global crisis to stop us from enjoying a nice Aperitivo!