Other than a situation that is improving: with a sudden and perhaps unexpected decision, the Government has decided to give a further and powerful swerve to limit the spread of the coronavirus, choosing an extreme solution and that is to widen the "red zone" (even if in reality it will no longer be called that) to all of Lombardy and 14 other provinces scattered in the centre-north of the country. From today and until April 3, around 16 million Italians are therefore in quarantine.
These are the citizens of the whole of Lombardy and of 14 other provinces that fall in Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Marche: Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro and Urbino, Venice, Padua, Treviso, Asti, Alessandria, Novara, Vercelli and Verbano Cusio Ossola. It means you have to "absolutely avoid any movement in and out of the territories", reads the latest draft of the decree of the President of the Council of Ministers, worked until late Saturday evening and subject to changes, also due to the perplexities raised during the night by the governors of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Fontana and Bonaccini.
The choice matured at the end of a dramatic meeting at Palazzo Chigi, marked by the consultation of the experts of the Institute of Health but also of the mayors of the municipalities concerned. President Giuseppe Conte was determined and, like him, the entire Pd wing of the government, led by Dario Franceschini. All the more at the end of a day that began with the news of the positivity of the secretary Nicola Zingaretti, while that of the governor of Piedmont Alberto Cirio arrived on Sunday.
The total number of infected people also increases dramatically: on Saturday we had arrived at 5.061, up 1.145 from the day before, with 233 dead, 36 more. It was then the situation of intensive care that weighed: the rooms now saturated in Lombardy and beyond. "We win this war if our fellow citizens adopt responsible behavior, temporarily changing our lifestyles" clearly says the head of the Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli.
But what does the restriction desired by the Government actually entail? "This is not an absolute ban," explained Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, reiterating however that the directives apply to both entry and exit. Here because neither trains nor planes get stuck: it is possible to move for proven work needs or for emergencies and health reasons. Limited travel also "within the same territories, except for those motivated by undeferrable work needs or emergency situations": between now and April 3, the possibility of returning home is reserved, but bars and restaurants must close at 18pm and for the rest of the day, guarantee distances of at least one meter.
Those with a fever of 37,5 are invited to stay at home, those in quarantine are strictly prohibited from going out. Meanwhile, schools throughout Italy remain closed: until April 6 in the new "red zone", while - for now - the reopening on March 16 is confirmed in the rest of the country, even if the same decree leaves open the possibility of extending the measure at any time.
