From the DW:
“As coronavirus lockdown eases,
Italians fear bleak future”
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe
Conte has announced phase two of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic,
promising relief to citizens. But residents of Rome say they see a dark times
ahead, as Esman Cakir reports. It is a sunny morning in Rome, with blue skies
and warm spring temperatures in the Italian capital. Yet, the city's venerable
sculptures and monuments seem lonely; its empty squares and streets are like an
eerie film set. The throngs of tourists are gone, in their place, police
officers stand at every corner asking pedestrians why they are out and about. Italians
had eagerly awaited Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's press conference last
Sunday, hoping he would finally announce the country's ongoing lockdown would
end on May 4. But Conte disappointed them, saying instead that restrictions
would be lifted in increments.
'We'll be starving soon': "I don't see black for the future, but
I'm not looking at things through rose-colored glasses either. Gray is probably
the color I would use to describe the situation," says Claudio, a Roman
taxi driver. Claudio says he waits hours every day for a fare, and he has no
idea how he will manage to pay his taxes next month. "The virus has lost
its punch here, still it won't take much and we'll be starving soon. I'm really
scared. Because if you have debts or get behind on your mortgage, you can't get
new loans from the bank," bemoans Claudio. Italy has survived the first
months of the coronavirus crisis and strict social distancing rules appear to
have had a positive effect. Now, the Italian government has announced the
beginning of a second phase in the fight, one that will put economics ahead of
social life. The government is keen to get the Italian economy running again,
and its new plan will see most production start back up on May 4. Restaurants
will once again be able to receive food deliveries, and cafes and hair salons
will also be allowed to open on that date.
'The next phase will be more
difficult': Prime Minister Conte
thanked Italians for the patience they have shown. He said he was proud of how
far Italians have already come in this extraordinary fight, calling it a great
success. Still, he added, "The next phase will be more difficult." Taxi
driver Claudio is frustrated, saying, "Many Italians had to take on debt
because of the crisis." The Italian government has offered a monthly
compensation of €600 ($659) to self-employed citizens as well as those with
full-time jobs, but Claudio remains skeptical: "Most Italians are still
waiting on last month's payment. If that money doesn't come, how can they pay
next month's taxes?" Claudio says other countries have done far more to
help their citizens financially, "The only thing we're getting is
permission to leave our houses," he adds sarcastically. That opinion is
shared by Simona, who runs a cafe in the heart of Rome. "Even if that
money was paid out for weeks it still wouldn't be enough." He says the
plan is useless: "Many families are still waiting for the €600 they have
been promised. How are they supposed to feed their children? We expected
financial help from the government. Italy is literally starving."
Travel restrictions to remain in
place: Travel restrictions will remain
in place even in phase two of the government plan. From May 4 onward, citizens
will only be allowed to leave their houses to shop for groceries and medicine,
to go to work or the doctor, and to visit relatives and partners. Citizens will
only be allowed to travel outside their home region if they can prove that it
is absolutely necessary. Irene Farinelli, a 70-year-old retiree, is strictly
opposed to the idea of regional isolation. She says, "My children and
grandchildren live in a different region. I haven't been able to see them for
two months. Many people are worried that we will be locked up at home for a
long time. We have to get out of this situation as soon as possible." Irene
Farinelli says she hasn't seen her children or grandchildren in two months Yet,
even though many Italians want to see travel restrictions lifted,
epidemiologists and virologists are calling for the government to keep them in
place for as long as possible. Andrea Cristanti from the University of Padua is
one of the country's most respected virologists. He argues the small steps the
government has taken to loosen restrictions already go too far. Speaking with
the newspaper La Repubblica, Cristanti said: "When the country was put
under lockdown on March 11, we had 1,800 new infections each day. That is the
same number we registered yesterday."
No school until September: Daniele, a young father, complains that
schools are being ignored even though factories will be allowed to open:
"Who is supposed to look after the children if we can't take them to their
grandparents'? We're being abandoned." Romans are skeptical, crushed under
the burden of coronavirus restrictions and the financial damage they have
brought with them. Even more disheartening to citizens is the fact that they do
not believe phase two of this fight will bring much relief.
^ The frustration by these
Italians are being felt by every man woman and child around the world. There
comes a time when you have to put reopening ahead of starving to death. We aren’t
going to have a vaccine until at least next year and there’s no way Italians, or
anyone else, will accept the lockdowns for that long. It was right to have
lockdowns when this pandemic first started, but months-later we need to reopen
things around the world – with certain restrictions like face masks, social
distancing, etc. in place. ^
https://www.dw.com/en/as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-italians-fear-bleak-future/a-53313932
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.