COVID-19 lockdowns in Italy

COVID-19 lockdowns in Italy

On 9 March 2020, the government of Italy under Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte started a national lockdown. People could only leave their homes for important reasons like work or health. This happened because of the growing pandemic of COVID-19 in the country. Shops and businesses that were not needed were closed for a time.

Before this, smaller rules had already started in some places. On 8 March, sixteen million people in Lombardy and fourteen nearby areas in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Piedmont and Marche were affected. Even earlier, in late February, a few towns in the province of Lodi and the province of Padua had their own local lockdowns.

Italy was the first country to make a COVID-19 lockdown for the whole nation. Many other countries later did similar measures as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world. Some people thought the rules were strict, but they were made to help keep everyone safe during a hard time.

Background

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Italy

When the disease called COVID-19 began to spread, Italy found its first cases on January 30, 2020. Two visitors from China were the first to be sick. Soon after, more people got sick, including some in the northern parts of Italy. As the number of sick people grew, some towns were closed to help stop the disease from spreading further.

History

Initial lockdowns

The first lockdown in Italy started around 21 February 2020. It covered ten small towns in the province of Lodi in Lombardy and one town in the province of Padua in Veneto. About 50,000 people were affected. In the town of Codogno, police cars blocked roads and set up barriers to keep people from leaving or entering. Police and soldiers helped enforce the rules. People could leave their homes only for things like getting food or medicine. Schools and workplaces were closed, and people were not allowed to gather in groups. Trains did not stop in the area.

Expansion to northern provinces

Early on 8 March 2020, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that the lockdown would grow to cover much of northern Italy. Over sixteen million people were affected. Travel in, out, or within these areas was restricted. Funerals and cultural events were banned, and people had to keep a distance from each other in places like restaurants, churches, and supermarkets. Restaurants and cafes could open only between certain hours, and many other places like gyms, nightclubs, museums, and swimming pools were closed. Businesses were asked to let employees work from home whenever possible. The rules were meant to last until 3 April. The government could fine or arrest people who broke the rules.

At the time, Italy had cases of the virus and some deaths. The lockdown was one of the strictest outside of lockdown measures implemented in China. The area included all of Lombardy and parts of Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche, including big cities like Milan and Venice.

Nationwide expansion

On 9 March, the lockdown was expanded to the whole country. Prime Minister Conte said people could only travel for work or family emergencies, and all sports events were cancelled. Italy was the first country to do a national lockdown because of the virus.

On 11 March, Conte announced that more shops and businesses would close, except for places like grocery stores and pharmacies. By 19 March, with more cases and deaths, he said the lockdown might last longer than planned.

On 21 March, the lockdown grew even more, with all non-essential businesses and factories closing. This happened because the number of cases and deaths had gone up. On 1 April, the lockdown was extended until 13 April. Then, on 10 April, it was extended again until 3 May. Some shops, like stationery, book, and children’s clothing stores, were allowed to open starting 14 April.

On 26 April, the Prime Minister announced plans for the next phase starting 4 May. People still could not travel between regions, but they could move between towns for work, health reasons, or to visit family. Factories could reopen, but schools, bars, restaurants, and hair salons stayed closed.

Impact

The lockdowns in Italy had big effects on the economy and the environment. Many businesses, especially in tourism and hospitality, suffered because people could not travel or visit shops. The Italian economy was expected to shrink, and some companies, like Domino's Pizza in Italy, closed because of falling sales.

The environment saw some benefits. With fewer cars on the roads, pollution from nitrogen dioxide dropped sharply in northern Italy. Studies showed that people's movements decreased, which helped slow the spread of the virus. Areas that locked down earlier seemed to recover faster than those that started later.

Reactions

Domestic

Some leaders in Italy were not happy about the lockdown rules. The leader of Lombardy said the rules were not clear enough. The leader of Veneto did not agree with the lockdown at all. The leader of Emilia-Romagna said the rules were confusing and asked for more time to make better plans. A mayor from Asti said he was not told about the lockdown before it happened and was upset. Business leaders also said the rules were not clear enough. The opposition leader, Matteo Salvini, asked for more information about the lockdown.

Other leaders, like the mayor of Novara, were surprised that their area was not included at first and asked to be added because they have strong transport links with Milan. The leader of Marche agreed with the lockdown but wanted more help from the areas affected. After the lockdown started, many people left Lombardy before the rules began, so police and medical workers asked people arriving from Lombardy to stay home for a period. The leader of Apulia asked people coming from northern Italy to stay home, and the leader of Calabria asked people not to travel back home during this time.

The Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, asked everyone to follow the rules and not try to find ways around them. He said Italy was facing a very difficult time.

Residents

A special radio station was created for people in the first lockdown area to give updates and information. Many people shared the message "#IoRestoACasa," meaning "I stay at home," on social media. Stores put tape on the floor to help people keep distance from each other. In some cities, people rushed to supermarkets to buy a lot of things because they were worried.

Vatican

After the lockdown, the Vatican closed the Vatican Museums and stopped public services like Masses. St. Peter's Basilica stayed open, but people had to keep distance from each other. The Pope decided to live stream daily services instead. He also asked some churches to reopen but told tourists they could not visit.

International

The leader of the World Health Organization praised Italy for taking strong steps to protect people. However, a leader from the Chinese Red Cross said the lockdown rules were not strict enough. A study showed that Italy and Spain were among the countries where people followed lockdown rules the most carefully.