Italy in coronavirus lockdown as deaths soar and economy fades

[webfact]

Italy in coronavirus lockdown as deaths soar and economy fades

By Angelo Amante and Crispian Balmer

 

General view of the Rome's Spanish Steps, virtually deserted after a decree orders for the whole of Italy to be on lockdown in an unprecedented clampdown aimed at beating the coronavirus, in Rome, Italy, March 10, 2020. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

 

ROME (Reuters) - Shops and restaurants closed, hundreds of flights were canceled and streets emptied across Italy on Tuesday, the first day of an unprecedented, nationwide lockdown imposed to slow Europe's worst outbreak of coronavirus.

 

Just hours after the dramatic new restrictions came into force, health authorities announced the death toll had jumped by 168 to 631, the largest rise in absolute numbers since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.

 

The total number of confirmed cases rose at a much slower rate than recently seen, hitting 10,149 against a previous 9,172, but officials warned that the region at the epicenter, Lombardy, had provided incomplete data.

 

The government has told all Italians to stay at home and avoid non-essential travel until April 3, radically widening steps already taken in much of the wealthy north, which is the epicenter of the spreading contagion.

 

"Our civic duty is the only thing that can save us," said Marzio Tonilo, 35, a teacher from the northern town of San Fiorano, which was placed under quarantine last month.

 

Italy woke up to deserted streets in an unprecedented lockdown on Tuesday after the government extended quarantine measures across the entire country. Joe Davies reports.

 

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte unexpectedly expanded the so-called red zone to the entire country on Monday night, introducing the most severe controls on a Western nation since World War Two.

 

The move shocked many small businesses, which feared for their future.

 

"It looks like an apocalypse has struck, there is no one around," said Mario Monfreda, who runs Larys restaurant in a smart Rome residential area. Under the government order, all bars and restaurants will now have to close at 6.00 p.m.

 

"It is a total disaster. This will reduce us to nothing ... More people are going to die as a result of the economic crisis that this lockdown is going to cause than the virus itself."

 

However, the prosperous northern region of Lombardy, centered on Italy's financial capital Milan, called on the government to introduce even more stringent measures.

 

"I would shut down all the shops. I would certainly close down public transport and I would seek out all businesses that could be shut without creating excessive damage to the economy," said Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana.

 

While Lombardy accounts for 74% of all the fatalities, the disease has now touched all of the country and the government is worried that if it worsens, the health system in the less developed south will collapse, causing deaths to spike.

 

ECONOMIC HIT

Rome landmarks including the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps were largely empty on Tuesday, while the Vatican closed St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica to tourists. Police told holidaymakers to return to their hotels.

 

For at least the next three weeks, anyone traveling in Italy will have to carry a document declaring their reasons. Outdoor events, including sports fixtures, have been suspended and schools and universities are all shuttered.

 

A former Treasury chief economist predicted that the lockdown measures were reducing Italy's economic output by around 10-15%, with the tourism and transport sectors down about 90% on their normal levels.

 

A large crowd of Italians queued in the early hours of the morning in a supermarket in Rome on Tuesday (March 10), stocking up on supplies after a lockdown was announced in an unprecedented attempt to beat coronavirus in Europe's worst-affected country.

 

Looking to mitigate the impact on ordinary Italians, the government is considering making banks offer customers a pause in their mortgage repayments. It also called for the European Union to relax its rules to allow more state spending.

 

"We will ask for the rules to be changed, it is a necessary condition, otherwise people will die," Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli told Radio Capital.

 

The Milan stock exchange fell a further 3.3% on Tuesday, meaning it has now slumped 29% since Feb. 20. Italy's borrowing costs are also shooting up, reviving fears that an economy already on the brink of recession and struggling under the euro zone's second-heaviest debt pile could be plunged into crisis.

 

In the wake of the clampdown, neighboring Austria said it would deny entry to people arriving from Italy, Malta and Portugal cut all travel links to the country, while British Airways and Easy Jet canceled their flights to and from Italian airports. Spain also banned flights from Italy.

 

The coronavirus first emerged in China last year and the country's foreign ministry said on Tuesday its top diplomat, Wang Yi, had called his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio, to offer his condolences for the situation in Italy.

 

He said he would increase efforts to send Italy more masks, and medical equipment, and also offered to send a medical team.

 

(Additional reporting by Giselda Vagnoni, Gavin Jones, Angelo Amante, Cristiano Corvino, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Giulia Segreti, James Mackenzie, Sara Rossi, Valentina Za, Francesca Landini and Dominique Patton; Editing by Gavin Jones, Alison Williams and Giles Elgood)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-11

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[balo]

Crazy times. 

[ExpatOilWorker]

This is already worse than the outbreak in China ever was. Europe could be hit hard, before warmer summer weather will slow it down.

 

"health authorities announced the death toll had jumped by 168 to 631, the largest rise in absolute numbers since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.

 

The total number of confirmed cases rose at a much slower rate than recently seen, hitting 10,149"

[GeorgeCross]

yikes 6% death rate

 

not looking good for europe or america

 

hope i am wrong

 

 

[pacovl46]

Closing the whole country down is definitely the right thing to do if you want to stop this. Every infected country should follow suit! Otherwise this is most likely becoming the new flu that will be around forever.

[Happy Grumpy]

The Euro will be worth less than the Lira after 6 months of this. 

[marko kok prong]

Makes me wonder if the numbers the Thai govt are giving us are true,then again maybe it is just too hot for it here,if you look at most se asian countries,they all seem to have a lower number of cases because they are all hot year round.

[3NUMBAS]

according to italian pundits on sky news they dont know how to isolate as they enjoy partys and going to the beach .so just cant turn the numbers around ,,hugging and shaking hands is unstopable for these guys .they just cant stay home in their abodes at any price

 

and the required distance is 4.5 metres from infected as the virus can remain airborn for 30 minutes

Edited March 11, 2020 by 3NUMBAS

[DrTuner]

12 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

yikes 6% death rate

Oldest population in Europe. More people in risk groups so higher fatality is expected. And they are severely over the capacity of their health care system, which I read was ranked 2nd or third best in Europe (or world) by WHO?

[UbonThani]

High carb diets no good for you. They make you weak. Lots of old people on pasta.

 

 

[Canuck1966]

12 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

Makes me wonder if the numbers the Thai govt are giving us are true,then again maybe it is just too hot for it here,if you look at most se asian countries,they all seem to have a lower number of cases because they are all hot year round.

SE Asian countries are all relatively backwards and have huge issues with losing face

I wouldn't believe anything coming out of Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Pino , Vietnam & definitely not Lieland

Singapore is the only proper country in this vicinity. Their government seemed to get to grips pretty quickly and their whole population is less than 6 million

Edited March 11, 2020 by Canuck1966

[UbonThani]

 https://news.yale.edu/2019/11/15/ketogenic-diet-helps-tame-flu-virus

 

 

[UbonThani]

 In the winter seasons from 2013/14 to 2016/17, an estimated average of 5,290,000 ILI cases occurred in Italy, corresponding to an incidence of 9%. More than 68,000 deaths attributable to flu epidemics were estimated in the study period.

[UbonThani]

1889 flu deaths a month in Italy. Why isnt that in the news?

 

 

 

 

[daveAustin]

^^ It is, but is the norm and is accepted/expected. Issue with the ever-changing covid is it apparently has the potential to take a significant proportion of us out rather quickly... apparently. 

[cyril sneer]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Just hours after the dramatic new restrictions came into force, health authorities announced the death toll had jumped by 168 to 631, the largest rise in absolute numbers since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.

 

The total number of confirmed cases rose at a much slower rate than recently seen, hitting 10,149 against a previous 9,172, but officials warned that the region at the epicenter, Lombardy, had provided incomplete data.

2313 new cases yesterday, 196 deaths according to 

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
 

Fastest rise I’ve seen yet

[UbonThani]

At 1000 deaths a day thats 365,000 in a year. Just over half if swine flu.

 

Of course Big Pharma is predicting 50m cause they want to make $$$$

[Coremouse]

I remember Italy were one of the first travel banned China, now they're one of the worst experienced pandemic outside China, while Chinese come back situation normal almost

 

Just explained how nonsensical total travel ban is. Screening + precaution + tracking should be enough for our modern society, and travel ban without precaution could still lead to disaster. Though I see no problem Italian passport now also been banned by several countries, instant karma?...

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Coremouse

[Tayaout]

12 minutes ago, Coremouse said:

I remember Italy were one of the first travel banned China, now they're one of the worst experienced pandemic outside China, while Chinese come back situation normal almost

 

Just explained how nonsensical total travel ban is. Screening + precaution + tracking should be enough for our modern society, and travel ban without precaution could still lead to disaster. Though I see no problem Italian passport now also been banned by several countries, instant karma?...

 

I think the fact that Italy is within the Schengen area make travel ban almost useless but here is an interesting read: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200213175923.htm

Edited March 12, 2020 by Tayaout

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

IS IT possible that the WHO and the media are spreading panick and fear from nothing?

i mean, what if the world did'nt do anything against this virus?

than few thousands or tens of thousands would get sick, and few hundreads

or few thousands will die, and that's it. than the virus will disapear with the dead.

and what if the virus will never disapear? 

than countries will stay closed forever? people will stay home for decades?

i think that knowledge can also cause damages. the globalization, the spread

of news and the authority given to global organizations like the WHO might

be exaggerated. maybe they will cause damage and severe loss of life just because 

of their over reactions. how many people will lose now their jobs, go bankrupt, even

homeless and hungry, just because of an unreal will to have power and control

over each and every tiny virus out there?

let the virus do it's job, infect those who needs to be infected, kill the 

ones that need be killed, and let us go on with our lives !!

[Eric Loh]

18 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

IS IT possible that the WHO and the media are spreading panick and fear from nothing?

i mean, what if the world did'nt do anything against this virus?

than few thousands or tens of thousands would get sick, and few hundreads

or few thousands will die, and that's it. than the virus will disapear with the dead.

and what if the virus will never disapear? 

than countries will stay closed forever? people will stay home for decades?

i think that knowledge can also cause damages. the globalization, the spread

of news and the authority given to global organizations like the WHO might

be exaggerated. maybe they will cause damage and severe loss of life just because 

of their over reactions. how many people will lose now their jobs, go bankrupt, even

homeless and hungry, just because of an unreal will to have power and control

over each and every tiny virus out there?

let the virus do it's job, infect those who needs to be infected, kill the 

ones that need be killed, and let us go on with our lives !!

Think 14 century Black Plaque where there are no health institutions and media to disseminate real time information. 75-200 million deaths in Eurasia. 
“The more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to deal with life”. 

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

5 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Think 14 century Black Plaque

did they have airplanes than? hotels? subways?

no,

and still so many died, so point is: there is really nothing you can do against

this virus (besides of course vaccination).

[UbonThani]

2 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

did they have airplanes than? hotels? subways?

no,

and still so many died, so point is: there is really nothing you can do against

this virus (besides of course vaccination).

Boost yr immune system. It only kills the weak.

[ExpatOilWorker]

21 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Oldest population in Europe. More people in risk groups so higher fatality is expected. And they are severely over the capacity of their health care system, which I read was ranked 2nd or third best in Europe (or world) by WHO?

81 years is the average age of the dead,  so age is clearly a major factor.

 

https://time.com/5799586/italy-coronavirus-outbreak/

[Opl]

A medical worker holds out a test kit outside an emergency facility in Brescia, northern Italy on Tuesday. The nation is the worst-hit after China. Photo: AP China is sending a team of medical experts to help Italy battle the coronavirus after the European country reported its highest death toll in a single day.

[JAG]

2 hours ago, Opl said:

A medical worker holds out a test kit outside an emergency facility in Brescia, northern Italy on Tuesday. The nation is the worst-hit after China. Photo: AP China is sending a team of medical experts to help Italy battle the coronavirus after the European country reported its highest death toll in a single day.

Whilst I realise that the whole of your post is in effect a link, it is unfortunately if comically juxtaposed, on my mobile browser at least, with that picture of a gruesome gurning old harpie purporting to sell medical insurance to expats...