Once upon a time there was a danger perceived as distant, terrifying images from theNibujon. Once upon a time there was the patient 1 di Codogno, the first red areas in Italy, the masks, the excruciating procession of optional leaving the city of Bergamo in the middle of the night on military vehicles and a phrase that echoed from balcony to balcony in all the cities of the country: "everything will be fine! ". The 9 March 2020 Italy was the first European country to impose the general lockdown to counter the advance of the Covid-19. A year has passed since then, the most tragic since the days of postwar period, which has that to date caused more than 100.000 victims. From DAD (Distance Learning), al curfew, the smart working, the country had to adapt to a new "lifestyle" made of sacrifices and first lockdown in Italy it was the beginning of it all.

First lockdown in Italy - Italian flag "Everything will be fine"
Photo: © Pietro Luca Cassarino (Flickr) - Commons Wikimedia.

First lockdown in Italy: how our country has changed

The first confirmed case of Covid-19 came on 21 February 2020 a Codogno, which was also the first city to be completely closed. Later they were also closed 10 neighboring cities and containment measures were taken in some regions of the Northern Italy (As Lombardia e Piemonte). The 4 March the government imposed restrictions on cinemas and theaters and opted for the closure of universities and schools throughout Italy (the era of the DAD begins). The 7 March, with the announcement of the closure of Lombardy and of 14 Northern regions, there was the big one Southward flight, With the 'assault on trains in the night. On March 9, the government led by the former premier Joseph Contand decided to declare the whole country "protected area". The lnational ockdown in Italy ended the 18 May 2020. Then began the division into colors regions (on the French model), with some respite during the summer months.

First lockdown in Italy - Dr. Annalisa Silvestri sitting on the ground in a hospital ward during the Covid-19 pandemic
Photo: © Alberto Giuliano - Commons Wikimedia.

During this tragic year, many have paid the very high price of the pandemic. First of all the elderly, the most fragile. Also doctors and nurses, the heroes of Covid-19, have spent day and night trying to save as many lives as possible, often taking grueling shifts. Bar, restaurants, gyms and any kind of activity struggled to stand up. The same fate befell movies, museums, theaters and to every worker in the cultural or entertainment field. The regions have been closed since time immemorial and the country is now at its last limit, both economically and socially. Time has now marked "MCPD”And the most important communications are those that come from virologists, now regular guests on TV broadcasts. The arrival of the first anti-Covid vaccine (Pfizer), at the end of 2020, was then able to give hope to the world, for a return to normality.

We'll make it?

One year after the first lockdown in Italy, the contagion curve continue to stay high. Despite the confirmed and upcoming vaccines, the new ones variants of Covid-19 (English and South African) have complicated things a lot. Our governments have done everything to avoid a new national lockdown, as happened in other European countries. Many experts have mentioned it for a long time, but to date it has been preferred to close only a few areas at risk. Streets are often empty and shop shutters are down. After closing i Covid departments last summer, many hospitals had to reopen, even though intensive care was no longer as clogged as at the outbreak of the pandemic. The businesses are still closed (halfway) e vaccines are slow in coming but, despite everything, the hope that in the coming months we can return to normal is always alive.

First lockdown in Italy - Italy zone map March 2021
Italy zone map March 2021 - Photo: © Italian Government (website of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers).

Italy is fighting this best pandemic. "Taken by surprise" from Covid, the country joined, from North to South, with one sensibility, solidarity e force unique. Masks, DAD, smart working and curfew are terms we will use for months to come, but vaccines will allow us to get our lives back in our hands. In the last few days the 20.000 infections a day and (as of January 6) have been vaccinated 5.158.820 people (1.594.122 with before purchasing, e second dose). With the arrival of new doses, the number will increase exponentially. Once upon a time there was aItaly wounded by Covid, and unfortunately it's still there. Has the worst already passed? We can't tell yet. Half of Italy could return to lockdown in the next few days. Thanks to the efforts made (and in progress) and al vaccine miracle (to quote the virologist Ilaria Capua), the light at the end of the tunnel is increasingly visible.

Cover photo: © Pietro Luca Cassarino - Wikimedia Commons.

A year has passed since the first lockdown in Italy last edit: 2021-03-09T09:00:00+01:00 da Antonello Ciccarello

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