All of Italy in complete lockdown now!

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

On news a short while ago - I guess it was only a matter of time before this happened.

I wonder if Italy is just the first European country to get this and other countries will follow.

What exactly happens during a lockdown? No flights in or out I assume?

It's not " complete lock down"!

Yes, I guess there won't be any flights. Feel really sorry for them.

That’s my trip to Rome at Easter buggered then. The poor hoteliers and restaurant owners!

It's not " complete lock down"

Isn't it? What is it then?

I don't think it will be the last country to do this.

@janice88

No open bars, clubs, pubs, schools, gyms, cinemas, etc. Movement is even restricted to work and emergencies.

Up until today, some people were still going to travel there for their holidays. I get that losing money is crap, but a proper lock down is long overdue for Italy. I think some European countries (Germany) are doing better than others (UK!), I think this is largely down to firm advice, public cooperation and order. The UK is currently on a trajectory to be absolutely fooked unless people stop objecting and whining about spending two weeks at home.

It's not "complete lock down" in that sense. It's no public gatherings or events. Closure of schools etc extended. But people will still go to work and public transport will still run (but with more checks).

People are working from home where possible. It's going to be tough I think.

I don't think it will be the last country to do this.

I agree, it's probably just the first European country to do this. Can't help thinking its not a case of if it gets to UK but when it does.

english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-09/madrid-basque-city-close-schools-as-coronavirus-continues-spread-in-spain.html Madrid (spain) has closed educational facilities

Cross border workers still allowed to go into Switzerland though.

It is a lock down as found effective in many Asian cities. In the sense that schools are closed and all places where people gather to socialise. Employers are asked to let anyone who can work for home to do so. It’s social distancing. Basically reduce the social interaction between people as much as possible, to reduce the number of people getting it, and therefore needing hospitalisation at any one time. It’s done orderly to minimise disruption to daily life. Italy is long overdue to do this. If they have been more effective, they would have been able to slow it down to a small region like South Korea. Just look at the outcome of the two places. Both found themselves with a huge rise in cases centered in a region. South Korea has managed to limit it mostly to Daegu so far and they are actually reporting a slow down now. On the other hand, Italy has lost control and now ended up putting the entire country in lockdown. If our government is complacent, this is where we will be.

I’m expecting this to happen in the Netherlands by the end of the week TBH. Noord Brabant first then maybe the rest.

Finally cancelled the St. Patrick's Parades in Ireland but we're worried the tourists will come here anyway. I don't think it will be long before we have to lock down too. The HSE is not handling this well. And they are not even telling us where the confirmed cases are. I know of one case in the hospital I was a patient in yesterday. And 3 cases in a town where someone I know works in the lab doing tests for the virus but these cases haven't even been announced yet!

I suspect Italy has had to lockdown the whole country because people wouldn’t comply with lockdown in the north and kept travelling to other parts to escape it.

Jaydot500 just to clarify re Germany, they are not making any blanket decisions. They have not closed all schools and according to Der Spiegel do not plan to, as the harm seems to outweigh the benefit atm. They have greater capacity in their health system, for which they are willing to pay far higher taxes.

It will be interesting to see how they get on. UK is a week or two behind Italy so maybe we will learn something. Most people will get better. It looks to me like the UK government advice will be "stay at home until you get better or die" since we have no spare capacity in our health system, even without an epidemic, and we won't be building dozens of new thousand-person hospitals like China. There's nowhere better you can evacuate to, and in Italy the less-affected areas are turning back the escapees from worse-affected areas.

Unfortunately there is next to no chance that any country will get international aid of any significance, because all the other countres will be hoarding their own resources.

I usually see my Italian friend who lives in Genoa around this time of year, probably won't now.

I suspect Italy has had to lockdown the whole country because people wouldn’t comply with lockdown in the north and kept travelling to other parts to escape it.

Italians are notorious for their disobedience of rules, so I'm not surprised. Will this work though?

This is one time that I'm glad we're an island. Much easier to manage borders.

Italy in complete lockdown now!!!

Or, the slightly less exciting truth "the Italian govt has extended some of its containment measures to the whole country"

Flights are still flying, buses and trains running, shops opening. People walking their dogs. Bars are open. People going to work.

It really is major:

The Italian PM has said people should only go to work, then return home & stay there

"This nightlife... we can't allow this any more,"

No pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas, sporting events, outside entertainment of any kind, even weddings or funerals

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-whole-of-italy-put-on-lockdown-11954097

Bars should not be open

But why would a whole country do that? According to some it’s only the flu.

Is this not ringing any alarm bells whatsoever?