Wind of Change: Italy Now Set for Phase Two Coming on May 4

Caribbean News…
30 April 2020 7:40am
Rome Colliseum and man wearing a mask

By Massimo Terracina

As the old Bee Gees song “Wind of Change goes, there will be something changing from May 4 onward in Italy. After almost 200,000 infected, more than 26,000 deceased and kind of two months of lockdown, life will reopen from May 4.

It will be a restart, and Giuseppe Conte will be (hopefully) ready to present the text of the procedures to Italians in the beginning of this week.

As many as 448 experts (OMG!) led by Vittorio Colao in several commissions, are supposed to set the protocols and guidelines of ministries. But what is it supposed to reopen on May 4th?

A pre-open is supposed to happen on April, 27: some companies producing machinery for the disabled, agricultural and forestry equipment. Then, on May 4 the green light will go on for manufacturing and construction, but carefully since the scientific committee continues to advise to wait two more weeks for a new intervention, in order to monitor the contagion curve. 

Almost sure, shops will reopen on May 18. Then, hopefully in June, personal services, such as hairdressers and beauty parlors, will follow suit.

Face masks will be supposed to be worn by everyone from May 4, but we must deal with guaranteeing a sufficient number of pieces: we need to raise from the current 4 million to 7 million a day! 

Certainly the masks will be on sale at a lower price. But how and where to distribute these essential devices? In the pharmacies, sorted out by the municipalities.

Summer Is Just Another Big Issue

From May 4 you can jog, it's true. Even away from home. Train alone or at a safe distance. But in the DPCM (the presidential decree issued by the Council of Ministers) the ban on team amateur sport will not be lifted. That means that football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, American football, rugby, although some federation already state the cancellation of every level tournament, and other collective sports, will remain banned. And for a long time. It is certain that the blockade will be maintained throughout the summer. No beach sports, not even beach volley.

 

man killing germs on a table

The "Epidemic Blocker" System

Italy, and not only Italy, must develop through government’s decision to come up with a virus-proof life system. From May 4, each region will publish the "R-0" index (R with Zero), which measures the level of spread of the epidemic, that should remain below 1. If it goes up -and at the same time patients hospitalized in intensive care units and those who taste positive in the dedicated "civil" structures increase- new territorial blocks of activity will start, based on the population that "moves" and the seriousness of the contagion: closure of the retail trade, of factories, of schools, a dramatic new lockdown. Subsequently, the app and extended screenings will also decide on the new lockdowns.

Schools and Kindergartens: No Way to Open

This is the sore point: it remains outside the decree of May 4. They will not reopen for the summer, and there are no news about September at the moment.

Security: Those Who Falter Will Be Closed

This is a victory for the unions.Activities which do not ensure the required health standards will be closed. The new rules provided for social distancing, company shuttles, private cars or bicycles to reach the working venue, measurement of the temperature at the entrance of premises, will also be observed.

Tourism: Who Knows?

Tourism seems to hinge on the fact of whether foreigners will travel to Italy for their vacations, at a time when both the incoming and outgoing sectors are enduring an unprecedented crisis, with any concrete help from the Institutions coming sooner or later. The collapse of the system is really almost in progress and the fear is that criminality could start to lay their hands on hotels, restaurants and other related activities. Honestly, the actions of Mr. Franceschini are utterly insufficient, empty, unsuited and unsatisfactory.

Spontaneous Actions

In this mess, the fact of the matter is that a lot of spontaneous associations and unions of entities have risen up, addressed uncoordinatedly to the Premier and Government petitions to take care of the absolute state of crisis we are going through. And some good ideas spread out… Stay tuned for more to come!

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