Кому интересно, новости из Италии.   моя знакомая американка там сейчас, у нее муж военный тоже делюсь с ее разрешенияWe keep getting calls, texts, and messages asking what its really like in Italy right now. So Ill try to lay out what our 'quarantine' is... Anyone that's here, please feel free to weigh in.1. We are to stay home unless its for work (only essential personnel are working right now), groceries, or major hospital visits.2. Schools and daycares have been closed until at least April 6. This was extended, we were supposed to go back 2 weeks ago. I was working when the initial closure happened but then the governor put an all stop, so I am home now with Q. The schools are doing online schooling right now.3. When I say major hospital visits- many general appointments have been cancelled and rescheduled for a later date. Things like dental check ups, yearly doc visits, etc... weren't deemed important enough to expose us to the virus. My OB visits are essential, thus the reason I still have to go to the clinic. BUT, only one person can go. So Pat cant come with me to the appointments. If he were to get hurt I couldn't go to the ER with him. It's only the person being seen allowed in. Anyone else would be asked to stay outside the hospital.4. Most shops have closed around the country. The only ones open are for automotive needs, pharmacies, and groceries. Most have limited hours. Our BX right now is open but we are only allowed to buy certain things. ie; hygiene, medications, alcohol, and cigarettes. Yes you read that right, in all this the last 2 have been deemed necessary. Which is quite ridiculous when people were told they cant buy baby bottles!!5. In order to visit any of these places that are necessary we have to have movement documentation on us. Basically its a form the government made to give certain people permission to move about. The police are pulling people over and checking documentation. If you are traveling outside of your zone or outside of the necessity said on the documents you are fined and/or jailed. I had a friend say her neighbor was put into jail for going to the wrong grocery store. This is taken VERY serious!!!!6. Social distancing is a real thing here. The police were walking around the stores on and off base with a meter stick making sure people are 1m apart. If theyre not, theyre fined. The chairs at the hospital are also blocked off to make sure you are 1m apart from the person next to you.7. any major gathering has been cancelled. No weddings, funerals, parties, etc...8. We cannot go anywhere as a family. We can only send one adult at a time. if Q is with one of us and were caught, we're fined.9. Gyms, parks, churches, most government offices, salons, barbers, malls, hardware stores, restaurants, museums, movie theaters etc (on and off base) are all closed. The base is posting workouts online for the active duty to do daily. We can do runs and walks around the neighborhood, but we have to go alone and maintain social distancing. The church services have all been offered online.10. all sports have been cancelled!11. All travel in and out of Italy has been cancelled for military and their families for the next 60 days. We are beginning the summer PCS (change of duty station) time and several have received notice that they have to stay put. Those that got here cannot house hunt because all real estate activities have been cancelled until further notice.12. the base is doing weekly 'town halls' where the commander and the people in charge of major units answer questions and keep us up to date on the new Italian decrees, which seem to change quite frequently.13. The police go around with megaphones and remind people to stay in their homes. The grocery stores and pharmacies have a similar message announced over the loud speaker.14. They aren't able to complete the COVID-19 testing on base so the swabs are being taken and sent to a local lab. CURRENTLY there are NO positive cases on the base!15. There was the same run on supplies and toilet paper here as there was in the states. I sent Pat to the grocery store last week (after the total lockdown was announced) because I wanted a few extra things to keep Q busy (ie; stuff to make our chocolate chip cookies) and it took him an hour to check out. Im sure he loved me for that! lol They have done a decent job at keeping things restocked. But, we are out of cleaner and hand sanitizer the same way you are. AND we have to wait to get shipments from the states to restock. So...theres that. I had my mom send us a care package when this mess originally started a month ago.I think it sums it up. I may have missed some stuff. Hopefully others fill it in. ALL 4 of us are healthy and safe. We're trying to make the best of a bad situation and keep our tiny terror occupied at home. Thank god for Pinterest! The hospitals are overwhelmed. They're having to call retired doctors and nurses up to help. They're turning other units into ICUs to try and compensate and catch up. The system is at max capacity and is stressed. People are panicked. So, were home for at least 3 more weeks.on the flip side. It has been neat to see how the patriotism of Italy has come through in all of this. There are flags everywhere! At 5pm the neighbors have been blaring some liberation song in Italian everyday. Not just one, like all of them. There are signs like Q made up all over; our neighborhood houses, the pharmacies, the grocery store, online. People are signing and dancing in their yards making the streets their own symphonies. The people have stepped up to help each other like we hadn't seen in the last 2 years here. The base is also helping with the moral and offering art and well being classes online. So its not all bad! And in all honesty, I probably needed to extra rest!