Sardinia – an Italian island on lockdown

Today (Friday) is the 11th day of the national COVID-19 Coronavirus lockdown here in Italy. As of this evening, there are 293 confirmed cases of the virus on the island of Sardinia. It was also announced this morning in local news, that two Sardinian patients have recovered fully from the virus.

We are still advised to stay at home, unless for grocery shopping, to go to the pharmacy, or for essential work. The full lockdown, which was originally planned to last until April 3rd, now looks to be extended further as scientists believe that Italy has not yet reached the peak of COVID-19 cases. We are now waiting for a formal announcement of this extension, from Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, rumoured to come this weekend.

Here in Sardinia, we are in relative isolation from the Italian mainland – ports and airports have been closed all across the island. The only movement allowed through the ports and airports that do remain open, are for food, medical supplies, and essential industries.

There is no shortage of food in supermarkets, and I haven’t seen any instances of panic buying where we are. The national and regional government assure us often that there will be no disruption of food supplies. Our local council has announced that street cleaning measures are due to take place tomorrow night, in order to sterilise public areas.

At home, my wife and I are still learning how to come to terms with being confined. This is a daily test. Given the uncertainty of how long this lockdown will continue, we have both realised that taking things day by day seems to be the easiest way to handle things.

I completely understand why it is necessary to stay at home, and I fully support it. The lockdown is not just to protect ourselves from the COVID-19 virus, but to protect those in our community that are most vulnerable. These people may not fare so well if they catch the virus.

We both continue to structure our days as much as possible. I’m finding though that days are gradually melting one into the next, not unlike the summer holidays I had from school when I was younger. One of the only things that help me to keep track of the days now, funnily enough, are the recycling collections by the local town council.

Despite the negativity I see on the news every day, I remain optimistic that everything will be alright. This feeling is helped by the great community spirit in the town where I live. It’s worth noting that even the smallest act of kindness can go a long way to making us feel more connected.

This morning, the Chinese couple who run our local shop, left envelopes containing face masks, free of charge, to every apartment in our building. The Chinese expats living in Italy, running shops, bars, and restaurants, were some of the first to suffer financially due to unfounded fears of the COVID -19 Coronavirus. We found this simple selfless gesture very important.

When the virus is gone, and the world has returned to normal, these acts of kindness and selflessness are what should be remembered most. Sometimes in dark moments, it’s easy to focus on the bad points, but remember you’re not alone. Look around at the world, people are helping.

#DistantiMaUniti – Distant but united.