Life in lockdown
An Aussie on the ground in Milan, Saskia Tillers, speaks to WHO
Italy today is unrecognisable. The nearly 28,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 2000 deaths from the outbreak at time of going to press cast a shadow over the country. Milan’s three million residents are confined to their homes, with police handing out fines to anyone caught wandering the streets – unless you can prove you’re buying groceries or exercising. A trip to the supermarket feels reminiscent of war-era stories, the line to the entrance snaking around the building. My fiancé and I don workout clothes and leave the apartment for the first time in days, keen to see what the outside world looks like. Metro stations are empty, shops have their roller-doors down, and people hurry past each other on the eerily deserted sidewalks, keeping their distance. The park is quieter, but children still play soccer, joggers and cyclists do laps, and elderly friends chat on benches – albeit one metre apart and wearing face masks. For a population used to doublekissing hello and sipping Aperol Spritzes in bustling bars, adjusting to this new lifestyle isn’t easy. But locals are devising creative ways of coping. ‘Balcony parties’ have cropped up across the city, with neighbours all dancing to the same music. In spite of everything, spirits remain high. Like the rest of Italy, we’ve readied ourselves for at least another few weeks in lockdown, sticking to the rules in the hope that soon things will return to normal.