‘Are you luckier than us? I hope so’

FOR now, touch wood, we are well and healthy. My father, who is 90 and now without mum, is my biggest concern.

The decree obliges him to stay home. He’s in good spirits but it’s not easy for someone who still likes socialising.

Of course, that applies to all of us, for whom home is just a space to sleep. Sometimes he’s tempted to get some fresh air, as he puts it, but then his conscience gets the better of him and he finds his book.

The last week has been eventful to say the least. On Saturday the government issued its second decree, effectively cordoning off the North of Italy. A friend of mine came to Rome from Padua just before the deadline, and now she is in quarantine. Those who came here found a relatively relaxed city compared with Milan.

It seemed crazy that Rome wasn’t in lockdown, too. A short sharp shock to beat this thing once and for all.

Now, on Thursday, the government has finally acted here, too.we’re all selfisolating, except to buy essentials. I’m the one who goes to the supermarket and pharmacy for my family.

Rome is a ghost town. There’s no traffic and hardly anyone walking on the pavements. I’m out of work. I have the job of my dreams, a location manager for major film and TV productions. I was one of those responsible for the Rome chase sequences for Sam Mendes’ latest Bond film, Spectre and did the same for Ron Howard’s Angels & Demons and Danny Boyle’s TV series Trust about John Paul Getty’s kidnapping.

But the film industry here is now paralysed.

And all the time we’re looking at how Britain is responding.we saw that your health minister Nadine Dorries has Covid-19. But still, the UK seems so relaxed about the whole thing.

Are you luckier than us? I truly hope so.