COVID-19 lockdown ease: Total relief and fresh air as Italians return to work

Feelings of relief and breath of fresh air in Italy as people resume to their daily activities, Onyxnews Nigeria reports quoting “The Guardian.”

The people in the country have returned to the streets after almost 8 weeks of staying at home under a total lockdown due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus ravaging the world.

“I literally haven’t been out of the house,” said Rina Sondhi, who lives in the Umbrian town of Orvieto. “The biggest shock for me was the fresh air. Today I feel liberated, but with caution – that’s the important thing, we can have the freedom but we must be really careful.”

An estimated 4 million people returned to work on Monday as part of what the Italian government called the second phase of the country’s coronavirus emergency, with the prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, appealing to the public in a Facebook post on Sunday night to “act responsibly”.

Trenord, the company that manages train services in Lombardy, Italy’s industrial hub and the region worst affected by the outbreak of the pandemic virus said the commuter flow in the morning rush hour was about 30% of pre-outbreak levels.

The easing of restrictions is gradual, with factories geared towards exports and construction sites allowed to resume operations immediately. Bars and restaurants can offer takeaway services but will not fully reopen until 1 June.

Then from 18 May, retailers, museums and libraries will open, hairdressers and gyms from 1 June and schools from September.