It’s Hidden and Very Smart
Last night I tuned into Andrea Bocelli’s Youtube channel to watch him give his “Music for Hope” concert in the empty Duomo of Milan. Music critics will tell you that Bocelli is not a great singer but witnessing him alone inside Milan’s famous cathedral was astonishing. I could almost ignore his somewhat-flat interpretation of Ave Maria. After singing inside, he went outside and sang the English hymn Amazing Grace in front of the Duomo. Even the pigeons that normally crowd the area along with selfie-stick toting tourists appeared to be in lockdown. Images of Bocelli were inter-cut with drone footage of empty streets in cities around the world. I expect books will be written about the iconography of men standing alone in churches and squares during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Here in Lombardy, the Italian state hardest hit by the virus, the contagion is slowing down, but not as drastically as we would like. Local government is still very concerned. When it comes to the now famous “Phase 2” we may be looking at a different picture than say those living in Tuscany. In fact, governor Fontana has decided not to reopen bookstores tomorrow. Curiously, stores for babies will be reopened, however. It is no secret that Italy has one of the lowest birthrates in the western world, so I can only assume that this move is purely symbolic. The institution of motherhood, while out of fashion, is so sacrosanct here that baby stores are among the first to be allowed to resume business.
Also, it was announced yesterday that in Lombardy, the quarantine period for those testing positive or those assuming they are infected with the Covid-19 has been extended to 28 days. This proves that my friend Frank’s case may not have been isolated after all. Incidentally, I forgot to mention that Frank is in quarantine in a 4-star hotel in central Milan. His hotel stay, along with all his meals and services are paid for by the state of Lombardy. I am curious if this kind of arrangement is available in other countries? Please write and let me know.
A government task force has been established to work on “Phase 2”. Of the 17 members only four are women. Aside from this little problem (welcome to Italy in 2020), there is no communications expert on the task force, which strikes me as a glaring omission. The success of “Phase 2” will largely depend on how effectively it is communicated. There is already so much speculation about what and how, that even a well-informed, well-read citizen is likely to feel completely confused. The other subject there is a lot of speculation about is how schools will reopen in September. There is much talk of students having to “take turns” as schools are simply not large enough to accommodate a safe distance between students. So, the scenario that is being looked at is how students will alternate between going to school and learning from home. Kids will have to wear masks and gloves and have their temp measured every morning. At the same time though, scientists have observed that a lot of kids don’t get a temperature from Covid-19. That vaccine can’t come fast enough.