People from all backgrounds, not just Italians, tend to be more favourable of looking at life from a positive point of view; however, planning for the best is sometimes the equivalent of kicking the bucket down the road to someone else. Politicians are now trying to find a solution to help small businesses that are facing difficulties during this trying period, and money is being allocated to help families with children who need to keep a mother or father at home to watch the children whose schools have recently been closed. On the surface, these seem to be the best solutions to problems facing the country, but the long-term effects could potentially bury the nation in outstanding debt, causing difficulties for future generations.
Not only have hugs, kisses, and handshakes been banned. Soccer games open to fans have also been banned for thirty days by the decreet of Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister of Italy. This has saddened the majority of Italians, although many argue that even soccer players should have the right to keep their distance from one another. Furthermore, all sports' events must be held behind closed doors until the third of April, something that remains incredible in the country known for kisses on the cheeks.
COVID-19 has interfered dramatically with the practice of religion, especially the Catholic religion, during February and March 2020. Yesterday, the author visited the Church of Santo Stefano in Borgomanero, where custodians had just cleaned the floors and disinfected the church. Not a living soul was to be found, neither a priest nor a tourist, which allowed the author to focus on the frescoes and the beautiful stained-glass windows in silence. If one travels across Italy this month, he or she will encounter numerous churches without parishioners because people are naturally afraid to meet one another in closed spaces no matter how large and accommodating they might be. It has been recommended that priests remove the holy water from Catholic Churches for fear of spreading the virus. Although citizens and tourists can visit holy shrines, church services have to be conducted via television and internet. Furthermore, churches have been closed because, in recent years, people have begun to steal religious artefacts from them when the churches and shrines are not guarded.
The author has been researching what is happening in the churches throughout Italy; however, there is much more information available about soccer games and the survival of the economy, which seems to be the main focus right now. For instance, in the news one finds much information about saving the reputation of 'Made in Italy', so low-level employees are forced to work even harder than before as they hope other countries will continue to demand their products in times of trouble. A company which had had to quit producing medical face masks for fifteen years (due to Chinese competition), suddenly had to reopen its doors to help meet the needs of the Italian population that did not have enough masks to protect citizens from COVID-19.
Not having enough masks was ironic in a country known for its Venetian Carnival celebration. Sadly, Venetian Carnival parades had to be cancelled this year for fear of contagion, causing the country to lose many tourist dollars and initiating the current crisis in Italian tourism. According to Assoturismo, ninety per cent of hotel bookings in Rome have been cancelled, and the United States has issued a level-3 warning to its citizens, stating that they should avoid travel to Italy in March. Travelers who visit Italy are required to stay home for 14 days after returning to the United States. A well-known leader of the Five Star Party was worried that such travel restrictions might lead to discrimination against Italians and 'Made in Italy'. Many members of La Lega believe in a bailout amounting to 50 billion euros.