Day 1: Will the real life under lockdown please stand up

We worked and ate

Hello. Welcome to what I plan on being a very light-hearted and candid account of life in lockdown in Italy, during the times of Covid-19. This blog will hopefully expire in roughly one month.

Milan and the rest of Lombardy (and, as of tonight, the rest of Italy) have been under lockdown since Sunday afternoon. This means it’s very, very quiet on the streets, though I have been told most Mondays during working hours are not too different. Restaurants and bars are allowed to serve customers till 6pm, though many have chosen not to open at all until April 3rd.

People not working in production lines are working from home. It’s all been very pleasant, mostly due to technology. I’ve never seen colleagues so happy to see each other’s faces. Apparently now is a good time to buy Zoom shares, though we’re probably a tad late to the party.

The supermarkets are well stocked. We bought chicken and salmon, and some greens. We did not feel the need to stock up. I am not sure what everyone else is eating, but it’s definitely not protein.

Hand sanitiser is nowhere to be found, and the last time I checked, a Dettol wipes value pack cost €42 on Amazon.

There is an abundance of toilet paper. Either the Brits are shitting themselves, or the Italians wipe their ass with pasta.