Italian lockdown

Lombardia is not the whole of Northern Italy btw.

And yes, it seems many border workers who work in tourism in Switzerland have stayed over- so again ...

Apparently it involves 16 million people, a quarter of the population. That's some lockdown.

I have a holiday booked in Lombardy next month. No travel restrictions from the Foreign office yet, and apparently planes still flying in and out of the region. If I cancel I will lose the whole price of the holiday; at the moment the advice is to wait and see, but I will be contacting the tour company and see what they say.

Blue sapphire, that seems very unfair, of course they won't advise against travel as they will have to pay. They should just postpone until things return to normal, which they will.

All this may happen here as only last week we were looking in disbelief at their panic buying and self isolation!

My SiL ,who is separated from his family, had booked a villa in Tuscany for his partner , his C both young adults, and himself in August.
He lives abroad on a smallish Island and his firm have banned any foreign travel for the foreseeable future as being a small place ,if someone contracts the virus and takes it back it could spread very quickly .
He has postponed the holiday until next year.
Life as we know it is going to get very difficult.

The government have said that people can come home or complete their holidays? How can people do that with the region in lockdown? They have no policy and no one has thought this through. People returning over the next couple of weeks and some will certainly be infected. Isolation? Advice? Sing happy birthday?

It seems chaotic and can't see this achieving anything other than blind panic. They should try and keep things working normally or society will break down.

They have to try to put the brakes on transmission, if anything they are late in taking this action. In fact its what the government here should be doing.

So far no problem at all with Tuscany- why cancel?

Nope! Can't think of any reason why anyone would not want to go to Tuscany. Apart from the fact that 'As a precautionary measure, museums, theatres and all places subject to crowding are closed.'

So far no problem at all with Tuscany- why cancel?

annsixty has explained that it is his firm that have banned all foreign travel.

yes, I get it in his case. We certainly have no intention of cancelling our yearly trip to Tuscany- let's hope we can drive as usual.

What's happened that Northern Italy has so many ? Yet China where the population is enormous have been able to contain it to the best of their ability ?

My friend lives in one of the affected towns. She tells me the virus has mutated and people other than very old are becoming extremely ill. She knows what she’s talking about, her family is full of medical professionals. She says ambulances are blaring past non stop and they are quarantined until April and that it’s becoming like a sci fi novel. I’m all for not panicking but our what’s app chat did were me.

We are booked in Mid May for Lake Como and last week had to pay the full balance due. We had no option otherwise we'd have lost our deposit. However the tour company has confirmed in writing that should the it be cancelled we will receive a full refund.

I cannot see it going ahead. I'd be a bit wary anyway because both of us are in a vulnerable age group and have several medical conditions.

Italian doctors have warned others to get ready for the surge in the need for intensive care beds. It seems like 10 per cent of cases need intensive care and there are younger patients. On the 26 February Italy had 400 cases, which represented a 25 percent rise in one day. This is where we are heading without drastic action.

Just watched the news and the advice is for everyone to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. We live in the Lazio region which at present is not as badly affected as the northern regions but who knows what tomorrow brings.

Foreign Office advice now is that travel to Lombardy not advised till 3rd April. So I still can't cancel with a refund as my holiday is not until the last week of April. Will contact tour company.

I suspect by April things will be a whole lot worse.

We have had people flying all over the place. I just don't understand our government. If it is as bad as they say, no one should be going anywhere.

My daughter , before the virus had booked and paid for a holiday in Italy but not until July. She is hoping things will have improved by then . Fingers crossed for her

I have relatives in this area and am due to visit end of April. I won’t go if it’s still in lockdown, but unless the flights are cancelled will lose the money ( it’s quite a cheap flight so no big deal and will go another time). My relatives are ok and just staying at home etc. The bars and cafes are still open but you have to sit a metre apart and get served at the table not at the bar. However, flights are still coming to the U.K. so there’s nothing to stop them getting on a flight here, which seems a bit odd.

Out government are way too late in taking action that could have any impact. How does it make any sense to have plane loads of people flying in from an area that is in quarantine?