247 new positives in Umbria for corona virus. 25% increase. 2 new deaths.
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I got out for some much needed fresh air and a solitary walk yesterday.  I took some pictures as a nice break from all the dire news. It was beautiful out. But I did feel a little weird. Then I reminded myself, we are allowed to go out for exercise alone. We must immediately return home. We must carry ID and the autocertificazione form. I complied with those rules. We are hearing rumblings they may stop all outside exercise because some people are not following the rules and are ruining it for us all.

I started off going straight out of town towards the river. I’ve always loved this path. It is directly behind our apartment and it is, strangely, called Via Grilli — the same name as our street. We know this because more than one visitor was sent down this path by their GPS…worse…it ends in a concrete ramp and metal railing. You must back out..😂

Along this path is a small corpse of trees. Bright green spring growth. It was the home of a colony of feral cats until recently.

Here is a sign, made by children in a nearby apartment. It says andrà tutto bene —- everything will be better ❤️

I went to the ATM. In our Piazza. Normally a beehive of activity with two bars,  stores open and people mixing … it is sad to see it like this.

And finally the churches of Piazza San Francesco. I sort of got trapped by cordoned off path so had to cut through here back to my casa.

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I am following the news from the US and other countries. I am happy to see some US cities are putting into effect the same type of shelter-in-place regiments as Italy has. But, sadly most of the country has been slow to adopt these measures.

About 10 days ago we went into full lock down here. Not just suggestions that we stay home, or that just the elderly have to stay home. Or that we can’t have a gathering of more than ten people…or 50 people or whatever damn random number they decided was “safe”. No one is kindly asking us to “please stay home”. Here, we get arrested and charged with a felony if we are caught out with no good reason. Here, it is a serious quarantine where the only reason we are allowed out is to shop for food or medicine.

I realize no one wants to hear this, but the way forward has been made clear by other countries facing the same epidemic.

I hear people in the US say “Italy looks like us except they are a week or two ahead” but that is ONLY true if you enact the (admittedly draconian) measures we have taken here, and enact them, right now, today. If the US doesn’t take these steps it will have missed the opportunity to save thousands of lives. The time is now.

I’m very sorry to write that. But please, you must realize your reality is no more. Your everyday life has changed for the foreseeable future. It is time to accept and embrace your new reality. I want you to be OK, and for all of our lives to go back to normal…but that will have to wait. Forza America, forza world…
💕