As the number of deaths in Italy rises daily due to the coronavirus, one San Luis Obispo native currently living in Italy says the changes in the country have happened very rapidly.
Emily Tedone has been living in Sassuolo, Italy for seven years and says she worries about what the future may hold for the country.
“Each week there’s a notch in the belt getting tighter and more restrictions are happening," Tedone told KSBY News.
Italian community members are only allowed to leave the house to get groceries, go to the hospital or for work. Residents must carry a letter of declaration that certifies that the resident is indeed going to one of the three locations.
“We keep hearing there’s going to be a peak and we keep hoping today is the peak and it starts going down and it hasn’t started to go down yet and that’s what’s very worrisome,” Tedone said.
Tedone is currently working from home but was notified of her manager's positive test results Saturday morning.
“It is starting to hit the young as well. There was a case in a neighboring town about a 29-year-old, someone in my age group, so it's not just the elderly, it's starting to hit the young, too, unfortunately,” Tedone said.
She says she worries whether Italy is prepared for the next preventative step in a lockdown.
“The lifestyle here is so different. The way they go grocery shopping is so different. They’re used to going grocery shopping every day to get fresh bread. They don’t use as many preservatives as they do in America for their food so their food expires very fast,” Tedone added.
Despite the chaos happening within the country, Tedone does have a message of hope and unity to pass on to those back home.
“To not get too lost in the panic and remember how much there is to be grateful for, especially on the Central Coast with the great weather you have and the kind people and how great it's going to be when social distancing is over and you can see everybody again. I also highly recommended that you do the social distancing and that you do your part, it’s a big factor,” Tedone said.
