Italy's famed casual approach to daily life might be endearing but might not be the best way to respond to a potential pandemic | bevanshields coronavirus COVIDー19
Billed as a tough but necessary measure to halt the spread of the virus, Italy threw up dozens of roadblocks in the wealthy Lombardy region on Monday after the number of confirmed cases exploded over the weekend. People weren't allowed to leave and anyone who wanted to go in needed to prepare to spend at least two weeks inside. The quarantine of 50,000 people made global news and the Italian government used it to reassure nervous European leaders that the problem was under control.
Italian health authorities are still searching for 'patient zero' - the person who brought the virus to northern Italy and could solve the mystery of how it spread so rapidly and whether more outbreaks are likely. There is concern the person is still travelling around Italy or Europe, potentially infecting more people who are yet to display symptoms.
The roadblocks were designed to limit the spread of the virus into the rest of Italy, particularly nearby Milan, the country's financial headquarters and home to 1.4 million people.
Italy's changing approach to dealing with the virus has also caused confusion. Having initially had a policy of testing anyone who had contact with an infected person, the new containment strategy is less strict and focussed on self-quarantine and regular temperature testing.
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