Items

• 
  2020-05-04

  "Phase 2: First Day at the Park"

  As Phase II begins in this lovely sunny day of the late Spring season, in the heart of Italy, Rome, people from all around take their first breaths of fresh air after 2 months of strict quarantine in the biggest park of the city: Villa Pamphili. As I find a large space where dancing respectfully of the social distancing normative is possible, or to simply hear the sound of nature, I acknowledge the beauty of our mother earth, taking a moment to breath in, even if through a face mask, the gifts that she offers us and that are often forgotten about. How wonderful it is to return to this small piece of life.
• 2020-05-03

  Study Abroad

  In an alternate universe, this week would probably be a lot more different. Prior to this whole COVID-19 thing, I was planning to study abroad with my school to Italy. I planned this as far back as fall of last year, and I was getting pretty excited. I was unsure I would even be able to go at first, but my mom encouraged me to go for it. After filling out all sorts of stuff to go on the trip and to get financial aid, my worst fears came true. Not only was the virus ravaging the globe, it especially hit Italy pretty hard. I was really looking forward to be able to go over there and learn more about the country's culture and history, but it's looking more and more like that won't happen for a while. I've never really gone out of the country before, so this would've been a very new experience for me. Even so, it's not that big of a deal. I'm sure I could always go another time when things have cleared up and the world is in a better condition. What I'm more concerned about is how it will affect other people in general. I imagine that tourism is a big facet of Italy, and that people not being able to come could hit them really hard in addition to its effects on internal affairs. While I'm not sure about what the outcome of this pandemic will be for everybody, I am sure that the world will never be the same after all of this.
• 
  2020-04-28

  CoVid19 Meme - Counting and Naming Stones

  Meme posted to Facebook about CoVid19. Jokes about being bored and counting stones/naming stones in a wall.
• 
  2020-04-04

  Coronavirus: Europe's forgotten Roma at risk

  This article discusses the current crisis in Europe and particularly the hard impact on the Roma community and many ways their comunity was already suffering and lacking in infrastructure to be adequately prepared for the virus. The article also discusses a number of legislative actions by European countries specifically targeting Roma communities.
• 
  2020-03-27

  Covid-19 Current Situation

  I describe the situation when cases of Covid-19 in Italy and the US exceeded that in China
• 
  2020-03-01

  Empty Churches in Italy and throughout the world.

  This shows us the result of what the Covid-19 has done to the public and to the Church faithful.
• 
  2020-03-28

  Axiom Town Hall Covid-19

  This is a video Town Hall of oncologists who specialize in lung cancer to allow them to discuss their best strategies for contending with the COVID-19 outbreak and providing care for their patients. The most compelling and important testimony is provided by Dr. Marina Garassino of Milan, Italy. She focuses on the importance of a strategy for dividing hospitals into COVID-positive and COVID-negative sections and for allowing some cancer patients to stay at home because they do not require intensive care. She also focuses on problem in Italy of only testing symptomatic individuals for the virus. This is a problem being repeated in the U.S. at this time.
• 
  2020-03-29

  two friends and a balcony

  A photo has been taken in Italy of two neighbors sharing a bottle of wine on their balconies. They put a piece of wood between the space that divides the two balconies as a table. This shows how some people find company and in the same time respect social distancing.
• 
  2020-03-30

  Coronavirus flight meme

  Since flight prices are very cheap during this time due to low demand, many people have taken advantage of this. However, if a person is heard coughing or sneezing theres immediate worry that they have "coronavirus."
• 
  2020-03-16

  Drone Footage

  Drone footage of Italy #HIST5241
• 
  2020-03-27

  Message sent on Matterhorn mountain by Swiss light artist Gary Hofstetter

  Sending a message of hope amid the Covid-19 pandemic
• 
  2020-03-22

  Italy, Pandemic’s New Epicenter, Has Lessons for the World

  hyperlink
• 
  2020-03-21

  Traveling in Italy

  My wife and I were traveling in Italy when this started to blow up there. I think when we got there, there were a couple cases maybe. We were in Venice for Carnivale and then traveled to Florence, Pisa and Lucca. We visited the Uffizi museum and the statue of David and then stayed in a castle overlooking Florence. We traveled by train throughout the cities and lots of boats while in Venice. The Sunday we were going to Florence on the train is when we heard Carnivale was canceled. When we got back on Monday to Venice, it was a very different scene with the piazza's and Campos very empty along with the restaurants. During our last couple of days in Italy, they started locking things down. Lombardi region, specifically Milan, got put on lockdown and Rome was quickly heading that direction. We did take precautions and wiping surfaces we were touching down and washing our hands constantly, but did not find any masks we could buy. The most frustrating part was during our travels back to the US. We flew from Marco Polo airport in Venice to Frankfurt airport and then to Denver. We received absolutely no screening or testing whatsoever during that entire trip. The crazy thing is that we received a forehead scan on the way into Frankfurt going to Italy, but absolutely nothing on the way home. While we were both lucky enough to be able to work from home, we both had some mild symptoms and felt given our recent return from Italy that we should get tested. Because of the sole fact that we were not running a temperature it took us over a week to actually get a test and then a few more days to get the results. I feel very fortunate and surprised that we tested negative.
• 
  2020-03-18

  News story: Dolphins and swans reappear in Venice canals one week after city locks down

  An unexpected upside of the coronavirus - dolphins and swans appearing in the canals of Venice one week after the city's shutdown.
• 
  2020-03-19

  Priest gives sermon to an empty congregation. Parishioners replaced with images of themselves.

  Dear First Parish Family, I saw this story yesterday and I was touched by the thoughtful and creative idea. Father Guiseppe Corbari pastors a church in Italy, and rather than live-stream in an empty sanctuary, he asked the church family to send in photographs of themselves. He printed them off and put them in the pews. I love the idea of having you in the sanctuary with me as we observe the physical distancing recommendations. Please send your photos to me (scott.cousineau@firstparishsaco.org). I would love to see your faces looking back at me on Sunday morning! Grace and Peace to you, Scott
• 
  2020-03-19

  Extract from a Local News in Italy

  It is an article copied in a word doc, including the Internet Link
• 
  2020-03-15

  Italy Resists

  Sent me by a friend in Italy . . . it widely circulates there as a testimony of the resistance and resilience of the Italian people against this calamity. Most cities are in lock down
• 
  2020-03-19

  Italy surpasses China in Covid-19 death toll

  An ominous moment in the course of Covid-19 pandemic.
• 
  03/15/2020

  CoVid-19 cases in Italy worsen, raising death toll and number of infected

  CoVid-19 cases worsening in Italy
• 
  2020-03-14

  Deaths in Bergamo

  Reporting on Twitter revealed the obituary pages showed the dramatic increases in deaths in Bergamo Italy as a result of the Corona Virus.