Coronavirus in Italy

Is COVID-19 Changing How We Measure Distance?

8:00am April 12, 2020

Liying is from Wuhan, China. She's married to Federico, from Lombardy, Italy. Now in the U.S., they describe the rapid shift in perceptions of the pandemic as it has spread through each country.

A screen displaying messages concerning COVID-19 is seen in a sparsely populated Times Square in New York City on Friday. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all nonessential businesses to close by Sunday.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus Deaths Spike Abroad As New York City Becomes U.S. Virus Epicenter

6:35pm March 21, 2020

by Lynsey Jeffery

The global death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 12,000 Saturday as New York City reported thousands of new cases over the past week. Cases in that city now make up about a third of all cases in the U.S.

The obituaries section of local newspaper Eco di Bergamo stretched several pages long earlier this week at the heart of the hardest-hit province in Italy's hardest-hit region of Lombardy.

Italy Calls In Army To Hardest-Hit Region As Coronavirus Deaths Spike

4:48pm March 20, 2020

by Merrit Kennedy

Officials say there are simply too many people still on the streets with no justification. The country just registered its largest death toll in a single day since the start of the outbreak.

A patient in a biocontainment unit is carried on a stretcher from an ambulance at the Columbus Covid 2 Hospital in Rome, on Tuesday. Italy's health system is straining to keep up with quickly rising coronavirus cases.

'Every Single Individual Must Stay Home': Italy's Coronavirus Surge Strains Hospitals

7:39pm March 19, 2020

by Sylvia Poggioli

The country has universal health care. But now, fighting tens of thousands of coronavirus cases, Italian hospitals and medical staff are overwhelmed, prompting anguished debate.

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In normal times the pubs and cafes of Piazza Trilussa are the heart of Roman nightlife. Now all is shuttered; the rental bike stand is full and the only sound is the waterfall in the fountain.

World News

Reporter's Notebook: What Life Is Like In Rome Under Coronavirus Lockdown

12:21pm March 16, 2020

by Sylvia Poggioli

Life in Rome is turned upside down, writes NPR's Sylvia Poggioli: "Even for someone who has reported from war zones, it's unnerving ... like being suspended between the Dark Ages and a sci-fi future."

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A passenger checks flight information at Fiumicino airport in Rome, Italy. President Trump imposed a 30-day ban on most travelers coming from from European countries, beginning late Friday E.T.

Public Health Experts Question Trump's Ban On Most Travelers From Europe

11:35pm March 12, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

A key medical adviser to the president on COVID-19 defends the travel restrictions as "the right public health call." But others dismiss the move as "remarkably pointless" or, potentially, dangerous.

A person wearing a face mask at the Piazza Di Spagna in Rome during the coronavirus emergency, on Tuesday, after the Italian government imposed national restrictions to control the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

Health & Safety

As Coronavirus In China Wanes, Italy, South Korea See Brunt Of Epidemic

6:25am March 11, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The United Kingdom's health minister has also been diagnosed with coronavirus – one of nearly 400 confirmed cases in that country, as Turkey on Wednesday announced its first case.

In Italy, police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan's main train station on Monday.

Health & Safety

Italy Expands Quarantine Measures Nationwide To Stem Spread Of Coronavirus

8:41pm March 09, 2020

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday declared the entire country a "red zone," meaning people should stay home except for work and emergencies.

Tourists wearing respiratory masks visit the Coliseum in Rome on Friday. Italy's coronavirus cases have continued to rise, making it one of the hardest-hit countries.

World News

With Italy's Coronavirus Cases Rising Fast, Rome's Streets Go Quiet

4:51pm March 06, 2020

by Sylvia Poggioli

Almost 200 people have died from COVID-19 in Italy and over 4,000 have tested positive. Though the capital is far from the epicenter in the north, its famed tourist sites are nearly empty.

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