The Northern Territory Of Italy Is Closed, The Fate Of Indonesian Citizens Is Still Safe

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The northern region of Italy is closed to reduce the spread of the corona virus (COVID-19). This closure has an impact on all regions of the world, including Indonesia.

Indonesia had previously imposed restrictions on the entry and exit of any citizen of the country who had traveled from four countries, China, Italy, Iran and South Korea.

Now, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on its website, opens the Indonesian Embassy in Rome's Covid-19 Handling Post Hotline Number: [phone]. Currently, there are 1,239 Indonesian citizens in Italy. The Indonesian Embassy in Rome coordinates with local authorities for the handling of Indonesian citizens who are there.

Until now, no Indonesian citizen has been infected with COVID-19 in the area. In general, the Indonesian citizens remained calm and decided to stay at home according to the provisions of the local authorities. Daily food supply is also guaranteed.

#SahabatKemlu, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor the situation of the development of COVID-19, this time an update from the Indonesian Embassy in Rome. Until now, there are no Indonesian citizens who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Italy. For further, see https://t.co/ImkpRnOvEF#NegaraMelindung

- MoFA Indonesia (@Kemlu_RI) March 8, 2020

Furthermore, the Indonesian people in Northern Italy are urged to remain calm, take preventive steps and follow the rules set by the local health authorities and continue to monitor the information submitted by the Indonesian Embassy in Rome.

Reporting from Reuters, the Italian government ordered the closure of this northern region of Italy as well as limiting activities in it to prevent the corona virus. The closure starts Sunday March 8th to April 3rd.

The restrictions will affect the 16 million people there. The policy was passed into law by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Saturday, March 7 evening.

The new policy prohibits citizens from entering and leaving Lombardy, along with 14 other provinces in four regions, including Venice, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia and Rimini.

"There should be no activity in and out of the area, or in it, unless it is related to work, emergency situations and health," said Conte.

Illustration (Unsplash)

However, this policy has not been going well. Because, on Sunday, the first day the policy began, flights abroad in Milan and Venice were still running normally. Likewise, trains that still sell travel tickets normally.

Conte's policy calls for the closure of all museums, gyms, cultural centers, ski resorts and swimming pools. However, medics have not been allowed to take time off during the spread of the coronavirus in Italy.

Then, the policy also ordered that restaurants and bars be allowed to open from 6 am to 6 pm. Activities in the two places are still permitted as long as the shop owner can guarantee that everyone keeps a distance of at least one meter.

#Coronavirus, appena firmato il nuovo decreto: https://t.co/jYbSx7FEpG

- Giuseppe Conte (@GiuseppeConteIT) March 8, 2020

The Italian government passed the new rules hours after the relevant authorities announced the number of positive patients with the virus had reached 1,200 within 24 hours. So far, 5,883 patients have been infected with the virus, but 589 of them have been declared cured.

About 85 percent of the total cases of transmission of the new type of corona virus in Italy are found in northern regions such as Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. As many as 92 percent of patients in the region were declared dead due to COVID-19.

Since the regulation was implemented, Conte has also lifted quarantine status in 11 cities that are at the center of the spread of the virus. However, he advised residents with fever to stay at home, even though they had not tested positive for the new type of corona virus.