A man lies sprawled on the floor of a toilet at Cardarelli Hospital in Naples. In the adjacent hallway, hospital beds with Patients in densely packed confusion. The blurry cell phone video of the shocking Death of an 84-year-old in a Emergency Room Went viral on social media within hours.
In front of another Hospital the Vesuvius metropolis, cars of patients with respiratory distress are lined up. To prevent them from suffocating, nurses place oxygen bottles next to the trolleys. Thin tubes lead inside the car to the sick in the back seat.
Retirement homes in Rome no longer accept Corona convalescents
In Rome old people remain after surviving Corona infection in the hospital, because Homes for the elderly they no longer record. A young man who left the line for the Corona test in Rome to go to work receives word shortly after that he has tested positive, though no more swabs were taken. Countless episodes demonstrate that Italy's health care system is overwhelmed by the second Corona wave.
Naples belongs since the weekend together with Lombardy, Piedmont, Calabria, Valle d'Aosta, Tuscany and the autonomous province of Bolzano to the seven " red zones ". Rome remains among the five lowest-risk areas in the three-tiered system of red, orange and yellow zones. Green zones do not exist because the virus is everywhere.
Thus, in Rome's famous Giolitti ice cream parlor not far from Parliament and Seat of government on mild autumn days not as usual Tourists to the street queue. Instead, Romans walking in the old city, which seems to have been swept clean by the Corona pandemic, are even greeted by the cashier with a joke. "4.000 euros," she says, sitting on her high throne next to the entrance and seemingly unmoved, adding four zeros to the actual price of an ice cream sundae. But the cheerful tone is deceptive.
Prime Minister Conte imposes tougher measures on a weekly basis
Even though Rome is not one of the most Corona decree red zones set up in Italy, fear is spreading in the Italian capital of the epidemic and of the economic consequences of the gradually tightened restrictions. Some wear iron Mask and keep distance. Others gather in Ostia for the Beach party with DJ or celebrate a mass "against tyranny" with representatives of the far-right Forza Nuova crowded together outside a church in the old town without masks.
Under the impression of exponentially growing infection figures decreed Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte too late for physicians, but still too harsh for entrepreneurs. Until the 3. December is to apply the latest decree this time. In recent weeks, he ied decree after decree, without waiting two weeks in each case to see the effect of the Measures to check.
Health Minister Sileri expresses cautious optimism
The Lombardy recorded at around 8.000 continues to have the highest number of new infections in a single day. But the rush to hospital emergency rooms is slowing down. "I would wait a few more days before saying that the peak of the second wave has been reached," announces deputy health minister Pierpaolo Sileri cautiously optimistic.
Meanwhile, nationwide, the reproduction index dropped from 1.7 to 1.4. At the same time, the red zones set up in Italy, as opposed to Germany not over one but over two weeks calculated incidence value of newly infected per 100.000 inhabitants recently from 525 to around 650 an.
The regions had responded to national regulations pushed. They did not want to be responsible for the economic consequences of local Lockdowns Being held accountable. In the end, Conte nevertheless opted for procedures adapted to the respective infection incidence.
Tough lockdown for seven Italian regions
Thus, for about ten days, throughout the country from 22.00 o'clock a nightly Curfew . Museums, cinemas and theaters remain closed everywhere. Bars and restaurants must be open at 18.00 o'clock close. Bars and restaurants will remain closed altogether in the nine regions classified as orange due to medium risk, spread throughout Italy. Only in urgent cases are residents allowed to leave these regions.
In the seven regions classified as red, a hard lockdown is in effect, as in the spring, with an all-day curfew. Residents are only allowed to leave the house to go to work, the doctor and shopping. From the 6. class, the schools in the hardest-hit parts of the country are to be on Distance learning rearrange. But not all families have an Internet connection or a computer. Elementary schools are to remain open in all regions for the time being.
The regional governor of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana by the right-wing nationalist Lega, nevertheless called the government's action in Rome simply a "slap in the face". The head of the Lega put it even more drastically Matteo Salvini from. In his typical campaign tone, he judged the government was unworthy and incompetent. "It seems to me they are playing raffle."
Physicians criticize lack of tracking of infection chains
At the same time, Conte, who has no party affiliation, had in the summer proved to be a successful Crisis manager of the first Corona phase basked in a survey high. Den State of emergency he had successfully fought with a hard lockdown. In view of the dramatic images of military trucks transporting coffins away from the overloaded crematorium in Bergamo , was the Acceptance for the measures in the spring large.
But then ambulances with sick people again formed queues in front of Hospitals . "We are paying for not having a sufficient system to track infections and a territorial Prevention have built up", means Nino Cartabellotta by the Gimbe Foundation in Bologna.
The chairman of the medical research institute stresses that only a strict lockdown will lower the curve of new infections by fifty percent within a month. The latest Tightening of Corona measures he considers insufficient. Moreover, he said, it is unclear how the 21 criteria used to classify regions as red, orange or yellow work.
Number of intensive care beds not increased as planned
In the summer, moreover, the planned increase of the Beds in Intensive care units only partially implemented. Instead of the planned increase of 3.500, the number of available places was only increased by about 1.000 to 6.500 beds increased.
Medical professionals had already warned in the spring of a return of the virus with cooler temperatures in the Fall warned. Nevertheless, especially young people gathered again in bars and restaurants since the first relaxations or celebrated together at home. In Sardinia they were even allowed to dance in beach discos in August. Without adherence to the current spacing rules, the curve of infections rose steeply again, especially after the end of the school vacations.
