Coronavirus outbreak: People dying every 3 minutes in Lombardy

Kevin Rebello a native of Naigaon who is currently settled in Milan Italy lives in fear of contracting the novel Coronavirus With limited savings in hand and stock running out rapidly he is also wary of his future which he says is uncertain On Friday COVID19 overall death toll in Italy touched 13 915 while 115242 tested positive are struggling to survive in the already stressed out medical care systemSharing the current situation of the country Kevin who is working with a healthcare centre from home and was a parttime tour operator before the pandemic hit the European nation pours his heart out to midday from his rented apartment in Milan Itay mdashWe are almost in the fifth week of home quarantine and time does not seem to fly when you are confined in your home I go to bed wondering what will happen next and when will this get over and wake up thinking the same I am afraid of falling ill Experts say the wrath of the virus has just begunDeath every 3 minutesI live in Milan the capital of Lombardy state where the cases are rising daily with people dying every three minutes More than 27000 cases have been reported from Lombardy which has a population of about 10 million More than half the cases in Italy is from LombardyI hear an ambulance every 20 to 25 minutes and pray for whoever is in there The streets are otherwise empty I sometimes listen to the stories of people who have lost their loved ones sometimes families are unable to see their dying relative Its painfulWhen a person in critical condition dies during treatment the authorities inform the family members and then cremates the person themselves There are cremations every 15 minutes What happens after that is a mystery and I guess millions in Italy are wondering about the sameI have a friend who is missing since March 4 He was unwell and called an ambulance for checkup They came tested him and took him away and till today no one has heard from him This is what his daughter told us Because of the privacy law we cant even enquireNo gathering in balconiesWe have been told to stop going to the balconies and near open windows and to sing and chant together as the experts who came from China shared that saliva is blown into the air when we open our mouth and it is likely to land on someone elses face or body below and the wind can even carry it and it may spread on an object like a carKevin RebelloAfter it deposits on the ground our shoes can gather the trace and we can bring it inside our homes So we have kept aside a pair of shoes for outdoor work we leave it outside and spray it with disinfectant every week when we go outside We also wash the clothes we wear to the market and take shower after returning all to maintain hygieneLockdown extendedOn March 23 the government extended the lockdown that was supposed to end on April 3 till April 30 We are staring at another threemonths shutdown if situation doesnt improveThe government has also increased the fine from 260euro Rs 21398 to 5000euro Rs 411500 and imprisonment of up to 12 months for those found violating the rules and loitering on the road for no reasonOther countries must now learn from the mistakes of China and Italy as there is no time for making more errors1 shopping day a weekOnly one family member is allowed to go once a week to the supermarket and the queue is very long We have to wait for at least two hours to get into the superstore and have to leave with the grocery within 25 to 30 minutes so others get a chance too Everyone abides the rule its just civic sense We buy just essentials for daily useFrom next month I will have to make a choice between paying my apartment rent about R70000 or giving up essentials There is money in ATMs but we cannot step out due to the lockdownParting wordsWe just hope and pray that no one has to go through this painful situation ever My advice to you is please stay at home invest your time with your families and please dont take it the pandemic lightly Dont even think nothing will happen to me may be not but you could unknowingly infect your familycommunity and the most vulnerable elder generation and wont even know itSo for the sake of your fellow citizens be safe and respect the health guidelines A little sacrifice now will help end it and we could have a better future soonCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates