Milan Goes Into Lockdown
Milan Goes Into Lockdown
11 March 2020
MILAN, Italy – Prime Minister Conte of Italy banned all commercial activity in Italy, with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies, on March 11, 2020 as news of widespread COVID-19 infections came to light. This follows the quarantine and travel restriction measures that had been put in place two days prior.
The typically bustling Piazza del Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II of Milan, Italy were suddenly quiet when lockdown measures were put in place and all non-essential businesses in the city were forced to shutter their doors. Only a handful of curious citizens could be seen strolling through the Galleria where one is normally struggling to push through crowds of tourists.
In the first hours and days there remained a lot of confusion about how the lockdown would work and what the rules would be for people living within Italy. Milan was one of the first areas in Italy to be hit hard by the pandemic and some businesses had already been feeling the effect.
Prior to the announcement, there was a noticeable effect on Asian restaurants, who felt forced to close their businesses due to lack of clientele. Signs explaining the closures had already become a regular sighting. These signs now adorn the doors of nearly every business in the city, and the essential shops that remain open have their own information printed outside of their entrance.
Photographer based in Munich, Germany