L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 W e c a n ' t w a i t t o start over again, but are we really ready? Beside all t h e a b s o l u t e l y necessary, compulsory, indispensable health norms our life and those of our loved ones depend on, did we really u n d e r s t a n d t h a t s o m e o f o u r habits have to change? The lockdown was hard. It heavily limited our way of live, of interacting socially and professionally. But if this w a s — a n d i s — t h e o n l y w a y t o weaken the virus, slow down infection and help one another, then complaining about it is useless. Many coun- tries, Italy included, demonstrated that social distancing is the only thing truly able to slow down a disease which is unknown, just like unknown are its consequences and, for now, cure. Let's not forget this. Because if going back to life as it used to be, going back to work, to school, to strolling in the park is "normal" and more than understandable, we all need to be aware that, until the premises don't change — that is, until our enemy remains a mystery — we'll all have to accept heavy, but necessary, changes. We don't know how long antibodies' immunity lasts, if any of the 35 variants of the virus can infect someone who already had it, if this vaccine we all await feverishly creates global herd immunity (because it's impossible not to think in global, international terms), if medications cause medium term side effects on patients, if people who had it are at risk of something else, brought somehow by Covid-19. These are just some of the questions scientists across the world have Starting over safely means to "make a virtue of necessity" From the director been trying to answer. Adapting won't be easy and we know it. Especially when you get no wages. But we cannot forget that everything can get worse and crash once again. The way ICUs have been fil- led to capacity for months, all over the world demonstrated it. Mistakes can be just around the corner. And in this Phase Two of the fight against the virus, the one where we have to cohabit with it, Italy is the one, again, showing it to the world. Going around with masks and plastic gloves is really hard, especially now that the hot season approaches; and so is staying apart from friends and family, still being unable to see them. It's immensely difficult, regardless to age. Even Milan, one of the cities hit by the virus most dra- matically, showed that the violently harsh "lesson" taught by hospitals, the dead and the infected hasn't been enough not to make mistakes. As soon as it became possible, Milanese crowded their Navigli, meeting friends at cafés as nothing had happened. Neapolitans did the same, filling their promenade just like any other Sunday, and the Sicilians, too, getting to their beaches for a bit of tintarella. And we can rest assured the same will soon happen in New York. Are we just disrespecting norms, disregarding the danger, the controls and the fines? Is this social irresponsibility, individual stupidity or mere difficulty to adapt, to change habits? The point is: this moment is crucial. We need to go back to normality step by step, avoiding mistakes, trying not to go too fast and jump steps. We need to settle for what we can have and move slowly forward. It's difficult, but there is no choice. And the second lockdown enforced in those countries where the passage from quarantine to party was too quick demonstrates it. The same can be said for the economy: a continuous opening and closing of factories could create more damage that a complete, yet regulated stop. Time is key. Even if, right now, it seems to be against us, even if this eternal process of waiting and postponing seems just like an endless agony leading to unemployment, to run- ning out of money, to the worsening of our quality of life. Even if inching closer to the summer makes us fear the pos- sibility to spend our holidays locked at home, far from those beaches and that relax we long so much for. Yes, it's going to be difficult and losses, especially in places like Italy and California, where tourism is a core business, are going to be immense. Thinking about miles and miles of empty beaches, about Venice and Florence without the sparkling vitality of touri- sm, about Rome and Naples without their traditional, cheer- ful confusion is painful. But truth is, at least for the next few months, we cannot even think of vacationing on the Riviera Adriatica, nor can we crowd the beautiful beaches of Puglia. We'll have to adapt to a different type of summer. Economy and health need to learn how to walk together and not to run against one another. For this reason, it's essential we, too, learn to accept and adapt to new situa- tions: only when everyone embraces responsibility and com- mon sense we'll be able to start over again in safety and enjoy once more beaches, restaurants, sea and holidays in all tranquillity. As we say in Italy, we need to fare di necessità virtù, make a virtue of necessity, which doesn't only mean to face difficulties without giving up, but also to find ways to gain something off them. Simone Schiavinato, Director NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italiana all'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano 610 West Foothill Blvd. Unit D, Monrovia, CA 91016 - Tel.: (626) 359-7715 PLEASE SEND CORRESPONDENCE TO P.O. BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization), www.italoamericano.org, is the largest and longest-running Italian newspaper in America, not to mention the cultural and news resource for all things Italian in the US. A bilingual newspaper which represents an historical landmark for the Italian American Communities in the West Coast and throughout the US. L'Italo-Americano benefits from subsidies by the Italian Government, Memberships and Donations intended to support and not interrupt a mission that began in 1908 to preserve and promote the Italian language and culture in the USA Periodicals postage paid at Monrovia, California 91016, and additional mailing offices. PUBLISHER Robert Barbera Grande Ufficiale DIRECTOR/EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Giudici SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTORS Catherine Accardi Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Joel Mack, Paula Reynolds, Nicoletta Curradi, GenerosoD'Agnese, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Alfonso Guerriero Jr., Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio © 2020 L'Italo-Americano Membership: One year $59 - Single copy $2.25 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to L'Italo Americano PO Box 6528 Altadena, CA 91003 Dear readers, It has come to our attention that the Postal Service has been experiencing some opera- tional impacts in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result some of you may experience a delay in receiving copies of L'Italo-Americano. L'Italo Americano is continuing to print according to its regular bi-weekly schedule. There are no changes in our publishing schedule. Rest assure that we are doing everything we can to insure newspaper delivery and we are prepared to extend your subscription to one extra month free of charge to make up for the copies that might have not yet been received. Please call us at 626.359.7715 or email us at accounting@italoamericano.org to request your extended subscription at no cost. Best regards Simone Schiavinato Director L'Italo Americano

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