Italian lockdown

Blue sapphire, I am in the same boat, we are due to fly to Venice on 21 April, so we are just having to wait and see what happens and cannot make any alternative plans as our insurance will not cover us.

I think you will find that's it's only essential travel to northern Italy now as of today.

We are due to travel by coach down to Rome and further south at Easter. Our holiday is still going ahead and will do so unless the foreign office says we can't go. I am not unduly worried about the virus but what is the point in travelling if everything is going to be shut when we get there and you can bet your life we will told to self isolate when we come back.

WHAT LOCKDOWN? and yes I am shouting, BBC News or some news on tv says quite a few planes have landed in Gatwick, regardless of so called Lockdown.. and yes, this Government is too slow... so many people come from other countries, and no testing even!

Eldest DS is going skiing this week near the Austria/Italy border, he doesn’t seem overly concerned and I’m trying not to be ? !!

I would not travel anywhere now, why risk it? These travellers are so selfish.

Agreed polnan that people are entering the country freely so there is no hope of containing it. We just have to look out for ourselves.

^^ How does it make any sense to have plane loads of people flying in from an area that is in quarantine?

Plane loads of people aren’t flying in from an area that’s in quarantine, because they’re in quarantine...

An Italian doctor has just been on the news asking people to do as little as possible in an effort to contain. As a country we should learn from their experience.

I spoke to a business acquaintance in China today. He laughed and said, 'Yes, we built a hospital in 10 days. What is Italy going to do?'

He has a point. They may have been the epicentre, but they clamped it down FAST. Only 40 new cases in the WHOLE of China today.

The rest of the world appears to be allowing unrestricted travel anywhere regardless.

I read somewhere that air pollution in China, Iran and Italy is much worse than in other countries and that this has contributed to the large no. of cases in those countries.

I have an Italian friend living in Milan, she and her partner are both very worried. A few weeks ago she was playing it down and saying it was all under control and it would be fine, now she realises she spoke too soon. Yesterday she was in such a panic she was actually suicidal and honestly when she described how bad it was there I could totally understand.

I can't believe how relaxed some people are here, it's like they can't see from what is happening in Italy and what happened in China and that this is not just some simple flu illness.

One friend of mine in the USA, who I will admit has really gone overboard with worrying, has been self isolating himself and his family for the last few weeks. He thinks the longer people can protect themselves from being exposed to this virus then the better. I know not everyone is in a position to stock up for a few weeks and self isolate but when you are older or have health issues then maybe it's a good thing.

I've just read that they think the virus in Italy is a new strain which has mutated and is much more aggressive. And yet we're allowing people from Milan (under quarantine) to pour into the UK with no checks.

Daisymae you're right - if the Italian govt have quarantined a particular area, then it's absolutely senseless for any planes to fly in or out irrespective of where they have come from or are going. It's either lockdown or it isn't, and frankly it isn't. Lockdown means completely closing the borders between regions - that's not even possible so the spread will continue - but not so fast.

If you paid by Mastercard and the flight is cancelled the money will be paid back to you, but not if you have used another kind of credit card.

However, don't just assume that the money is lost. I have just helped a neighbour get a refund on a flight from Bagdad to Hamburg that was cancelled.

I wouldn't go anywhere right now, or in a month's time if this infection is still rampant. I know you may loose your money, but will you honestly enjoy the trip if you have to worry about infecton? I know I wouldn't.

My Easyjet flight in April is still going ahead and it goes back and forward twice a day along with many other airlines. They aren’t going to cancel unless the government tells them to as it would mean refunding the money. They would rather people just didn’t turn up.

Our government are so slow in making it official not to go to infected countries. That would enabled people booked to get a refund. Why they are letting planes land from parts of Italy in lockdown worries me too. How are people getting to airport if these cities are in lockdown? We are an island surely we close access to our country and protect ourselves. Or are we scared of offending anyone?

A friend had a holiday booked to South Korea last week and refused to go. She couldn't get her money back but has managed to book an alternative holiday later in the year to Canada I think.

Our twin grandsons (age 14) were scheduled to go on an 8th grade trip to Florence and Venice this month. It was canceled by the school that they attend.

We are due to fly to Rome on 5th April (we live in California) and from there will be going to Sorrento and then Sicily. We haven’t cancelled yet, but are thinking about it. We would be so disappointed but if the virus has spread even more, the holiday might be spoiled by the sheer inconvenience of it all. We have to make a decision very soon.........

My husband was due to go to northern Italy skiing yesterday. Although areas very close to the resort and airport are in lockdown, the advice from the tour operator was business as usual. My husband made the decision not to go based on the fact that he has severe asthma and didn’t want to increase his risk of contracting the virus or risk 2 weeks self isolation on his return as he has a hospital two days after his return. We’ve lost around £1500. All the rest of the group decided to go.

the sense to them is that the uk has a relatively better standard of healthcare and it is free. Italy is financially broke. That is why so many are making haste to get here

My neighbour’s daughter has just returned from a four day break in Rome. I don’t know if they now plan to self-isolate. It would be difficult, because their two teenage children didn’t go with them, and still live at home.
I have a flight to Australia booked for the end of April, when my new GC is due. I hope that I don’t have to cancel.

Flights booked to Pisa in April. Can cancel hotel up to 2 days before at no cost but not sure Ryan Air will be as useful. Sitting tight to see how things progress. ?‍♀️

The Italian healthcare system in the north is certainly as good as if not better in many areas than the NHS so to suggest otherwise craftyone implies you have no knowledge of the system. Yes, they are under considerable strain at the moment ( as is the NHS seemingly all the time) but the hospitals and care in Lombardia is excellent ( I speak with personal experience). They are not anymore “financially broke”(sic) than we are.