TALI FEINBERG
Erica is South African and Italian, and was born in Durban. Nicolas is Italian-born to Polish Jewish parents. The couple have lived in Milan for 13 years, and also have a home in Cape Town.
“I’m 59, and Nic is 71, so it comes quite close to home when at-risk age groups are discussed,” says Brown. “We’ve been under ‘quarantine-like’ conditions for a week now. At this stage, there’s no understanding of how long it will last, with the fear that it could be a question not of weeks but months. Also, we haven’t experienced a ‘peak’ yet, with contagion numbers still growing each day. The feeling is that besides abiding by contagion rules, there’s very little one can do, and we are somewhat helpless.”
She also finds it frightening to see such a vibrant city “dead quiet”, and to see that “even with our advanced medical structure, the hospitals are overwhelmed, there are no beds, ICUs are full, and they are running out of ventilators”.
Quarantine-like conditions means “we are allowed to go to the grocery store and pharmacy. But we have to enter individually, and keep at least a metre from one another. We can’t have friends and family visit.”
Looking back on the moment she realised Italy and Milan in particular had been hit by the coronavirus, Brown recalls, “I think the reality struck when news reports confirmed the incremental rate of contagion only days after the first case; seeing the spread of gloves and masks in everyday situations; and when the ‘red zones’ were created just outside of Milan.”
She says that initially, the “red zone” was the term used for the number of towns across the north of Italy where the virus first broke out. “Before any cases arrived in Milan itself, a cintura (ring) was set up to close off these towns. Entry and exits are controlled through one corridor, and they are allowed only for essential services. This is managed by the police.
“Our regional government has been extremely pro-active in broadening this to include Milan, which is in the region of Lombardy. First by closing schools, all public gatherings, museums, cinemas and so on, and restaurants and bars had a curfew. We had to get used to this new way of life over a period of a week. Italians are very social people, and spend a lot of time in close proximity to one another. It was a tough call for them as a community.”
She points out that the term “red-zone” is now almost obsolete, as a week ago, it was decreed that the whole of Italy would be under lockdown. “This was self-imposed, not from outside pressure, but obviously one saw the immediate effect of international airlines stopping flights to and from Italy. Now all shops (excluding pharmacies and supermarkets) are closed – even parks. It’s a ghost town, with the silence being tangible. All bars and restaurants have been shut down. You have to carry an auto-certificate to state why you’re on the streets.
The couple don’t know anyone infected at this stage.
For them, the most uplifting aspect of living under lockdown has been the community spirit.
“At noon on Saturday, we all gathered on balconies and open windows with massive city wide applause for the medical staff battling harsh conditions. And now, at 18:00 in the evening, again we throw open the windows and spontaneous musical performances take place and popular songs are sung. The number of volunteer efforts to help the elderly and retired doctors and nurses turning up at hospitals to shore up numbers has been inspiring.”
Their message to the South African Jewish community is, “Listen to advice, take heed, try not to panic, but don’t diminish the risk. There will be an impact on Pesach, for sure, and for a while, we won’t be able to gather for our best tradition – Shabbos dinner. Accept that there will be an impact on community life.”
The most important thing we should do to stop the virus spreading is, “Wash your hands, and don’t sneeze or cough without covering your mouth. Stay safe, be aware, and don’t put your head in the sand anywhere in the world. Take care of each other.”
They believe Jewish history can show us how to survive under difficult circumstances. “We will come out of this eventually. Our families have survived the horrors of the Holocaust and world wars. This too will pass.”
