REPORTAGE
Codogno is the leading European center for the coronavirus epidemic. On Monday, when a fourth person died after contracting the virus, the city was still in quarantine. At midday, it gradually came out of its "dead city" state. Confined to their homes for the whole weekend, some people decided to venture outside.
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For many, it is above all a question of finding basic necessities as well as drugs or gloves. Long queues meander past city pharmacies. "We are there without a mask without protection, we are afraid of dying because we are alone, we don't know what to do", explains Sarah. She waited more than half an hour in the hope of recovering a mask. Unfortunately, the pharmacy is out of stock. "The authorities tell us 'we are here we can help', but frankly no one is doing anything."
"It feels like a time of war"
In this city under a bell, without transport or school, the atmosphere is heavy. In the streets, many locals are hurrying, refusing to be approached. They flock to the few shops that opened on Monday. "There are so many people, it's unreal. It feels like a war," exclaims Eleonora who came to buy bread in a bakery. "We thought it was all far from us in China. We weren't expecting anything of this magnitude."
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Despite the concern, the population remains calm. Residents say they trust the authorities. They evoke the roadblocks at the exit of the city. However, their faces tense when we explain to them that they entered Codogno, several times, without being checked by the police.
In all, 165 cases have been identified in Lombardy, eleven cities in the north of the country are placed in isolation.