As sure as an open space of a lovely park in Turin beckons some old men to gather, albeit at the requisite distance apart, signs of life in Northern Italy are continuing inspite of the not quite reassuring headlines.
     “Supplies are plentiful,” reports Marco Sorgetti, our man on the ground in Turin, his home town.

Down On The Ground

     “As seen today in most supermarkets and chemists', few Italian residents (never too many) wait for their turn to be served.
     “The lines are not long, save at rush hours, and the waiting time is a good opportunity to chat at a distance.
     “Some people elsewhere in other countries may have said:
     “Italians would not abide by the rules.
     “But the truth is that people here have started to realize for the most part, we are all in this pandemic together. This message is filtering from the first affected areas in the north of the country to the south. The new measures just adopted by the government will test both the ability of the virus to expand into the country and hopefully impede it, and the resilience of the country’s supply chains, which will be disrupted.

The Shut Down Is Working

     “Generally speaking, good behavior has been kicked up a notch and, with very few exceptions, Italians are conducting themselves with a welcome amount of civility in most matters, in a situation that appears both new and alarming to most.
     “There is a quiet determination in the vast number of Italian people, young and old these days.
     “We have to see how the Italians will take these new stringent measures that have been adopted by the government under pressure from the northern regions’ governors, in particular Lombardy with Milan.

Ships Moving Italian Ports Are Open

     “On the shipping side Italian ports and inland transportation are open with special government exemptions from the lockdown that is impacting other areas of business in the country, e.g. entertainment, restaurants and any other services that are not considered vital or essential.
     “Most major shipping companies allow work from home as part of their regular plan and some warehouses will be open to ensure vital supplies.
     “Shippers obviously should expect delays due to regional postal service and courier delivery restrictions and air cargo capacity limitations.

Word Up FedEx & UPS

     “The U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS have all advised shippers that local operations in the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy have either been severely restricted or are temporarily suspended. However, “my ‘postino’ has come so far every day to deliver my mail, and even a present from a friend in the UK, a welcome arrival to be sure.

Service Cuts All Around

     “Several carriers have suspended flights to Milan, which further reduces air cargo capacity to and from the region.
     “But the quarantine strategy first used in Wuhan, China at the outbreak of COVID-19, has taken hold in a similar fashion in Italy.
     “So far, with prudence and care, we hope we get out of these dire straits soon, but even when Italian authorities allow the most affected areas and cargo deliveries to resume their normal routines, clearing the slowdown of possibly stopped shipments may take some time.
     “Being wise and seriously forward-looking is the best strategy in this period.”
Marco/Geoffrey