"Please Stay Home... Is This a Joke, a Barbecue Party?" An Appeal from an Italian Mayor

Gianfilippo Venturelli, mayor of the Della region in Italy, urged Italian citizens to participate in social distancing in a video posted on Facebook on the 17th. / Photo by Facebook

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] As Italian citizens showed a passive attitude toward social distancing despite the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), a mayor pleaded, "Please just stay at home."

Gianfilippo Venturi, mayor of Delia in Sicily, Italy, posted a video about two minutes long on Facebook on the 17th (local time). In the video, Mayor Venturi said, "Everyone, how can the situation improve if we go out shopping every day?" He added, "It is enough to buy daily necessities once every ten days. Many people go out to buy cigarettes every day; how can the situation get better?"

He continued, "You go to the gas station to fill up every day; will the situation improve? They tell you to self-quarantine, so why do you go out and fill up so much gas?" He appealed, "Some people even call a hairdresser to their home for a haircut; why on earth do you call a hairdresser to your house to cut your hair?"

He then pointed out, "Many people are running outside; how can the situation improve? On weekends, many people went out for barbecues; are you kidding? You are playing with other people's lives."

Mayor Venturi emphasized in an agitated voice, "The word self-quarantine means staying in your own home with your family. It is not about having a party with neighbors. This is an epidemic, everyone."

Meanwhile, as the spread of COVID-19 worsened recently, Italian health authorities have completely banned outdoor activities such as walking in parks and jogging.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.