I understand that Italy has been hit hard by COVID-19. At least, Northern Italy. For a disease that transmits easily and caseloads growing exponentially, I guess I don’t understand why Southern Italy doesn’t seem to have much of a problem yet. Another thing that makes no sense to me.
Apparently the number of cases is increasing in the South.
Northern Italy has far more Chinese immigrants who make regular trips to China working in their apparel industry.
Their fasion, leather and textile industries employ a lot of Chinese and hundreds of thousands live there, legal and illegal, many originally from Wuhan.
In fact there are direct flights from Wuhan to northern Italy.
Many Chinese flew home and back for the new year, the pandemic in full swing at ground zero.
Because sensible Italians looked suspiciously at the Chinese and avoided them the liberals cried racism.
Local politicians urged Italians to remove their sensibly worn masks and to hug random Chinese in the streets.
Couple that with a lot of seasoned citizens, good food (obesity), probably high rate of diabetes, high rate of smoking and socialized medicine this is what you get.
Just my worthless opinion so take it for what it's worth.
Northern Italy has tens of thousands of Chinese workers coming in and out. Southern Italy doesn’t.
Southern Italy didn’t have direct flights of foreign workers from China into Prado in the North, home of the Italian garment industry.