Yes, the advent of coronavirus is a tough test for Italian society — and one imposing hard sacrifices on all of us. For the last week, we’ve been living in near-total isolation, able to go out only for food shopping, for other urgent reasons, or — for those forced to do so — to go to work. Even the Italian cities normally considered most chaotic are now surreally deserted and silent; the economy is giving off troubling signs. There’s a tug-of-war between trade unions, businesses, and the government over the possibility of shutting down production to keep workers safe and the social policies needed to soften the crisis’s effects. Read Full Article »