The Venice Carnival has been canceled by Italian officials after COVID-19 claimed its third fatality in Italy. BBC reports that Italy, with its 152 victims, has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe. An estimated number of 50,000 people in the northern regions of Veneto and Lombardi will not be allowed to go in and out of said regions without securing special permission. These two regions are considered hot spots and are being contained for public health and safety reasons.
Even outside this zone, classes have been suspended and businesses have closed. BBC continues to report that the Italian Minister of Sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, is putting a stop to all European football sporting events that are supposed to take place on Sunday.
The Venice Carnival, which is world-famous for its intricate masks and elaborate costumes, has been celebrated yearly in the streets of Venice since 1162. What started as a celebration over the Venice Republic's victory over its enemies soon turned into a great excuse for Venetians and the rest of Italy to celebrate and have fun.
After several centuries of revelry, it was outlawed in 1797 when Venice went under the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II. The wearing of masks were banned and while the tradition was still secretly held in private, it was nowhere near the level of extravagance that people were used to.
Fast forward to 1979, to revive a cultural and economic slump, the Italian government decided to bring back the festival in all its glory. Thanks to its popularity, the tourism industry clawed its way back up and the Venice Festival moved on to greater heights. It has since become one of the the world's most anticipated annual celebrations.
The announcement of its cancellation has put a damper on locals and tourists alike. Festival goers have already been flying in from different parts of the world to take part in the festivities and to watch the scheduled European League football matches. This mass exodus of people to Europe from all parts of the world may have contributed to the propagation of COVID-19.
The town of Codogno is considered the point of origin for COVID-19 in Italy. It has since become a ghost town as schools were closed, businesses shut down, and supermarkets, restaurants and retail shops shuttered.
Two out of the three fatalities in Italy are reported to be elderly. This detail continues to demonstrate that either the very young or the very old are the most susceptible to the disease.
On Saturday, 19 Italians landed at Rome's military Pratica di Mare airport. The Guardian reports that they had already spent a couple of weeks quarantined on a Japanese cruise ship and will continue to be isolated for another 14 days in the military campus of Cecchignola.
The Venice Carnival was scheduled to be concluded on Tuesday, but with the recent developments, all festivities will be put to a halt until March 1, 2020. The Italian fashion giant Georgio Armani still decided to showcase his latest collection for the Milan Fashion Week. However, instead of having a live audience, they decided to livestream the event.
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