Ducks Shopping & Mar. 31 COVID-19 Update

 

“Where have all the people gone?” one can imagine that this mother duck thought, as she led her ducklings out of a deserted San Donato park marching in single file.  The surprise destination was a nearby shopping center, where the family waddled straight into a pharmacy at the Centro Commerciale San Donato.

The shop owner, Florinda Noka, could not believe her eyes, and thinking the birds were hungry, dipped some some soft cookies into water.  She offered the food, but was turned down.  Afraid that mother duck and her babies would be run over by a car on their way back to their pond, she personally guided them home to the quiet green space of the park.

“I think it was the silence that pervades the city that encouraged the little family to wander and seek company,” she commented.

To see more photos, including close-ups of the visit, see Florence’s La Repubblica news site.

The silence comes from the current COVID-19 shutdown.  Apart from ducks on a shopping adventure, the March 31 update offers encouraging news, the first in several days.  In contrast to statistics published on March 29 and 30, which showed an upswing in new cases — there was a peak on March 29 of 290 patients, with deaths remaining fairly constant during the period — 16 on both March 29 and 30, and 21 reported on March 28 —  a downward trend was verified on March 31 (196 contagions, 16 deaths).  The total number of cases in Tuscany on March 31 is 4,608.

It must be said that the number of Coronavirus patients admitted to intensive care at hospitals through Tuscany has remained constant during this period: 277/276.

The mystery of why there are large number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in the Pistoia area has finally been revealed: a group from the town of Serravalle Pistoiese had attended an Inter soccer game in Milan and returned home as carriers of the disease.

As of April 1, all residents in the province of Florence can request and reserve a Coronavirus swab to test for the illness either at clinic (paying €25) or €55 for a test at home, see info) by accessing the CupSolidale website.  (rosanna cirigliano)