We decided to explore people’s responses to the circumstances in which they were living using semi-structured interviews with a sample of Italian residents. Our research team realized that the lockdown, given its exceptionality, constituted a unique opportunity to conduct social science research. Subsequently, less restrictive measures were adopted-with a partial and gradual re-opening of non-essential services-following a decrease in infections and deaths during the summer period (ECDC, 2020). The rampant increase in infections and deaths overburdened the healthcare system, which was facing an unprecedented need for intensive care units while suspending regular healthcare services. Between February and May 2020, COVID-19 cases peaked, reaching more than 800 deaths per day in the last weeks of March (ECDC, 2020). With this, Italy entered ‘phase one’ of lockdown. ![]() People’s movements were forbidden except for reasons (e.g., health and work) proven by a self-declaration. Only a few enterprises that were deemed essential-e.g., pharmacies, supermarkets, and newsstands-were open. All commercial activities, social activities, schools, and universities were closed. On March 9, 2020, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extended such measures to the entire country, without making any distinctions based on the seriousness of the emergency at the local level (Ministero della Salute, 2020b). The northern regions of Lombardy and some provinces of Piedmont, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna-which were the most affected areas in Italy at the time-were classified as a “red zone” and were subjected to the most rigorous limitations on socioeconomic activities and movements (Ministero della Salute, 2020a). Italy was the first western country to be heavily hit by the virus and to implement severely restrictive public health measures. On January 31, Italy declared a state of emergency for the following 6 months. On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared the COVID-19 epidemic a public health emergency of international concern (WHO, 2020b), and on March 11, 2020, a pandemic (WHO, 2020c). The disease quickly spread worldwide and became a global threat. The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019 (WHO, 2020a). The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a highly transmissible acute respiratory disease (COVID-19), which can present severe symptoms leading to death. Furthermore, the study contributes to an understanding of people’s reasons for, and capacity to respond to, emergency public health measures. The findings shed some light on the impact of the lockdown on people’s daily life and its effects on relationships with others. Media and news were found to be confusing, leading to a renewed critical attitude toward information. When tasked with imagining a scenario with saturated intensive care units and the need for selection criteria, respondents showed a tendency to dodge the question and struggled to formulate criteria. Even though public health measures were generally considered acceptable and adequate, they were also perceived to generate uncertainty and stress as well as to reveal tensions within the public health system. These changes, which entailed both positive and negative aspects, were met with resilience. ![]() The lockdown affected a variety of aspects of people’s life, resulting in a significant re-shaping of daily activities and relationships. Interviews were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The interviewees were recruited through mediators using purposive sampling to obtain a balanced sample with respect to age, gender, education, and geographical residence. We conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with Italian residents. The aim was to gain insights into people’s experiences of, and attitudes toward, the changes caused by public health measures implemented as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aware of the uniqueness of such an experience, we designed an online qualitative study focused on three main dimensions: daily life during the lockdown, relationships with others, and public health issues. In Italy, the government implemented a lockdown for more than two months (March 9–May 18). ![]() At the beginning of 2020, the widespread diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 rapidly became a worldwide priority.
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