Covid-19: restrictions still contained in Vicenza

The new regulations of the Italian Government in the fight against Coronavirus provide for an articulation of interventions for different levels of emergency. Vicenza and the Veneto region are currently included in the range of territories with minor restrictions, and FORTES remains operational to welcome foreign students.

 In Italy, as in most parts of the world, the commitment of the Government and health authorities to contain the Covid-19 epidemic continues. Recently, in response of an increase in the number of cases recorded in our country, the Italian Government has introduced a series of restrictive measures with a progressive development, based on the levels of risk and response capacity of hospitals. Italy has been divided into three areas, identified by three colors: yellow for the regions with the lowest level of restrictions, orange for the intermediate level, red for those at higher risk.

In light of the epidemiological trend, Vicenza and the Veneto region have been included in the first area, considered to be at lower risk and therefore with fewer restrictions. These restrictions concern the prohibition to leave home after 10.00 p.m. (except for work or emergencies), the closure of bars and restaurants after 6.00 p.m. (but they can remain open even later with take away or home delivery), the closure of shopping centers on Saturdays and Sundays, the closure of museums, gyms and swimming pools and the use of distance education for high schools.

There are no restrictions on production and commercial activities and even bars and restaurants remain open, although with new time limits.

In this context, FORTES continues welcoming foreign students for an internship experience in Italy: two new groups from Portugal and the Czech Republic have indeed arrived in recent days.

All with the highest security guarantees: FORTES, in addition to complying with national and regional directives in force, has in fact developed a specific protocol of prevention. 

All incoming students do a Covid swab and are housed in a facility managed by FORTES exclusively to host foreign students in Vicenza during internship periods. In this location guests can find a thermoscanner that has to be used every day and warnings about the rules of conduct to prevent infection are available in every room. Special attention has also been paid to cleaning, as well as the collection of used masks. There is also a single room, with private bathroom, if one of the guests has to spend a period of isolation because he is infected or was a close contact with a person declared positive to Covid. In addition, all the rooms are periodically sanitized with an ionizer, a system used to sanitize the offices of FORTES as well. This protocol has made it possible to safely handle even the case of a student who tested positive to the Covid swab. He was immediately isolated in the room dedicated to him, while his companions - all negative to Covid swab - spent the 10 days of quarantine in isolation.

During the quarantine FORTES staff provided grocery shopping at home, while the janitor, in addition to cleaning, verified compliance with the rules of conduct and was a reassuring presence available to the group for any need. After the quarantine all the students were swabbed for Covid, at home, thanks to an agreement made by FORTES with an analysis laboratory in the area, and tested negative. At this time they were able to begin their internship experience. "The important thing is that the student is now well - explains Andrea Cecchin, co-founder of FORTES Impresa Sociale -. We have to consider that in the current situation it is unfortunately quite possible for a student to be positive while abroad for an internship experience: the important thing is to be able to handle the situation safely, for him and for the other guests".