, Columnist
Italy's Outbreak Is Slowing. So What Happens Next?
Like any country, Italy cannot keep its economy shut indefinitely. But the virus hasn’t been defeated, only contained.
Worker protection?
Photographer: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images EuropeThis article is for subscribers only.
Among western nations, Italy has been the canary in the mine of the Covid-19 epidemic.
For the past month, the daily life of Italians has been marked by a dreadful combination of a rising death toll and tightening restrictions. Soon, it turned out that the rest of the world was no different: From Spain to the U.K., countries have had to impose draconian lockdowns as they try to ease the strain on overburdened health-care systems.