Working as a photojournalist during the pandemic and meeting many new people

General

How is the situation in your city/ country?
The situation in my city is calm. Every now and then someone gets sick but, as far as I know, the latest deaths from Covid date back to the end of 2020 (or at most the first months of 2021).

How did the atmosphere in your country change since the pandemic started?
Life has completely returned to the normal pre-Covid time.

How are you and your family?
My family and I are fine, we have never had any health problems and now we enjoy our holidays in Sardinia.

What is the biggest challenge for you during the crisis?
My biggest challenge during the pandemic was never to get sick. For the moment I was fine. I have also always lived everyday life, respecting the new rules. I worked normally and traveled a lot.

My biggest challenge during the pandemic was never to get sick.

Measures

When did you realize how serious the situation is?
I realized that the situation was serious when the first people in my city died.

How did your government react to the crisis? Which measures/restrictions were taken first?
At first there was a lot of confusion. The area where I live was the first in Europe to be closed militarily for 18 days. Then all of Italy went into lockdown and it was impossible to leave the house (except for valid reasons). It was mandatory to maintain social distancing and wear protective equipment.

Are you satisfied with the measures of your government? What was good/bad?
Honestly yes, I am very satisfied. Of course they also made mistakes, but we faced an unknown problem. I believe that they have done everything possible, considering that managing a democracy, in cases like this, is quite complicated and delicate.

What would you like to say to your government?
In some cases I would have to adopt even stricter rules. In other cases, some of the rules were quite contradictory.

Which sentence of a virologist/politician did you memorize the most?
Virologists have said so many things that I don’t even remember a single one. I didn’t listen to the media as much in that period (and I understood that information must always be verified, when is possible).

The area where I live in was the first in Europe to be closed militarily for 18 days.

The Virus

Do you know anybody who was infected with COVID-19 or even died?
Yes, many people (infected and died).

Have you already done a Coronavirus test or have you been in quarantine?
Yes, because I have had close contact with positive people many times, but I have never gotten sick.

Are you afraid of getting infected with the Coronavirus?
I was scared just before I got the vaccine.

I was scared to get infected before I got the vaccine.

The lockdown

How long is/was your lockdown and what was allowed/what wasn´t?
The lockdown lasted a few months and we were always at home. You could only go out for the purchase of basic necessities or for valid reasons.

Did you spend the lockdown time with somebody and what did you do during this time?
I spent the lockdown with my wife, my daughter (now 5 years old), my grandparents and, for a while, my father. Five generations in the same house. During that time I worked as a photojournalist for Reuters. We spent our time doing a little bit of everything, especially activities for our daughter.

What did you miss the most during the lockdown? What helped you?
For many months I could not see my parents, but knowing that they were okay was enough. I am a very patient person and have never suffered from lockdown. For some things it was also an interesting time, apart from the high number of deaths.

For many months I could not see my parents, but knowing that they were okay was enough.

Changes

How did your work situation change since the pandemic started (shorter hours, working from home, etc.)
I immediately worked from home in smartworking. The hours were shorter, but there was more work to be done to prepare the activities.

How did your social life (relationship/friendships/dating) change due to the Corona crisis?
No, nothing has changed in my social life. Paradoxically, with the work of a photojournalist, I met many new people.

What impact has the Corona crisis on your financial situation?
My financial situation has remained unchanged because I am a state employee.

Social distancing: How does your daily life look like at the moment?
Inside my house, with regard to social distancing, life was normal. We have certainly limited the number of extra-family encounters.

Paradoxically, with the work of a photojournalist, I met many new people.

Perception

Who are to your opinion the heroes of this crisis?
Heroes were all those people who are dedicated to others. Healthcare professionals above all.

What did the crisis show you?
The crisis made me realize that in our life it is very important to have a good civic sense, for us and for other people. At the same time it is also important to have good patience and good hobbies.

What will you appreciate more after the crisis?
I will certainly appreciate human, physical and real relationships.

Which images will you never forget?
I will not forget the ambulances and the health workers in white overalls. I will not forget the coffins and funerals, the empty streets and the silence.

Which stories/incidents/experiences touched/shattered you the most?
Definitely the story of a my dear friend: his parents died from Covid in two days.

I will not forget the coffins and funerals, the empty streets and the silence.

Perspective

What are you afraid of right now?
I’m not afraid of anything.

What gives you hope?
The statistics give me hope and see that, in my area, no one has died for Covid in the last year.

Are you planning to travel within the next months?
Now I’m in Sardinia for traveling and I come back to my city in September.

Would you get yourself vaccinated or have you already been vaccinated against COVID-19?
I’ve had all the vaccinations.

What can we all learn from this crisis?
We can understand that the human being, with compared to nature and events, is very small and fragile.

If you could give 2020 a headline, what would it be?
The big parenthesis.

The statistics give me hope.