Hi, I'm Zach. And I'm Maggi.
And we live in Castagne in northern Italy.
Before we lived in Italy, we lived in Marrickville, Sydney.
And then we wanted to come to Italy,
because we wanted to have an adventure.
Our area in Italy is known for wine,
olives, cherries,
wild boar, and hiking.
Things are a little bit weird in northern Italy right now,
and we'll tell you why.
In northern Italy, there have been more cases of the coronavirus
than anywhere else in Italy,
which means there have been more deaths,
and that's really sad and serious.
Since March 9th, the whole country of Italy has been in lockdown,
which means almost everything is shut,
and we have to stay home as much as possible.
The government is hoping
it will help stop the coronavirus from spreading.
Normal life in Italy is very social.
Italians love getting together and having fun.
Carnevale season is when
each town in Italy throws a party every February.
However, many towns in the north had to cancel their parties
due to the coronavirus.
Schools have been closed in our region for a month now,
so I haven't seen my friends in a while.
They're also doing schoolwork at home online.
Since the lockdown, the streets have been very quiet.
People are expected to stay in their houses.
Anyone who leaves their house is expected to sign a document
explaining where they're going to go and why.
This is the document that we sign before we leave the house.
Since the lockdown, supermarkets have stayed open,
but only a certain number of people are allowed in at a time.
Also, as a family, we can't all go to the supermarket
to do the shopping together.
Only one family member at a time can go.
The toilet paper shortage in Australia has been news here.
In Italy, we have so much of it.
What's going on with the toilet paper, down under?
At the moment, to pass the time, we complete our school work,
we hang out with each other,
we go on walks,
we play Uno, and we watch movies.
And we love cooking.
MAN: Guys, what are we making? Bruschetta.
Ah, bruschetta?
Lockdown has meant, for me and my family,
that we spend a lot of time together,
we do crafty things, we hang out,
and yesterday, me and my dad made a cricket bat.
Yes! No!
Because of the lockdown,
me and my friends don't get to see each other that often.
But we get to Skype call...
It's really boring.
Boring because you have to stay home with, like, my brother...
(WOMAN CHUCKLES)
How I feel about the lockdown -
I don't love it,
but it's how we keep the virus from spreading.
And I'm taking it very seriously.
And everyone's supporting each other.
And there's kids making these signs that say,
"Andra tutto bene," which means in English,
'Everything will be alright'.
Thanks for watching our story.
We hope you are staying well and safe in Australia.
BOTH: Bye!