Italy is living a period of unprecedented crisis and uncertainty. As the novel coronavirus has continued to spread, it has set off a devastating chain of events beginning with the health emergency and leading to increasing economic inequality.

Medical care structures are essential to the response in Lombardy, at the heart of Italy’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. The data show that the daily number of new cases is slowing down, and the number of discharged cases is increasing. Despite the continuous need for equipment for inpatient care, the immediate pressure on the hospitals is decreasing, and the emerging challenge is to provide necessary follow-up care for patients who have been discharged.  

The COVID-19 outbreak and mitigation measures taken by the government have deeply affected small businesses due to a dramatic decrease in sales in the tourism, food, transportation, and manufacturing sectors. It is challenging for small businesses to survive in such circumstances and for workers to keep their jobs. Some SMEs have already been forced to declare bankruptcy.

The “new poor,” those who have always been above the poverty line and therefore are excluded from existing welfare measures, are facing immediate, dramatic losses due to unemployment, and now urgently need support to overcome the current crisis.  

The lockdown measures have also exacerbated the digital divide already existing in Italy. During Summer holidays, students across Italy had to rely on personal computers and an internet connection to attend Summer classes and do their homework at home to not fall behind with their schooling. 

Affected families have a host of other needs and pressures at the same time: food, bills to pay, trauma and the psychological impact of isolation, and the need for new skills or retraining to reenter the labor market. A comprehensive response is only possible if a range of actors, public and private, work together in a concerted and coordinated manner.