OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — When it comes to coronavirus cases and deaths, one of the hardest hit places is Italy. As of Monday, there are nearly 25,000 confirmed cases and nearly 2,000 deaths. One Omaha native who lives in Italy now, while the country is on lockdown, says the entire situation has felt like a movie and feels America may have to take similar actions to stop the spread.
"Just walking outside and normally I would see a few hundred people around and if I see three people outside it's a lot," says Caroline Cimino.
She grew up in Omaha and moved to Italy in 2014. She now lives in a small village an hour outside of Pisa.
"There are huge things happening in the economy and I have zero economy right now and that's scary, but it's scarier that thousands of people are dying from the virus," she said.
The lockdown started on March 10. She passes the time by working on her YouTube channel and reading, and leaves to get groceries when needed.
"The police are really enforcing that, and making sure people are out and about for the right reasons," Cimino said.
You're required to fill out a form when you leave your home, as police will check it and verify your trips.
Cimino still has family in Omaha, and is paying attention to everything going on here.
"It's scary to watch all of this happen from a distance having already lived it in Italy and knowing how contagious it is."
She thinks America is heading towards a similar parth in regards to a nationwide lockdown.
"A lot of people in the United States right now in general are not taking this coronavirus seriously," she said. "They are really lax about it and we were the exact same in Italy and now we're in a very different place."
She says the lockdown has helped her feel safer, and for America to potentially avoid that she encourages staying home.
"Don't go out for coffee, don't go out for drinks, don't go to the gym, don't go places where you risk getting infected," she said.
If you'd like to follow Cimino's situation, visit her YouTube page.
