25 JANUARY 2020

A gloomy yet invigorating weekend spent in Venice; busier than expected. 

31 JANUARY 2020

Rome confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19.

23 FEBRUARY 2020

The Carnival of Venice was cancelled, result of Coronavirus, two days earlier than scheduled. 

29 FEBRUARY 2020

Returned to Venice for another long weekend.

NON-CONTACT THERMOMETER CHECKS

I counted twenty people on the EasyJet flight. At Venice airport, before reaching passport control, medics checked each passenger’s temperature before permitting us to proceed.

GHOST TOWN

The carnival always marked the start of Venice’s peak tourist season. Sadly, this year the pandemic chased the revellers away leaving a ghost town in its wake. 

Surreal yet ingratiating, with most of the shops and restaurants closed. Police patrolled Piazza San Marco and guarded the tightly shut St Mark’s Basilica, museums and theatres. Almost redundant with only a handful of people scattered about. 

ETHREAL GRANDUER 

I relished the opportunity of getting up close and personal to the city’s ornate details without having to worry about stepping on anyone’s toes.

ABSENT NON-CONTACT THERMOMETER CHECKS 

Returning to the UK, I counted sixteen people on the flight. At London Luton Airport, we freely entered with no medics to check our temperatures. A week later, the government’s rules changed. People who had visited Venice were required to self-quarantine… 

23 MARCH 2020 

Boris announces a complete lockdown of the UK…

Please Note: For copyright purposes, the resolution of each image below is considerably reduced.

Images taken in Venice a week before the first two cases of Coronavirus reported in Rome

Images taken in Venice, a week after the Carnival is cancelled