![]() Further demand reductions are expected across Europe as lockdowns become more widespread. Italy’s experience provides a guide to how similar restrictions might impact neighbouring countries in the coming days. What does this mean for other markets now facing lockdown? Forward prices quoted last week for April delivery were down 6% on contracts struck in February. Net imports – Italy is Europe’s largest power importer – also responded with a -6.1% drop between weeks – the starkest change occurred on Sunday with flows down 45% on the previous week. Non-dispatchable renewables also saw big week-on-week swings, with wind generation down 46% (-280 GWh) and solar up 24% (71 GWh) – highlighting that supply changes were being driven by renewable resource availability as well as lower demand. Power generation was -8.8% on the week before with gas-fired production (accounting for >40% of overall supply in the market) seeing a 5% reduction (-96 GWh). Overnight loads, between 01:00 and 06:00 last Sunday (16 March 2020) were at their lowest for March since the 2016 Easter weekend. That was a 7.3% drop compared to the same week in 2019 (Week 11). In the first week of nation-wide quarantine, power demand fell by 8%. This emergency stop on the economy has led to a sudden and significant drop in power demand. How is this shift in consumer behaviour affecting power demand? And police are fining people for being outside without good reason. Only one member of a household can leave the house at a time. Only supermarkets and pharmacies remain open, some serving customers through windows. More than 60 million people were ordered to stay home. On March 13, in an attempt to slow the rate of infection and reduce the strain on health services, the Italian government implemented a country-wide lockdown. Italy is currently the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, with more new and active cases than China – other European countries, Spain and Germany in particular, are not far behind. The novel coronavirus (Covid-19) is now a global pandemic. This article was first published on 13 March and updated on 16 March, 2020. Read more: The US has announced a ban on travellers from Europe - so what does that mean? ![]() In both cases, citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members returning home are exempt but are being asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. In the US’s case, it applies to travellers from the UK, Ireland and all 26 European Schengen countries in Australia’s case, to travellers from Italy and three other countries. The Australian and US governments have both introduced travel bans. Read more: How airlines are trying to ensure coronavirus does not spread on board planes Travel bans If you have flights booked, contact your airline or travel agent for more detailed information. At the time of writing these included Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and Canada. ![]() On Twitter, users are declaring #iorestoacasa (#imstayingathome).Ī growing list of countries has banned flights to/from Italy. The atmosphere is subdued, but people have quickly adapted and there’s a growing sense of ‘we’re all in it together’. You can still get takeaway pizza delivered. The post is getting through and fresh bread is still being delivered to my local shop each morning, even if we have to queue outside to ensure a safe distance between shoppers. The schools might be shut but stuck-at-home kids are having lessons online and the streets are still being cleaned. The situation is obviously dominating conversations and people are talking about little else, both in person and on Italy’s endless TV chat shows.īut life goes on. It’s as if the volume has been turned down to two from the normal 11. The streets are much quieter than usual, though there are still people about during the day, and a strange quiet hangs in the air. Read more: Should I cancel my travel plans in light of the coronavirus outbreak? What’s it like in Italy right now? You can now only move around the country for work or health reasons, or to get home. Social gatherings have been banned and all non-essential travel has been forbidden. All museums, cultural sights, ski resorts, restaurants, clubs, bars and shops (except for food stores and pharmacies) have been closed. To try and contain the outbreak, the Italian government has introduced a series of unprecedented measures. The figures are changing daily but at the time of writing more than 15,000 cases had been reported and nearly 2000 deaths, many in the northern regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and the Veneto. ![]() The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Italy hard and the country is currently the worst affected in Europe. The Spanish Steps in Rome during Italy's coronavirus lockdown © ALBERTO PIZZOLI / Getty Images Coronavirus in Italy ![]()
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