A Welshman living in Italy has described how coronavirus has created a "dystopian" atmosphere in one of the country's most vibrant cities.
Tom Shouler, 34, a former pupil at Cardiff High School , said residents of Bologna have been "pretty much under house arrest" for the past fortnight.
Much of Italy is currently in lockdown as the country's tally of coronavirus deaths has topped 1,000.
He said: "We're all pretty much under house arrest here. The streets are empty, save for the odd person dashing to the supermarket or the pharmacy, these being more or less the only things open.
"That means no schools, no university, no restaurants, no cinemas, no gig venues, no clothes
shops, no galleries, nothing!
"The piazzas are empty, the prosciutto is hanging uneaten in the windows, there’s no music coming out of shop entrances.
"There's no going down the pub, no eating out, no walking round the park. We don’t go out. We stay at home. That’s it."
The former Cyncoed resident added that many companies have sent their staff to work remotely or taken strict isolation measures on site.
"I've spent the past two weeks working from home. Others are not so lucky, having to just give
up work and pay," he said.
"It has been a strange, almost dystopian experience. Unique. We don't know when the situation will get better."
Tom said that only time would tell whether Covid-19 will remain an issue for weeks, if not months to come.
"In the meantime I’d suggest battening down the hatches, banning your grandparents from
leaving the house and insuring your summer holiday," he suggested.
