Man From West Michigan Locked Down in Italy

A local man from West Michigan has been under lockdown in Sicily for three weeks.

According to WOOD, a Grand Rapids area native, Jonny Vitale, has been in Italy since the country has been locked down.

Italy has been hit very hard by COVID-19, with close to 800 deaths on Saturday and 600 more on Monday.

Police are currently patrolling the streets of Italy with checkpoints set up limit the number of times people leave their homes.

Vitale said, "it's like a desert. There is nobody on the streets. Very rarely do you see cars in high traffic areas."

Vitale is currently living with his wife in Italy but does have contact with his relatives that are still in West Michigan. He is also keeping up with American news in hopes his family is safe back home.

"It just seems like there's been a two week delay in the United States with what's going on here in Italy. I just feel like we've been two weeks ahead."

Vitale said, "I think Italians were very quick to go into quarantine. I think it was easier for them. I think a lot of the reaction that I've seen in the United States is people taking it somewhat less serious...it needs to be taken more seriously before it gets completely out of hand."

Vitale's message to his fellow Americans when it come to the Cornoavirus...take it seriously.

"It's not a joke. You could be a carrier. You don't know who you could infect. You don't know if you're sick. It's very scary. Just stay at home. It's tragic here and I would hate see it become severely tragic in the United States as well."