Joe Giudice, the estranged husband of The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice, is in the epicenter of the European coronavirus update. Joe was deported last year to Italy, where he was born. Italy now has the most coronavirus cases outside of China, and the country has taken drastic measures to slow the spread of the disease.
Joe, knowing his fans might be worried, decided to update everyone on how he’s doing amidst the pandemic. He updated followers on Instagram about what it’s like to be in such a hard-hit country.
Italy has had over 15,000 cases
Globally, there have been about 4,600 deaths from the coronavirus and just over 1000 of them have been in Italy. The country has reported more than 15,000 cases of the virus, the most in Europe and the second-most in the world. Over 11,000 of those 15,000-plus cases were reported within the past week.
Italy has implemented extreme measures to protect its citizens. They are testing aggressively for the virus, with more than 60,000 tests performed in just one day.
In a dramatic action to contain the virus, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that all shops would close with the exception of grocery stores and pharmacies. Gyms, schools, nightclubs, and other public places have been closed for some time.
Joe talks about his daily life
Although the spread of the disease has hugely disrupted life for all Italians, Joe is thankfully healthy. He even got a tattoo last week. But he’s in a very hard hit area, so it was inevitable that the crisis would affect him eventually.
Joe did go to work yesterday (he got a job in construction a few months back), saying “better to do something than nothing.” While he seemed to not be taking the outbreak seriously a few days ago, it seems he’s starting to understand the gravity of the situation.
Joe mentioned that Nonna (“grandma”) won’t be allowing visits for a while. Coronavirus has hit the elderly very hard, with most deaths occurring in older people. Older people are also more likely to become critically ill, and with Italy’s healthcare system stretched thin, it’s a wise decision on Nonna’s part to keep everyone away.
Joe’s Instagram followers wished him continued good health, with fans from Las Vegas to Scotland to Joe’s old home of New Jersey all advising him to stay safe and wishing him well.
Joe, however, is taking the whole situation in stride. While he’s obviously not thrilled with the situation, he’s trying to stay positive. He said, “It sucks, but it is what it is. Be safe. wash your hands.” Sound advice for all of us to follow at this time.
Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.