Lameck Dunde who resides in Cassina de' Pecchi, 15 kilometres north of Milan, Italy, which is one of the largest-hit cities by Coronavirus in Europe has only left his house three times over the last month.
In a feature aired by Citizen TV on Wednesday, March 18, the rugby player narrated the dreadful situation that has clouded the country resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Dunde went to Europe's fourth-largest economy for his master's degree and has been living in the country since 2016. He signed with rugby team Cus Milano, which competes in the Italian third tier league.
On March 10, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte placed the entire country under lockdown, after it recorded over 10,000 cases of infection and over 500 deaths.
Dunde stated that a lot of people in Italy had underestimated the seriousness of the virus when it first hit.
"Since the Coronavirus outbreak, we took everything simply as the flu. We thought it was a normal seasonal flu. Right now things have worsened, deaths reported in the media, a lot of infection cases every day," Dunde stated.
Busy cities prior to the lockdown have now been reduced to ghost towns. The rugby player narrated that for shopping, people have to make a beeline, maintaining at a three metres distance from each other.
Dunde stated that for one to get out of the house, they must acquire legal documentation that indicates personal details, including place of residence, a measure imposed by the state to curb further spread.
"You need self-certification to go outside, shopping or to work. At pharmacies and supermarkets, you have to write your name, where you live, your phone number, where you are coming from, write the date and sign," Dunde narrated.
For athletes, who would have to be inactive for a long time, following the suspension of all sporting activities, Dunde and his teammates have devised ways to maintain their fitness. He has resolved to basic customised workout routines, with some of his teammates jogging in the empty streets at night.
Since the lockdown, Dunde only leaves his house for shopping and admits loneliness is a key concern.
"We can read books, we have to find ways to kill time because if you go outside, you risk huge fines and probably jail time," Dunde stated.
"I also talk to my family, they are concerned. I talk to them every day, one of my brothers is in Moscow," he added.
His team, Cus Milano, was top of the table and on the brink of promotion when the virus hit. Dunde dispelled any fears for the season, stating that they expect to clinch the promotion when the league resumes.
While in Kenya, Dunde plied his trade for the Impala Saracen (playing as a left-winger or outside centre) with whom he won his second edition of the Kabeberi Sevens in 2014. He was also called upon to represent Kenya when he played for the Morans, Kenya's 15-a-side national team.
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