People living in the Italian village of Belcasto have been ordered to avoid contracting any illness that might require emergency medical assistance, a decree set out by Mayor Antonio Torchia (inset). Around half of Belcastro’s 1,200 residents are over the age of 65 and the nearest medical facility is over 28 miles away and is only reachable by a road with an 18mph speed limit. The village’s on-call doctor is only available sporadically and offers no coverage during weekends, holidays or after hours. Torchia said it’s hard to feel safe when you know if you need assistance, your only hope is to make it to the medical facility on time and the roads are more of a risk than the illness. As part of the decree, residents have also been ordered not to engage in behaviors that may be harmful and to avoid domestic accidents. The mayor said, “Do not leave the house too often, travel, or practice sports, and rest for the majority of the time.” It’s unclear how these new rules will be enforced, if at all.
