Melburnians are drowning in a flood of numbers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, clinging to ever-changing figures to make sense of uncertain times and feel that, somehow, we are still moving forward.

Meanwhile, the lockdowns continue to come and go – often without warning.

On August 19, metropolitan Melbourne marked the 200th day lived under lockdown restrictions.

It seems that there are many more to come.

When Melbourne entered its first lockdown in March 2020, it was a novelty for many – a chance to have some downtime, bake bread and catch up on the latest TV series.

Nobody could have anticipated what was to follow.

Almost 18 months later, it seems like an eternity since Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews first said the words that have been etched into all of our minds:

“Stay home. Protect our health system. Save lives. We are all going to have to sacrifice a lot.”

Since the emergence of the pandemic in Victoria, face masks have been mandatory indoors for 312 days, weddings have been banned for 104 days and a curfew has been imposed for 70 nights.

Meanwhile, Melbourne has begun to seem less and less like the “capital of culture”: art galleries have been lifeless and museums silent for 244 days.

Acclaimed Italo-Australian artist, Wilma Tabacco, said the situation has caused creatives to feel “demoralised”.

“I personally cannot go to my studio in Northcote, within five kilometres from home, because I need a work permit,” she said.

“It’s hard to stay motivated during this time; I speak a lot with colleagues and everyone feels the same way.”

Wilma Tabacco in her studio

During the long months of isolation in 2020, Tabacco managed to reconstruct more than 20 years of art in a personal archive and participate in online meetings to discuss colour and vision.

Meanwhile, Gold Mine, her latest work for the collective ‘Parallel Visions’, was on display at CO.AS.IT. in Carlton.

Then the doors to art galleries and museums were locked up indefinitely.

“The exhibition started in March 2020; we had the opening and then three days later there was the lockdown and CO.AS.IT. was shut until this year,” Tabacco said.

“Very few people had the confidence to go [after the lockdown was lifted] and I don’t think there were many viewers.

“There’s a lot of confusion and a total inability to plan events.

“Creativity requires energy, which at the moment seems to be lacking.

“Furthermore, everyone is sick of online exhibitions.

“Art is a perceptive experience that takes time.

“It’s not an image on a mobile phone or computer screen; it’s observing the lines, the hues and the movement.”

The hospitality sector has also been devastated by the pandemic, with 254 days of empty venues and businesses limited to providing take-away services and home deliveries only.

While the lockdown has led to the closure of businesses and a loss of jobs for many, it has seen others reinvent themselves in an extraordinary display of resilience and determination.

Clara Mongelluzzi, the owner of iPugliesi in Coburg North, belongs to the latter group, having experienced a dizzying growth in sales and an increase in the daily number of customers in recent times.

“I quickly reinvented the business, expanding our delicatessen area and offering product packs complete with recipes to prepare dishes or desserts at home,” she said.

“Thanks to this, we haven’t lost any revenue during the continuous lockdowns; rather, we’ve gained customers because everyone is at home and locals have discovered that our business is nearby.”

Clara Mongelluzzi

Despite having closed the business for six weeks at the beginning of the pandemic, frightened by the stories that came from Italy, Mongelluzzi then decided to reopen and offer her customers a culinary experience inspired by her upbringing in Puglia among a family of talented cooks and fishermen.

“Ironically, we may find ourselves in difficulty when the lockdown ends, because locals are tired of staying at home and will travel away,” she said.

“I’ll probably close up for a few days and spend some time with my family.”

On the other hand, local clubs and community sports centres have been closed for 298 days, with many events postponed or cancelled.

Fernando Cardinale, the president of the Casa d’Abruzzo Club, is eager to resume his club’s social activities.

“We miss evenings in the company of others; my wife and I would always go to dance at the club on Saturday nights,” he said.

“Now, we put on our pajamas and sit in front of the TV for hours.

“This lifestyle is harmful in the long run; in the last two years we’ve been deprived of irrecoverable moments.”

Based in Epping, the Casa d’Abruzzo Club is a reference point for hundreds of athletes of all ages, as well as thousands of members of the Italo-Australian community.

The bocce facilities at the Casa d’Abruzzo Club

The club has long been associated with Epping City FC, which uses the well-equipped football fields for its 30 plus teams.

“We’re taking advantage of these uncertain times to continue with the maintenance and renovation of the sports areas, the construction of two basketball and netball courts and an indoor gym, and the extension of the carpark,” Cardinale concluded.

“We had a lot of events planned, including religious celebrations and private parties; you can’t plan anything anymore.

“Despite this, the committee still meets on Zoom regularly; after all, hope is the last one to die.”