Chicago woman shares her experience of lockdown in Venice, Italy

A Chicago resident has been on lockdown in Venice, Italy due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Shannon Wysocki has been stuck in her apartment with only views of the outside world.

"We are completely quarantined to our homes with the exception of getting food, going to the bank or going to or from work or going to the pharmacy," she said.

Wysocki is one of roughly 60 million people on lockdown in Italy. She realized that she needed special papers to walk around after police stopped her on the street.

"This is a red zone," police told her. "You cannot leave your apartment."

These efforts are meant to stop the spread of COVID-19, which has already reportedly pushed Italy's healthcare system to the limit.

Wysocki was unaware of the severity until Venice changed and the carnival crowds began disappearing.

She had a message for Americans.

"Stay home, please. We need to protect each other," she said.