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Other Americans living abroad described what it's like to experience a pandemic away from home.

Douglas Ritter, who moved to Italy two years ago after he retired, described the country as a \"ghost town,\" adding that everyone is being confined to their homes other than to go shopping for food, pick up medication or occasionally walk the dog.

\"People who do have some necessary work outside the house -- bus drivers, some postal employees -- are certainly allowed to go to work,\" he said. \"But the rest of us, probably over 50 million of us, are all stuck in our homes for the next two weeks.\"

Most people have complied with the order, and in the event that they do need to venture outside their homes, they are required to \"carry a declaration that has been downloaded from the government site that states who you are, where you live and why you are outside,\" Ritter said.

\"People here are nervous,\" he said. \"They're unsure about this virus but this being Italy they do adhere to the rules.\"

ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway and Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.

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