COVID-19 in Italy

By Chiara Rolfini

  • Health Minister activated at first controls on direct flights from Wuhan, later extended it to all flights from China

  • First two cases of COVID-19 in Italy: they are two Chinese tourists

  • First outbreak in Lombardy, 16 cases, increased to 60 the following day. On the same day, the Minister of Health issues an ordinance which provides:

    • Mandatory quarantine and home stay for those who had been in contact with positive people and for those who had been in areas at risk in the previous 14 days.
    • Suspension of all public events, commercial activities not of public utility, work and leisure and sports activities, and closure of schools in ten municipalities in Lombardy

  • Among the first measures to contain the infection: 11 municipalities in northern Italy (in Lombardy and Veneto) are quarantined.

    The Council of Ministers issued a decree-law on 23 February 2020 with a ban on access and removal in the municipalities where outbreaks are present.

  • The Health Minister has create a website, a phone number (1500) and an instruction manual

    Whith these, people can obtain updates and information on the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in Italy, as well as report suspicious cases.Also, the manual contain a ten points list with indications on how to wash your hands, clean the surfaces, in order to avoid the main fake news

  • Italy is the hardest hit country in the European Union

    Italy was the first EU country to stop all direct flights to and from China, treating the epidemic with one of the most drastic measures in the EU.

  • The new decree of the Prime Minister extends the previous measures and introduces further ones on the whole national territory, to guarantee uniformity

  • Every italian region has confirmed cases of COVID-19

  • Closure of schools of all levels and universities throughout the national territory until March 15

  • New decree that replaces those of 1 and 4 March, with restrictive measures that apply to Lombardy and 14 provinces of the Center-North, for a total of 16 million people, and others that affect all of Italy

    With this decree, restrictive measures are applied to Lombardy and 14 provinces of the Center-North. As a consequence:
    • There has been a general escape of workers and students that returned to their native regions, where the health system is disadvantaged. To avoid further spread, controls and quarantine were imposed on all those arriving by bus and train.
    • The suspension of the visits from family members to prisoners, caused many riots and escapes from prisons across Italy.

  • The "#IoRestoaCasa" decree extends to the whole national territory what is already foreseen by the decree of March 8, until April 3: the common retail commercial activities, the services of catering from 18 to 6, gatherings of people are prohibited.

    According to the decree, all movements of people are prohibited except for work, health or necessity reasons, by filling in a self-declaration of movement between municipalities.
    Italy was the first European country to face the spread of the epidemic, it is the second in the world in the number of deaths and the third in the case of infections. And it is the first state outside China to adopt such drastic containment measures.

  • The provisions of 9 March are implemented with the closure of all commercial activities

  • Bergamo hospital intensive care units are full

  • 4,032 Coronavirus deaths in Italy, becoming the first State in the world for number of victims.

  • The Prime Ministerial Decree of March 22 is issued.

    It provides the suspension of all production and commercial activities not considered essential, throughout the national territory, until April 3. Food stores, pharmacies and essential services remain operational