Drastic Action in Italy to Contain the Coronavirus Virus

COVID-19 According to POLITICO the EU’s third-largest economy is in lockdown in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus. In a press conference Monday evening, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced unprecedented measures limiting movement for 60 million Italians. “We have no time to adapt, numbers tell us we have a spike in infections, people in intensive care and deaths,” he said. “Our habits must change right now.”

With no clear sign of when the epidemic will peak, anaesthesiologists and doctors in Italy are being called on to make increasingly tough calls on who gets access to beds and respirators when there aren’t enough to go around,

For now, the orders are save scarce resources for those with the greatest chance of survival. That means prioritizing younger, otherwise healthy patients over those who are older or have pre-existing conditions.

From today until April 3, Italians will only be allowed to leave their homes for urgent health and professional reasons, according to Conte. Schools and universities as well as public venues, including cinemas, theaters and gyms, will remain shut. Professional sports events, including Serie A football matches, are also suspended. Anyone trying to move from one municipality to another will have to complete a form outlining their urgent reason for travel. Conte said breaking the travel restrictions by giving false reasons for traveling on the form could be considered a crime. 

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