Of Sarah Bettoni
The Councilor for Welfare of the Lombardy Region was the first to introduce screening at the airport for those returning from China. «One out of two positive. Given the results, it wasn’t a wrong initiative.”
“Lombardy saw us long, perhaps because it was the Region that paid the highest price in the first wave”. Guido Bertolaso, councilor for Welfare since the beginning of November, claims the choice of having (re)proposed the anti-Covid swab to those arriving from China for the first time.
The test returned to Malpensa on December 26, three years after the official appearance of Covid in Italy. Now the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci has made it mandatory in all airports.
«I would say that experience counts. I say this as a man used to handling emergencies. I can only positively evaluate Minister Schillaci’s decision to impose the obligation. An initiative that goes in the direction of protecting the health of citizens and which will allow us to monitor the evolution of the “Covid situation”” (for updates: Covid, the latest news).
When did the alert level go up?
“The information circulating about China was alarming. To understand what was really going on, we decided to check the passengers arriving from there. We have informed the government, which has taken our work into consideration. It’s a good team game.”
Unlike the rebound of responsibility that we have seen in the past. Has Italy learned now?
“Perhaps the others. I have always thought that we must collaborate in emergencies: we must analyze the facts, imagine the worst-case scenario and take all measures to avoid it”.
Wasn’t that the case in 2020?
«The uncertainties in the first wave are justifiable, even if we cannot forget some government figures who said: “The mask? I don’t wear it.” The second could have been managed better: perhaps there is some responsibility there. Today a delay or a lack of attention to the signals we receive from the East would be unforgivable».
The start of the screening was communicated only on Tuesday, while the tests began on Boxing Day. Why not say it now?
“It was my decision. I chose to start the testing activity without spreading the information because I wanted to understand if we were dealing with a real problem or not: a prudence to avoid spreading excessive concerns. After proposing the swab to the passengers of the first two flights, we immediately communicated the results. I must say that ours was not a risky or wrong initiative: 97 positives emerged out of 212 tested, almost one in two ».
Identikit of the infected?
«Chinese tourists or tourists residing in Italy, but of Chinese origin. 75 percent of them were directed to a non-Lombardy destination, 16 percent instead to Milan or in the hinterland. In most cases they are between the ages of 16 and 65.’
Symptoms?
“Few or absent”.
Where are they now?
“In solitary confinement and the tracing of their close contacts has begun.”
When are the results of the analyses?
«Matter of hours. Among the positive swabs, the 15 with the highest viral load were chosen and subjected to sequencing. As soon as they are available, we will communicate the results to the ministry» (in this article the results of the first 15 tests).
Fears?
“I hope that new and more aggressive variants do not emerge”.
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