Coronavirus, schools and universities closed until mid-March throughout Italy

• Coronavirus, WHO: the death rate is 3.4%, more than the flu

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Schools and universities closed throughout Italy, until mid-March. Few lines are beaten by the agencies to announce the measure decided by the government.

The examination of the decree-law of 23 February (already approved by the Chamber) containing urgent measures on the containment and management of the emergency from Covid-19 is underway in the Senate room. between the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, and the ministers to take stock of the interventions to be put in place.

The line, according to what also transpires from the meetings held yesterday between the Prime Minister, the heads of delegation of the majority and the group leaders of the parties, is to focus on the management of the health emergency and only later on concentrate on relaunching the measures economic.

Meanwhile, the government's plan is ready to increase intensive care places in the area . It is outlined in a circular from the Ministry of Health. An increase of 50% in intensive care beds and a 100% increase in pulmonology and infectious disease units is expected. The "local remodulation of hospital activities" is foreseen, and it is "necessary to redistribute the health personnel for assistance, with a 'rapid' training path, qualifying for respiratory support for nurses and doctors". The "rapid" training course, indicated in the circular of the ministry, is intended for nurses and doctors to be dedicated to areas of sub-intensive therapy. To this end, it is recommended to use the Fad (Distance Education) courses available at the Higher Institute of Health. The use of accredited private facilities was also indicated "to reduce the pressure on public facilities by transferring and taking charge of patients not affected by Covid-19". To also ensure the transport of critically ill patients, the circular indicates that "pools of anesthesiologists-resuscitators must be established not only from the Region concerned, but also from other less interested Regions". It will also be necessary to identify "one or more hospital structures to be dedicated to the exclusive management of the patient affected by Covid-19". The circular was published on March 1, 2020 and is addressed to Civil Protection, ministries, departments, federations of orders and health institutions.

In the meantime, the Army has sent the first doctors requested by the Lombard health service to Defense in the Lodi area. It is a cardiologist, two anesthesiologists and four professional nurses in reinforcement at hospitals. All come from the Army Hospital Center of Milan.

While the mayor of Codogno sounds the alarm: 3,400 activities blocked
"We are respecting the directives given by the government in an absolutely responsible way, but there are 3,400 activities that have been blocked for twenty days. Many of these, which are small or very small businesses, if unfortunately they will not be able to have support and also the possibility after to work, they will risk never having a reopening again, This worries us "said the mayor of Codogno, Francesco Passerini. "Yesterday I had a direct call with the deputy minister of health, whom I thank because he was absolutely available in listening to the problems, but otherwise the government lacks what is a presence in the area and taking charge of people's problems. this sentiment also with the other mayors ".

In the meantime, the first extra-health consequences are recorded with truck drivers who do not want to enter Italy not so much for the fear of contracting the coronavirus but because "we risk the quarantine" that could be imposed on them on their return home, stopping them for 15 days. "A heavy vehicle, coming from Germany, which was supposed to deliver materials to Gorizia for the work of arranging a school, remained stationary at the Brenner Pass, because there are no drivers willing to drive it in Italy", the mayor of Gorizia, Rodolfo announced Ziberna.

The goods transported by the truck regularly crossed Austria, but then stopped at the entrance to Italy. "This, unfortunately, makes it clear the absolute need to lower the tones, even in the context of transparent communication, because otherwise we really risk putting the Italian economy on its knees and stopping the country" concluded Ziberna.

Another alarm, then, that launched by Confturismo-Confcommercio which indicates over 7 billion in the incoming loss . In the next quarter, March 1 - May 31, 31.625 million fewer tourists are expected in Italy. "The situation is dramatic for the whole sector," says the president, Luca Patanè. "Unfortunately, we are paying for the consequences of much more lethal media communication than the virus."

French spot offends Italy, an apology from Canal +
New clash on the Paris-Rome axis. French provocations on the Coronavirus emergency that Italians cannot accept. The intent - writes La Nazione - was to make satire, but the result was disastrous. The airing of a video against Italy on the French channel Canal + aroused bitter controversy in our country and the request for an apology, which then arrived. The issuer from across the Alps yesterday - explains the newspaper La Nazione - broadcast a commercial of a non-existent 'pizza corona', produced in a phantom Italian oven. In the twenty second sketch, a sickly pizza chef coughs repeatedly and even spits phlegm on a freshly baked pizza.

The protest in Rome was not long in coming: the Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, asked the broadcaster to "respect our products and Made in Italy, excellence that has no equal in the world" and underlined that in these circumstances «the media would have a moral obligation to provide correct and transparent information on the real dimension of the phenomenon in Italy. The Italian indignation - reads - has forced the private broadcaster to remove the spot. Canal + "apologizes to our Italian friends for transmitting a short sequence of bad taste, especially in the current context," said a spokesman.

The point of civil protection
2263 infected, 1000 in isolation, 229 in intensive care, 79 the deceased, but also 160 healings. The point of the head of civil protection. These are the data communicated yesterday by Commissioner Angelo Borrelli, to which are added the two cases that emerged in the evening, a priest from Udine and a councilor from Friuli Venezia Giulia- and 10 others today . It is an elderly person (from Molise) who tested positive in the Frosinone area. It was transferred to the 'Spallanzani'; of a man from Vasto, currently hospitalized in isolation at the San Pio hospital. The sample was sent to the Istituto Superiore di Sanità for counter analysis; a 31-year-old positive in Chiusi, where the mayor closed all schools (15 days for primary school and four for all others); a positive case in Pontremoli, the schools closed; a 50 year old from Livorno, hospitalized in intensive care; a patient from the Rome Bio-Medical Campus; two councilors of the Emilia Romagna Region: this is the new councilor for Health Policies, Raffaele Donini, and the new councilor for the Mountain Barbara Lori. President Stefano Bonaccini was negative; a first case in Forio d'Ischia, it is a tourist from Lombardy; and a carabiniere on duty at the Fornovo station, in the province of Parma.

Spallanzani: no outbreak in Lazio. 22 cases including 3 serious
"There is not an outbreak in Lazio. In all there are 22 positive cases (two are the Chinese, ed) of which 3 are serious". 56 in all patients admitted to Spallanzani in Rome. "All the inpatients are in clinical conditions that are of no concern except three who have bilateral interstitial pneumonia on antiviral therapy and who need respiratory support." "All the positive cases, at the moment, still have an epidemiological link with the areas of the North of the country or with a confirmed case" reads today's bulletin.

Temporary ship isolation in Genoa, 50 on board
The Rhapsody ferry of the Grandi Navi Veloci company is in isolation in the area of ​​the naval repairs of Genoa with about fifty seafarers on board.The Office of maritime, air and border health of the Ministry of Health has communicated to the Port Authority of the capital Ligurian that a passenger who landed on February 27 in the port of La Goulette, Tunisia, tested positive for the virus.

For the 50 seafarers on board the ship, which then reached the port of Genoa where it was to be subjected to maintenance works, isolation was triggered pending the completion of the ritual checks.