ambassador drum better the whole of your
country is now quarantined can you just
describe for us the situation that
easily now finds itself in well it's a
difficult time for my country and for
the Italian people we are asking a lot
of them at the moment the decision that
was made yesterday by the Italian
government of course was not an easy one
but it was necessary it was necessary
because people need to know that they
all have to contribute they all left to
depart in these this is a battle that we
can win only if we all act together is
it even possible to quarantine
effectively an entire country the prime
minister says people should staying at
home will they obey that
well quarantine probably is not exactly
- way to describe it
I think people are asked to stay home
and to limit their movements to only
what is really essential and there's
also to some specific circumstances
that's the only way at this moment that
you can you can have in order to contain
the the contagious I think there will of
course you know you come you can't be
sure that you know one percent of the
people will do that but I think that
people are now aware as I say Oh what
what is necessary and what they have to
do isn't it now inevitable that the vast
majority of people in the country will
get this no I wouldn't say the vast
majority of people get the disease we
will see we will see the number in the
next few few few few days and few weeks
after all if we if we follow the pattern
in China because there is a peak and
then the numbers will will decrease but
what is important as I said before is
that the government does does its part
and I think that our government has
acted swiftly and in full transparency
and the people you know they follow the
advice given by the government there's
been a lot of criticism of the
way the Italian government acted that it
could have acted sooner and with more
clarity what do you say to that well I
don't think first of all that the
government acted to too late I mean we
declare the city of emergency already at
the end of January when it wasn't still
no case in Italy I mean we stopped
flights to and from certain areas of
China then as soon as they were the
first cases in two specific location in
Italy then we created this sort of
cluster isolate the cluster then that
area was widened and then the the
decision that was made yesterday so to
say that the Tang government did not
react swiftly as I think is his right
and the other decision as I was saying
before the other the way that Italian
government approached this issue was
through full transparency which is
actually a guarantee not only for the
Italian people with our own citizens
that you know they are always fully
informed but also for our international
partners that we are doing our part
because it is a battle is a challenge
that we cannot win alone I mean this
will really require international
cooperation more and more there was some
within the government here who are
briefing that Italy is not following the
science and that there's a problem here
of a fragile coalition government a
fragmented country how concerned are you
that Italy becomes a sort of poster
child for how not to handle the medical
emergencies I don't know how people can
say that if you think that the first
strain of the virus was isolated in
Italy by the Instituto spallanzani and
then another Institute in the hospital
in Milan isolated the sort of the
Italian invasion of the of the virus so
actually we are very much advanced and
from this point of view what's your
response then to criticisms within this
country and within your own country my
response is that we only need to work
together and to and to cooperate so if
there are of course coming from these
country us from any other country of the
world you know some some some proposal
some ideas so some of course
better ways let's say of also of
isolating viruses or proposing some sort
of of way to to to face the challenge of
course we're open to cooperation but
that's I think the only or the best way
to to to be up to this challenge the
figures are astonishing and upsetting
many hundreds of Italians have died
terrible scenes from the hospitals riots
in the jails what are your feelings for
your fellow countrymen well of course
you know I I feel for my for my country
and for my for the Italian for the
Italians my what we are trying to do
here at the Embassy is to also do our
part our part means to be close to the
Italian people living in in the UK or
from those Italians who are planning or
we're planning to come to the to the UK
so I think that's the best way to show
that we're close to the young people to
do our duty at our best what message are
you getting from Italians living here
who are concerned about their friends
and family out of your country what I
had to say this first of all a lot of
interests from the Italians wanted to
come to the to the UK so of course they
want to know if they can come if there
is a problem so what kind of problems as
for the Italians living in the UK is a
large number it's a large community I
mean estimate about 700,000 Italians
what we tell them is to follow the
advice by the British authorities I mean
we cooperate with the with with the
British authorities it is clear I think
it is anyone it's not clear we explain
to them but there is one thing I also
would like to say it ever been some
we've been informed at least that there
have been some sort of episode of what I
would describe as discrimination against
against Italians and of course we do not
accept that I mean we we understand and
we share you know
with the British garnish sorties all
decisions have been made and they've
been very clear and also never been
following what first was decided by
different government and then somehow
applied to this country for those coming
coming to the to the UK what do you mean
by discrimination discrimination that
for instance in some cases you know
schools were closed only because there
were Italians I mean the those measures
applies to people traveling from Italy
no matter what nationalities they are
from but if you are Italians and you
have lived here for many many years and
you have not been in Italy for many
months or years of course you are no
different from any other or British or
international living in the UK so that
is a discrimination that only because
you're Italians you are see are the risk
as a danger how was that well he died as
he does does her attire to say and
that's where we are particularly close
to our citizens the Italian Prime
Minister paraphrased Winston Churchill
saying that your country faces its
darkest hour
your wife is herself British do you fear
that the UK is about to face its darkest
hour
I hope not obviously hope not I do hope
that the the problem here can be can be
can be tackled in a way that would not
creates much discomfort or damage to do
to the British people numbers of course
are starting to increase here as well I
think that that who do hope that what
has happened in China in Italy the way
that we have acted and reacted can also
help the British authorities and the
British people from these I mean
following the kind of fairly draconian
measures that Italy has implemented
sooner perhaps than it's not for me to
give any kind of suggestion and you can
advise to the British authorities of
course each country
these each government is to take the way
that they think is best for their own
people and for their own country what
I'm expressing is just hope that as I
say the situation here will not will not
escalate you hope that it won't but you
fear that it might I do hope that you
will note but your fears really I mean
it's not I mean I'm not a scientist so I
do prefer not to comment on things that
I don't really master when you look at
what's being done in other European
countries so for example Czech Republic
has only 40 cases we have nearly 400 now
yet in Czech they're closing schools and
banning events already would you feel
more comfortable knowing what your
country has been through if the
government was acting now to close
schools or banned sporting events as I
said I mean it's for the government to
decide what is best for the for the for
the British people also people can react
in a different way under different
circumstances in different countries so
what is best for the for the for the
British people of course is for the UK
government to decide what we can do is
basically to follow and also recommend
ditalion citizens to follow the advice
of the British authorities it's been
suggested here by some that the
government is prioritizing the health of
the economy over the health of its
citizens what do you say to that I think
that it's important of course to take
care of the health of the citizens try
you know not to jeopardize the health of
the economy this is all sauce we are
chewing we are trying to do in in in
Italy for instance in our case you know
the in the industrial system is its
function is continue to follow as usual
we are talking to the European
Commission to see what kind of
flexibility they are prepared to give us
and I know that there are very good
signs coming from the European
Commission from this point to focus bit
of course not to the to the budget so of
course taking care of your citizen does
not mean that you neglect the economy I
don't think it's a trade off I don't
think that you know either you do want
or you do the other thing the important
thing is that the country as a whole
it's been it's been taken care of by the
government what are your fears for the
Italian economy and the European economy
after this well of course you know it's
it's it's a difficult difficult time for
the turning economy and for the European
economy including I should say the UK
ones let's see how long these crisis
losses I think that what at least I'm
talking about the foreign government
what we are trying to do is right right
the right way the right the right
approach trying to assist to support you
know people but support also the economy
and there we do need also the the
understanding and you know the support
of the European Commission how what do
you say to people who say that given
that seasonal flu kills hundreds of
people every year that what the Italian
government is doing is an overreaction
and the other countries following what
you're doing are Auto overreacting he
seems to me that people use the world of
reaction for transparency I think what
eternal government is trying to do as is
that so far is to be clear transparent I
think it's very important especially in
the moment of crisis that you give the
full information that they did the
correct one to the people so that they
even when they have to the people are we
there to make difficult decision for
their life you know they have to change
their habits their to change their
behavior they know why they are doing
that so I don't think that these are
governors of reacted I think what we
have done and my Minister DeMaio has say
that on many many occasions how
important is to be transparent and to be
to say to treat people as mature people
someone you need to hide bad news
you