We don’t know about you, but we always wait with a strange mix of excitement and trepidation for PM Conte’s Facebook live talks. As if he was Santa Clause en route to our house to bring the long-awaited presents, which once opened turn out to be not quite what we asked for.
What an interesting choice of communication for the head of the government to go live on an American social platform instead of broadcasting directly via Rai. If you watch the news on TV, you can see RAI transmitting Conte’s Facebook page.
But let’s begin from the beginning. Following several days of encouraging data, Health Minister Roberto Speranza (whose last name fortuitously means hope in Italian) outlined a series of measures, including more testing and a beefed-up local health system, intended to allow a gradual easing until a vaccine might be developed.
“There are difficult months ahead. Our task is to create the conditions to live with the virus,” at least until a vaccine is developed, he told the daily newspaper La Repubblica.
In last night’s live PM Conte stated that he had issued a note outlining five principles around which the government planned to manage the so-called “phase two” of the emergency, when lockdown restrictions will begin to be eased but before a full return to normal conditions.
Conte underlined that social distancing would have to remain, with wider use of individual protection devices (such as face masks), while local health systems would be strengthened, to allow a faster and more efficient treatment of suspected COVID-19 cases. Testing and “contact tracing” would be extended, including with the use of smartphone apps and other forms of digital technology while a network of hospitals dedicated solely to treating COVID-19 patients would be set up.
As for our local news, governor Fedriga urged everyone to keep doing what they are doing: stay home, wear masks and gloves when outside and remain positive and full of hope, or speranza as they say in Italian.
By In Trieste
