Add PM press conference, though stream was repeatedly cut off

ljl-covid · Apr 14, 2020 · 70db3ec · 70db3ec
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+Part of the press conference is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CunTSqcmvuM
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+In our Coucil of Ministers we deliberated a decree.
+It this phase of emergency, I have to make a premise, we had no plans for a contingency as this in our laws, so we had to adopt very specific measures, keeping the epidemiology under account.
+This gave us a flexible tool, as everyone now knows, that lets us "dose" the containment measures depending on the diffusion.
+With this particular decree, we now regulated exactly and transparently the relationship between government and parliament.
+So each decree the government adopts will have to be sent to the Presidents of the House and Senate.
+Periodically, we will refer, every 15 days, through a delegate, to Parliament.
+This will allow Parliament and the people to continuously follow the measures being adopted, and the instruments we have for reactin.g
+Other significant aspects are: 1) we regulated the government-region relationships: we allow the region governors to adopt more restrictive measures if they find it required, and obviously, there is still coordination with our government measures.
+Finally, we introduced a fine that may vary between €400 and €3000, similar to the fines we get when we violate traffic rules.
+So, in addition to the penalties there already were, we add this administrative fine.
+I am proud of the reaction of our fellow citizens: they are respecting the rules and recommendations, the police forces are verifying this with attention, but I must say that the vast majority of citizens are complying, despite new living habits.
+This makes us all proud, since as I said from the start, we must all do our part to face this emergency and come out winning, and get up and running again as soon as possible. If we all respect the rules, we both keep our beloved ones safe, as well as everyone else.
+Unfortunately I am again seeing a draft, which has now been superseded, of our decree we made today. Please completely discount this draft.
+But I need to say that there was debate on whether the emergency has been declared until later in July: not true, absolutely. When we adopted the initial measures, we decided that the state of national emergency right after the WHO announced an epidemic of global character.
+We declared that as valid for 6 months, but that does NOT mean that the restrictive measures themselves will continue that long.
+That is the emergency period, but we are always ready, as soon as possible, to relent and even remove these restrictions.
+We are hopeful that we can even go back to our life habits, or even better ones.
+I am convinced that this hardship we are facing will make us better, as it's the time when we all, I included, are thinking about our own lifestyle and moral values.
+This is the chance to have thoughts that we are usually too busy to stop thinking about.
+From this point of view, unfortunately, we have more time to ponder.
+I think we will get teachings from that.
+Now I'll ask our journalists to...?
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+Q: You have clarified what I wanted to ask, the thing about the July date, whether it would be a plausible end time... so let me go on, in the decree you just approved, are there those norms about seizing cars and motorbikes if people violate the norms? Was this done in agreement with the regions so that they stop enacting their own special rules?
+A: Sorry I "burned" your first question, but I'll clarify once more: the date of July 31 is not the end date for the restrictive measures, which we hope to cancel much sooner. That is the end of the national emergency adopted on January 31.
+About sanctions... the fine, as I said, is €400-€3000, but in case the violation was committed while using a vehicle, it will be 1/3 higher, but that will be it.
+There is no seizing of the vehicle.
+As to regions, we gave ourselves a mechanism that's based on regions, in particular healthcare is: we are making a large effort to make the health structures stronger, but since the regions are responsible for it, we can only proceed with their agreement; but when it comes to restrictive measures, that must come from the central state, to avoid confusion in people.
+So we're allowing the regions to adopt more stringent measures but only in case they are specifically warranted.
+Q: [inaudible] the bargaining with the Unions, I'm asking whether [...]
+[Broadcast interrupted]
+Q: ... would a strike jeopardize the availability of essential goods?
+A: the doors to the relevant ministries are always open, I work with them on a daily basis, and it's the government's responsibility. We cannot introduce methods where we "co-decide", this is the time when we discuss, even more closely in this time of emergency, but when we adopted a restrictive law we discussed with the Unions, but that said, we are still working with them because it's normal it can happen, to decide to close whole departments of companies, [...]
+Italy never faced such a situation, with hindsight, we could have all done better, but each one will propose a different solution, not a single one will have everyone agree.
+So the Unions have not always been happy with our choices.
+It's complicated because the supply chains are very integrated, and if we eat today some food from a supermarket, there is a polystirene box where this food is, there is a label, so you see how many productive activities
+[Broadcast interrupted]
+This is for the gas stations too. I trust that we will guarantee provision of all essential services.
+Q: I want to ask: Dr Borrelli today suggested that one person out of ten is positive to the virus, and we could trace them via their phone, to prevent infections...?
+A: this refers to discussions within the scientific community, on a worldwide level, it's hard in every country to get the exact number of people infected, because there may be many without symptoms who don't know about it, and it's hard to have an exact number, and I assume this is what Borrelli stated. But the debate is open.
+Your PM is not a scientist or virologist, so I can A: until now, we've always followed, especially when there was direct relevance, the recommendations of our scientific committee.
+We embraced them, at the very moment they suggested a way to proceed efficiently, with testing etc, and we never failed to heed their recommendations.
+There is no reason now to change our method for counting the infected or our guidelines for testing.
+We have a line of the utmost rigor and the utmost transparency.
+Italians love their freedom, their democracy so much [...]
+[Broadcast interrupted]
+We must also preserve the health of workers, too, so that's why we agreed to an anti-contagion protocols.
+About gas stations, Minister De Michelis will make an ordnance regulating the opening hours to ensure petrol availability over the whole country.
+If I have to say so: I don't think it'll be necessary, but at this time, it's clear we must attend in every possible way to ensure the essential activities continue working.
+[He's saying they may requisition petrol...?]
+Q: can the regional presidents give their powers to the central government? Could you not ask them to renounce some powers?
+To make everything more transparent as you said.
+A: Dr Cusani, since the very first day we attended to our relationships with the local governments in every way, I personally and Minister Boccia, and I think that is the best way. We cannot think of having an authoritarian intervention from the central government.
+First, because abstractly and concretely we prefer the way of cooperation: we're asking all citizens to cooperate, so we'd give a bad example if we do not cooperate.
+There is also a more practical reason: since healthcare is managed by regions, having the state substitute itself to those powers suddenly would be something very unhelpful.
+To speak of one aspect, all the information they have is not what we can have at a centralized level.
+They know the territories, the hospitals, so we must work with them.
+This way of proceeding is giving results, do mind!
+With such an acute phase of emergency, we can say that we already converted 78 hospitals into "COVID hospitals", we moved 58 patients in ICU from Lombardy to other regions, we moved ICUs in Italy in a few days from 5000 to 8300.
+About sub-ICU units, we moved from 6525 to 26169!
+So there are results. We are living a dramatic situation, but we are reacting usefully, compared to the explosion of this eppidemic.
+Q: [Inaudible]
+A: I heard nothing, so please repeat your question.
+Q: Good evening Mr President, we are in an emergency, in the eyes of all Italians are the images of what's happening in the hospitals. Quoting your words, you begged Italians to respect the restrictions. Since there are reports from the South that the restrictions are not being respected, are you thinking of deploying the army?
+A: We are already using the army. It's because first of all, there is medical personnel from the military that we are employing where the biggest crisis is, and which move depending on necessities.
+We are also using the army to patrol with the existing "safe street" army units, converting them for respecting these laws. We have all the instruments to enforce the rules.
+But citizens must not think that right now, public order is based on militarization: the police forces are already being effective, and public order is guaranteed.