EpidemicsItaly Expands COVID-19 Lockdown to Whole Country

Italy yesterday expanded its COVID-19 lockdown to include the whole country, affecting about 60 million people, as the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday said the threat of a pandemic from the COVID-19 virus is very real, signaling a tone of increased urgency.

Italy’s announcement marks the first time a whole country has been placed on lockdown and comes on the heels of 1,797 new cases yesterday and quickly rising numbers in other European countries. Over the weekend, Italian officials had announced a lockdown for Lombardy region and 14 provinces in other regions.

WHO Carefully Weighs Pandemic Messaging
At a media briefing yesterday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said it’s troubling that so many countries have been affected so quickly by the novel coronavirus. In stopping just short of calling the epidemic a pandemic, Tedros said the experience of China and other countries show that the virus can be controlled.

He said the WHO has consolidated guidance for four different scenarios. For countries that have no cases, sporadic cases, or limited clusters of cases, the WHO recommends finding each case, then treating and isolating sick people. Tedros said the WHO acknowledges, however, that for countries with community transmission, contact tracing is more challenging. He said those countries should focusing on managing clusters and consider measures such as canceling school or mass gatherings.

“The rule of the game is to never give up,” he said.

Mike Ryan, MD, said that, unlike for flu, the WHO doesn’t have any criteria for a coronavirus pandemic. And though the WHO isn’t afraid of using the word “pandemic,” he said officials worry about the global community’s reaction to it; that some might be resigned to the virus getting the upper hand. “Some countries have had real success in turning the disease around,” he said.

The world is very much in the beginning or the middle of the COVID-19 epidemic, Ryan said. “It’s in the hands of us in society. There’s a lot we can do to slow it down.”

Italy Lockdown Comes Amid Case Surge
In announcing measures that take effect tomorrow, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told the country in a televised address that travel will be permitted only for work or family emergencies, the BBC reported. He said the quarantine also includes a ban on public gatherings, including sporting events.