Coronavirus in Italy: infections, deaths and all the news on the situation

In the meantime, the work of the government and the Farnesina continues to repatriate the Italians who have been blocked by the coronavirus pandemic. Over 70 thousand have returned to Italy since the beginning of the crisis, a statement from Undersecretary Ricardo Merlo announced, underlining that it is impossible to know for sure how many are still forced to remain in the countries that currently host them. The Farnesina, on the basis of the reports collected online, estimates that between 5 and 6 thousand Italians have yet to return from abroad.”We continue to live in a phase of full emergency linked to coronavirus, not only in Italy but in the whole world”, underlines Sen. Ricardo Merlo, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and president of the MAIE – Italian Association Movement Abroad, who explains: ” Precisely because the emergency is worldwide, there are many countries that keep their borders blocked. This makes repatriation operations very difficult. Nonetheless – continues Undersecretary Merlo, in the trenches since the beginning of the emergency – the work of the Farnesina goes ahead, with the fundamental collaboration of our diplomatic-consular network in the world. The goal is to allow all those compatriots who want to return to their homeland “. “Therefore, the organization of special flights aimed at this purpose continues, calculating that around 90% of Italians stranded outside have already returned, thanks to the excellent work of the Crisis Unit and our consular network in the world”, highlights the exponent of the Italian government.

“The Blue Panorama company, for example, has activated a commercial flight from Cancun to Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino for May 6th. Work is also underway to organize a new flight from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: it would be the fifth, from about a month now. The same is happening in other areas of the world. In Argentina, for example, where about 200 compatriots with Alitalia flights returned last week and as many will return in the next few days “, explains Merlo. “We understand the frustration and the feeling of powerlessness that our compatriots stranded abroad experience – adds Undersecretary Merlo – but we are dealing with an emergency never seen before and, although we do not have magic wands, I assure you that we are doing l “Impossible to resolve all the cases that are reported to us and to organize return flights wherever it is needed. So far hundreds of repatriation operations have been carried out – concluded the exponent of the Italian government – which have affected 90 countries around the world”.