Assnas feels to summarize what Italian experience is in the current management of Covid-19.
The measure of social distancing was functional, at least 1 meter and more between people; the
disinfection of environments and hands with alcohol and bleach, the use of gloves and masks
which has become mandatory also among the equally fundamental population, the prolonged
lockdown is making the country suffer economically in a dramatic way but the importance and
relevance of this is emerging measure for the reduction of infections; walks, sporting activities,
cinemas and meeting places were closed, schools closed, etc. Public and private offices were
limited in the provision of the Services, not to access to users except for serious reasons, urgent
and indifferent, preferred where possible, smart working and presence in rotating workplaces.
School education was guaranteed in its continuation with the use of online platforms, where
teachers continued the daily video conference lessons with the students in connection every
day. The schools will reopen in September and only the baccalaureate exams will be
guaranteed. The university has also guaranteed lectures and exams via video conference
through the appropriate platforms.
The indispensable services provided at home have increased, such as: delivery of expenses,
(especially solidarity expenses for the most deprived), delivery of medicines; telephone lines
have been set up dedicated to the emergency for reporting situations of fragility or dedicated to
the covid-19 emergency; the telematic and telephone channels for the request for help against
especially domestic violence have been strengthened. The management of the information of
the data relating to the health of the patients admitted to their families was delicate.
This Covid-19 has highlighted the lack of sufficient medical facilities, due to the lack of
adequate production in Italy such as masks, gloves, overalls, … the under-staffing of health and
social figures.
The Lockdown has created pockets of poverty and corporate crises.
The state has mass-bought health facilities and distribution has been organized to hospitals, rest
homes and the population with great effort, in some regions swabs and serological tests have
been carried out on the carpet when supplies were received.
COCs, municipal Covid Operational Centers, responsible for emergency activities at local
level, where social workers were employed, were then created within each municipality, then
gradually by regional and national operating centers to coordinate the emergency. There has
been a massive coordination and involvement of volunteer networks for helping the population
and the distribution of resources.
Where possible, online trainings have been organized for operators for the management of the
covid-19 emergency both at health and local level.
Major concerns aroused the management of homelessness and centers for migrants, for the
former the dormitories were kept open all day and the canteen activity was replaced with hot
meals delivered to these places; health checks have been intensified there, this also applies to
migrant centers.
The management of the elderly and the disabled at home was also difficult, for which only
essential interventions were insured, day centers were closed and families were charged with
24-hour assistance. In residential structures, on the other hand, access to family members and
visitors was prohibited, reserving it only for staff. Today nursing homes, together with
hospitals, constitute the outbreaks of greatest contagion. Relationships with relatives have been
replaced by video calls and phone calls. The importance of video calls via tablet was fundamental, a possibility that did not exist before, even for hospitalized patients and especially
in intensive care, for contacts with family members, sometimes for the last time. New security
measures have been activated, staff and users, such as the detection of temperature before
entering the places. The goal, however, is to use hospitalization only for serious cases,
implementing home care also for Covid-19 through general practitioners and home health
services.
Telephone numbers have been activated for the psychological support of people.
The government has allocated exceptional economic measures against poverty in derogation
from the public debt, for citizens and families in difficulty, the support of freelancers, (now
become new poor with this emergency), solutions are being sought to support the companies,
because many are at risk of not reopening given the losses they had in this period and the
current costs not blocked, thus creating future unemployment. The funds for measures to
combat poverty have been allocated to the municipalities, the social service has asked the
coordination bodies to guarantee the attention.
Paola Pontarollo