In the video, WHO presented Italy as a successful case study for combating COVID-19 – despite the country having recorded its highest number of new cases since its lockdown ended.
“Italy showed the epidemic’s trajectory could be turned around through commitment, coordination and communication across government and communities, a resilient public health system and by following a science-based response,” the organisation said.
The video features Italian public health experts discussing how they activated monitoring systems, sought advice from specialists and took decisive measures to limit freedom of movement around Italy in the early stages of the pandemic, paving the path for other European countries.
As many of its neighbours battle a second wave of the virus, Italy has emerged as a positive outlier.
Despite localised outbreaks, Italy hasn’t seen the surge in infections recorded in Spain, France or some other European countries.
Factors credited for its ability to control the virus include the centralised testing-and-tracing system developed by the public health service, thorough rules on face masks and a strict nationwide lockdown that was imposed early and lasted a long time.
But Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza warned that Italy wasn’t out of danger yet, tweeting as he shared the WHO’s video.
“We still have a long way to go. Let’s keep our feet on the ground. We absolutely must not render the sacrifices made up to now useless,” he tweeted.
Italy recorded 1766 new cases of the virus on Sunday, as well as 17 new deaths.
With ANSA
