Italy’s Politicians Are Making the Coronavirus Crisis Worse

Squabbling leaders, publicity-seeking scientists, and late containment efforts show that authoritarian regimes aren’t the only ones mismanaging public health crises.

By Mattia Ferraresi, the managing editor of the Italian newspaper Domani.

Anti-riot police officers wearing masks stand guard following a prison revolt at the Sant'Anna prison in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, in one of Italy's quarantine red zones on March 9.

March 9, 2020, 3:12 PM

ROME—Italy currently has the world’s second-largest reported coronavirus infection rate after China, and it is the first country in the West dealing with a sizable outbreak, with 9,172 confirmed cases and 463 deaths; so far, 724 people have recovered after being treated. The head of the center-left Democratic Party, Nicola Zingaretti, has tested positive for COVID-19, as has the governor of the Piedmont region.

On Saturday, in a dramatic step, the government put the entire region of Lombardy and 14 other provinces in the country’s north on lockdown, effectively quarantining about 16 million people until at least April 3 in a region that is the country’s economic powerhouse—a move akin to locking down the entire New York or London metropolitan areas. Schools and universities will be closed until early April, and all public events are canceled, while coffee shops, and other stores will be opened only on weekdays and until 6 p.m. Schools will remain closed in the rest of Italy until March 15, although the date will likely be extended.

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