Covid free islands, all the somersaults of the government and of Figliuolo
How the debate on the Covid-free island project in Italy was born and is developing. Will the government and Figliuolo take back a letter sent to the mayors? Facts, words and contradictions
From Capri to Ischia and Procida, passing through Ponza, Lipari and Pantelleria and Elba. It could be the small Covid Free islands that will save tourism in the summer of 2021. Italy, like Greece, also intends to immunize the population of the small islands to make them attractive to tourists.
The idea appeals to the Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia (Lega), but for the president of the conference of the Regions, Massimiliano Fedriga, and for the governor of Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, giving vaccination priority to small islands could result in social tensions . God the president of the Campania Region, Vincenzo De Luca, Bonaccini's party colleague, is quite different.
And the government, after an initial opening on the project, seems to be closing its doors now, at least according to what the Minister of Regional Affairs, Mariastella Gelmini (Forza Italia) said.
Thus also the commissioner Francesco Paolo Figliuolo denied: in fact, as the Messaggero relaunched by the Dire agency wrote days ago, the green light to the mayors pro Covid free islands had also arrived from Commissioner Figliuolo who in a letter had assured that he will start from the end of April vaccination on the islands, in order to save the summer season.
All the details.
THE INTENTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT
The government is ready to focus on the Covid Free islands to relaunch Italian tourism. AsItalia Oggi writes, on input from the extraordinary commissioner for the Covid emergency Francesco Figliuolo, the Joint Defense Operations Center is working on a "planning relating to the organizational preparation for carrying out the vaccination campaign in favor of the population in the smaller islands" .
THE TARGET
The goal is to immunize , by emulating what Greece is doing, the small islands in order to save the summer, making these territories attractive because they are Covid-free.
THE MOVES OF CAMPANIA
In reality, what is hoped for by the government is what has already been planned by Campania, which is already working to make Capri, Ischia and Procida Covid-free in May. Capri could be Covid-free as early as the end of April.
"We are working to pursue this priority objective for the relaunch of the sector, we will not ask anyone for authorization", said Vincenzo De Luca, ready to vaccinate the economic categories before the age of 60 and 70.
THE STOP OF MARIASTELLA GELMINI
Words, those of De Luca, which have not found favor with the government. The Minister of Regional Affairs Mariastella Gelmini (Forza Italia) stopped De Luca's idea by stating that "there are priorities that must be strictly respected". Even Figliolo, writes Ansa, did not give the blessing to De Luca.
ACCELERATE ON THE OTHER SMALL ISLANDS
It is certain that if the government were to opt for the Covid Free islands, then it will have to speed up the times. And to do so, writes Italia Oggi , the Government is thinking of allocating the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the population of these territories (administration through a single dose).
The islands will also have to do their part and organize themselves to withstand a mass vaccination operation on site. If massive administration were to start in May, the islands could be declared Covid Free in June. But even earlier they could open, with all due attention, the accommodation facilities.
GARAVAGLIA: IT IS APPROPRIATE TO BET ON COVID FREE ISLANDS
The idea of focusing on the small islands, to restart tourism, definitely appeals to the Minister of Tourism, Massimo Garavaglia, who told the Press : "It can be done and it is also advisable to do it because if others will do it and we will not, the disadvantage will become enormous ".
ZAIA: GOOD, BUT RESPECTING THE CRITERIA
However, the idea of Garavaglia was not completely rejected by Luca Zaia, governor of Veneto, who, however, asked for certain criteria to be respected: "Our island is called Veneto because there is no way that I go to immunize one locality to the detriment of the others. . Vaccines are not taken away from others to vaccinate certain areas. In addition, there is an ethical and planning aspect, we must vaccinate the elderly, and to make a Covid free project we should also vaccinate the twenty and thirty year olds ”.
FEDRIGA: NO TO DISPARITY
However, the opinion of Massimiliano Fedriga, always a member of the League, is different: “Right now we have to show the country that there is fairness. Don't create social tension, but give the same rules everywhere. The less there are inequalities, even if not everyone will be satisfied, the less there are tensions ”, said the president of the conference of the Regions.
BONACCINI: NO TO PRIVILEGES
Stefano Bonaccini (Pd) is also on the same line: “I hope that the tourism minister Garavaglia will immediately reject the proposal of 'covid free islands'. There can be no privileged tourist locations to the detriment of others. Rather, the government works to ensure that as many doses as possible arrive to vaccinate in the shortest possible time and work for the vaccination passport, with the same rules for everyone at European level ”, wrote the president of the Emilia-Romagna region on the social network.
HAMMER: COME AND SEE WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA
Do not speak of "privilege" to Totò Martello, mayor of Lampedusa and Linosa, who in Bonaccini, reports La Verità , replies: "Come to Lampeduda, so you will realize what it means to live in the middle of the sea without having a hospital". More than saving the summer, the immunization of the small islands is therefore necessary to save lives, in fact, Martello argues.
THE REQUESTS OF SOLINAS AND MUSUMECI
Not just small islands. The presidents of the Sardinia and Sicily regions, Christian Solinas and Nello Musumeci, have asked the Draghi government to also focus on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean with a strong tourist vocation. “Our condition of insularity, which limits access points to ports and airports, makes health checks easier. If we proceed quickly with the vaccination of the entire population, we will be able to accommodate tourists in complete safety by opening real preferential corridors to countries and regions that have already completed immunization or by using the 'Covid-tested' model of flights and ships, which guarantees enormous international attractiveness ”, explain Musumeci and Solinas.
"The tourist season is upon us and we cannot afford an economic damage that would put thousands of families on the pavement", and we ask "President Draghi to be able to buy Pfizer, Moderna, J&J or Sputnik doses even at our expense, in order to reach the goal of a full immunization of our islands ”, say Musumeci and Solinas.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/primo-piano/isole-covid-free-governo-regioni-figliuolo/ on Tue, 13 Apr 2021 11:20:33 +0000.