“Politics hasn’t understood how this virus spreads yet. Each country thought of itself as being immune from the infection, as if the virus would have never reached its borders. Decisions are simply taken as events precipitate.”
Rome, Italy - A few minutes after Italy announced unprecedented travel restrictions on its 60 million people on Monday to control the deadly coronavirus outbreak in the country, Al Jazeera talked to Nino Cartabellotta, a leading Italian public health expert, professor and president of Gruppo Italiano per la Medicina Basata sulle Evidenze or GIMBE - Italy's Group for Evidence-based Medicine.
"Finally, the decision has been taken," Cartabellotta said in an interview by phone, welcoming the extension of the quarantine zone to all of the country.
"It was about time. This is the only way we can tackle the spread of the virus effectively."
His research institute has been gathering data and following the coronavirus outbreak since its onset in China and belongs to a taskforce recently set up to advise Italy's Ministry of Health.
Cartabellotta has been vocal throughout the epidemic, calling for strict containment measures to be implemented since late February.