FA precautionary measures in the Coronavirus emergency
A #ForzaperilPaese to protect citizens and staff in service in Italy and abroad.
Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini is constantly following the evolution of the coronavirus issue. At present, about 500 men of the Armed Forces are engaged and involved in the measures to combat the health emergency, who work in support of the population in implementing an inter-dicasterial activity of sharing information and collaboration whose goal is to give a single effective response of the country system.
The Chief of Defense Staff, General Enzo Vecciarelli, has identified the Centocelle Chief Operating Command (COI - Defense) as the only contact person for the management of the health emergency in synergy with all the Armed Forces and in coordination with the Department of Civil Protection, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Health.
The Italian Armed Forces were engaged from the first day of the Covid emergency, initially for the return of their compatriots from Wuhan, with the Air Force flights, also in High Bio-Containment for the 17 year old student of Grado, subsequently for the repatriation of the Italians who were on the Diamond Princess ship in Fukuyama bay.
In addition to the return of countrymen to their homeland, an inter-force reception and health surveillance device was generated, which allowed a safe management of citizens and an accurate control of their health. The operations were conducted in coordination with the Spallanzani Hospital, with the specialists of the Ministry of Health, the Celio military hospital and the Air Force structures. The subsequent stay in observation was guaranteed at the Cecchignola Army Olympic Center which hosted first the 52 compatriots returned from Wuhan and then the 19 returned from Japan.
The strong synergy between the Defense, Foreign, Health and ProCiv Ministries has been going on continuously for over a month now. With the first cases of contagion occurred in Northern Italy, the Armed Forces made available, for possible health surveillance, military infrastructures distributed along the entire peninsula from Val D'Aosta to Sicily with more than 5000 beds.
The IOC has implemented an Emergency Room (H24 / 7 out of 7) dedicated to Emergency which has coordinated all the transfers of compatriots from abroad and currently manages and shares the information of interest with the other departments; The IOC also monitors the situation of the Italian military in all national and international missions and operations, imparting specific precautionary measures to protect personnel.
At the moment, movements at national level and to and from operating theaters will be limited to the bare minimum: any staff who will have to be employed on a mission will be subject to widespread health checks in line with the Legislative Decree of 23 February 2020 "Urgent measures relating to containment and management of the emergency from COVID-19 ".
As regards national activities in areas affected by contagion cases, military personnel already in service in the aforementioned areas will be employed, where possible, and equipped with the appropriate personal protective equipment.
All the bodies and commands of the Armed Forces on the national territory will respectfully implement the decalogue published by the Ministry of Health and will limit to the essential all national events of a non-operational nature.