Italy Stocks Up On Ventilators To Prepare For Possible Second Wave Of COVID-19 Cases

A worker sanitizes the entrance of the Atlantic hotel, in Rome, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. After seven weeks in lockdown to contain one of the world’s worst outbreaks of COVID-19, Italians are regaining some freedo... A worker sanitizes the entrance of the Atlantic hotel, in Rome, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. After seven weeks in lockdown to contain one of the world’s worst outbreaks of COVID-19, Italians are regaining some freedoms, starting on May 4, public parks and gardens will re-open and people will be able to visit relatives who live in the same region. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

ROME — Italy’s head of the coronavirus pandemic strategy says the country is prepared for a second wave of infections “even bigger than the first” if its gradual reopening leads to a surge in new cases.

Domenico Arcuri told the lower Chamber of Deputies that Italy’s 20 regions now have twice as many ventilators than currently needed and the 5,200 intensive care beds Italy had before the pandemic had nearly doubled to 9,000.

Italy, the European epicenter of the pandemic with more than 27,000 dead, entered the crisis with a fraction of the ICU capacity compared to other developed nations.

Arcuri told lawmakers that beds in sub-intensive care had increased six-fold, the same increase in Italy’s bed capacity in infectious disease and pneumology wards.

Italy’s planned reopening begins May 4.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Who’s their King of Ventilators? Berlusconi?

  2. Um, America, when Italy’s doing it better than you, you have a problem. And i’m not talking about doing better pizza.

  3. Avatar for vonq vonq says:

    Gee, I wonder what the USA is doing?

  4. What a novel idea: learning from experience and preparing for a future contingency. It would be nice if someone in Washington would do the same.

  5. Prudent to be doing so. Italy should be commended.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

5 more replies

Participants

Avatar for discobot Avatar for jw1 Avatar for vonq Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for dddinah Avatar for isepick Avatar for nycabj Avatar for bobcanuel Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for rucleare Avatar for Volvo_Birkenstock

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: