Legendary 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro says Italy and the rest of Europe “must learn” from China’s effort to combat the Coronavirus.
The former defender gave an interview from his home in China, where he’s currently coach of Guangzhou Evergrande, and was asked about his re-entry into the country where the Coronavirus originated.
“As soon as I arrived I was subjected to a test, using a swab. For me it was the third time, and then I was examined for my temperature,” Cannavaro told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Legendary 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro says Italy and the rest of Europe “must learn” from China’s effort to combat the Coronavirus.
The former defender gave an interview from his home in China, where he’s currently coach of Guangzhou Evergrande, and was asked about his re-entry into the country where the Coronavirus originated.
“As soon as I arrived I was subjected to a test, using a swab. For me it was the third time, and then I was examined for my temperature,” Cannavaro told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Then I had to sign a form in which I declared where I had been in the last couple of months and if I had encountered any infected people.
“At that point, as with everyone who enters the country from countries with the virus, you are quarantined for two weeks. If you have a place to stay, you stay there, otherwise they put you up in a hotel equipped to guarantee isolation.”
China has been in total lockdown for close to two months in order to combat the virus, and the methods are working.
“This is the positive message for us Italians and for the rest of the world. This disease can be eradicated, but we need severity and great organisation.
“It wasn’t easy to face such a monster, because there was no precedents. And the sense of community and the fundamental value of life has prevailed. At the cost of sacrifices, the lesson is clear to the world.
“In Italy we understand the virus better than most, we are on the right road. The behaviour of the majority is positive, even if some are struggling to understand.
“My father, for example, doesn’t tend to understand that he has to change his daily living habits, for his sake and for the family’s.
“He wants to buy cigarettes from the tobacco shop and have a chat with friends at home. I made him understand that he risks being infected and taking it home to Mum.”
Cannavaro states that he is worried about the Coronavirus outbreak in Italy.
“Yes I'm worried, because we still haven’t reached the peak and we need to resist and stay focused in every way. I think to the mistakes made in the past week, when thousands of people from Lombardy fled to the south.
“I don’t want to condemn anyone, I understand those who wanted to return to their loved ones, but it was a grave mistake.
“Now we will need to wait for another week to understand how many people have been infected, and to hold our nerve until the peak of the disease passes. The same mistake was made in China, when the speed of the disease hadn’t been understood, the solution was to get people out of Wuhan.
“However we learnt from those experiences here. But I am proud of how Italy is behaving.”