The governor of Sicily has ordered that all migrant residences on the Italian island be closed on Monday, as part of a push-back by Italian regions alarmed by a rise in COVID-19 cases a few weeks before schools have to reopen.
But while some new migrants are testing positive, holidaymakers returning from resorts in the Mediterranean abroad as well as from the Italian island of Sardinia have recently been responsible for more of the new coronavirus infections in Italy.
On Saturday, Italy registered 1,071 new cases, the highest daily number since mid-May and just weeks after the nation saw the number of day-to-day new infections rise to about 200.
The Lazio region, which includes Rome, hit Lombardy hard on Saturday for the highest daily new caseload, as returning travelers were tested at airports in Rome territory and a port north of the Italian capital.
On the mainland, most of the recent cases were linked to travelers coming from abroad. Those arriving from Spain, Malta, Greece and Croatia should be screened within 48 hours of entering Italy, after these places began to make upbeat in coronavirus infections.
And many recent coronavirus clusters have been traced back to people vacationing in Sardinia. With many people taking ferries from Sardinia to the Italian mainland, Lazio set up a test facility at the dock of Civitavecchia so that those who drive cars from the boats could arrange for direct testing.
Lazio Gov. Nicola Zingaretti called on the governor of Sardinia to test holidaymakers before sailing or flying from the island to the mainland, saying his region would do the same for travelers traveling to Sardinia.
In Sicily, the ordinance of Gov. Nello Musumeci took action on Sunday, demanding that all migrants reaching the island by sea be transferred as part of measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
It supports the closure of all centers housing migrants awaiting processing of asylum applications by the end of Monday. His mission, effective through Sept. 10, also bans any boat, including charity ships, from bringing migrants to the island.
But the national government, not regional governors, are in charge of migrant policy and Musumeci acknowledged that his directive could be challenged in court.
On Saturday, migrants accounted for 16 of Sicily’s 48 confirmed infections.
Although in recent years almost all migrants reaching the sea were rescued by humanitarian groups, cargo ships or military ships, this year almost 80% of the arrivals reached Italian coasts on their own, mostly sailing from Tunisia.
Many come ashore on the small island of Lampedusa, whose migrant residence is dangerously large. Italy has taken on the latest arrivals on board chartered ferries offshore Sicily.
“I can not ask our people to keep a (safe) distance, wear masks and take other measures while the state gathers people in two rooms,” Musumeci said, referring to the migrant centers.
Gov. Vincenzo De Luca, who heads the Campania region, including Naples, raises the possibility that if the numbers of daily infections become “alarming, we will ask the government to restore the borders” for travel between regions that are in a many of power were The castle of Italy.
Some dismissed De Luca’s warning as a post before gubernatorial elections in several regions, including his own, in September.
“What will he do, submit the Carabinieri (in order not to block those outside his region from entering)?” Tuscany Gov. Enrico Rossi told the newspaper Corriere della Sera.
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