Italy says ready to go it alone on bird flu
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Italy, concerned by the spread of bird flu in Turkey, may go it alone with preventive measures if the European Union does not move swiftly enough should the situation worsen, the health minister said.
Health Minister Francesco Storace said in an interview with newspaper La Repubblica published on Monday that he might also consider a ban on travel to high-risk areas, including Turkey where the authorities have reported the death of three children from the virus.
“The situation is much more worrying than what happened in previous months. The news arriving from Turkey is very serious,” Storace said.
“In the event that the situation should worsen, I can assure you that we will act in an autonomous manner on the domestic front, even if acting alone has very limited effects if EU nations bordering Italy don’t take similar actions.
“So, the direct intervention of the EU is important, adopting measures jointly.”
Storace said he would need certainty from experts before banning travel and warned against raising the level of risk before the World Health Organisation did the same.
“Only when I have the certainty, and that can only come from experts, can the hypothesis be considered of a stop on Italian travel to risky areas, including Turkey,” he said.
“We must check though with other nations of the European Union, which meanwhile has not adopted any additional measures.”
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