The Bank of Italy wants to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic by launching a programme of extraordinary contributions for various parts of Italy.
A total sum of €20.9 million has been made available to an initial group of bodies working to combat the spread of the coronavirus with projects to be implemented immediately; further interventions are being prepared, in coordination with the health authorities and the Bank’s branch network, and will be announced over the next few days. The first recipients of these extraordinary sums are:
- the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, to set up another intensive care unit with 40 beds;
- the Agostino Gemelli Hospital, for the purchase of diagnostic systems for microbiological analysis, personal protective equipment, and equipment for caring for patients with COVID-19;
- the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Higher Institute of Health), to set up rooms equipped for managing crisis communications with local National Health Service centres and to equip a laboratory in order to increase the capacity for rapid diagnosis and assessment of the analyses carried out by the local structures;
- the Campania region, to set up two field hospitals to provide intensive care units in the areas of Caserta and Salerno, to accommodate a total of up to 48 patients with COVID – 19;
- the municipalities of Milan, Bergamo, Brescia and Cremona, to carry out interventions in support of those already socially and economically vulnerable, now placed at greater risk by the current health emergency;
- the Veneto region, to set up a therapy ward in the COVID Centre at the hospital in Schiavonia (Padua) and to support a project for epidemiological research.
