As part of the investigation, WhatsApp messages exchanged between senior health officials and Italian politicians during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic show how the leaders attempted to preserve the reputation of the nation that was the first to be affected in Europe while appearing to make light of Italy’s contribution to the virus’ spread across the continent.
The messages have come to light as the foundation on which the prosecutors put former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, former health minister Roberto Speranza, and 17 other officials under investigation on suspicion of participating in an ‘aggravated culpable epidemic’ and manslaughter in connection with the government’s response at the start of the pandemic.
Italy emerged as the first European country which was engulfed by the coronavirus large outbreak, after the first locally transmitted case was confirmed in Codogno, southern Lombardy, on February 21, 2020.
In a WhatsApp message which was written on March 5, 2020, Speranza said that ‘we must exploit’ a report which claimed that the first coronavirus case in Europe was detected in Germany. The minister was planning to take the step to protect Italy’s image.
Giuseppe Ruocco, who was the health ministry’s secretary general at the time and is being investigated, next day mocked the coronavirus cases detected among travellers returning from Italy in Europe.
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