Italian Governor: I Was Called ‘Racist’ for Wanting to Test China Travelers in February

{snip}

Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana said he was “mocked with insolent words” and called “racist” by his colleagues in February because he had asked for coronavirus testing for people coming in from China, according to a report by La Repubblica.

“Your Prime Minister, on February 3, said publicly: ‘don’t worry, you don’t have to foresee any pandemic because our system is ready to face any kind of emergency,’” said Fontana to his center-left opposition during a debate on Italy’s coronavirus crisis on Tuesday.

Fontana is a member of Italy’s Lega Party – or “the League” – currently led by former deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini.

{snip}

“You were the ones who told me that I was racist when I asked for checks on all citizens who came back from China,” said Fontana. {snip}

“I was told that I was the cause of Italy’s loss of credibility with the world because I tried to warn that the rules had to be strictly followed because otherwise we would have ended up in a dramatic situation,” he added.

{snip}