Highlights
- Italy's death toll from COVID-19 has crossed 100 and the number of confirmed cases is over 2,700
- Schools have been closed until 15 March and sporting events will go on with spectators, Italy's prime minister has announced
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is urging Australians to reconsider plans to visit Italy's worst-hit areas in Lombardy
Stefano, who does not wish to disclose his full name, says his colleague has been ordered to self-quarantine for two weeks immediately after arriving from Italy, even though he was in good health and did not show any symptoms of the Coronavirus.
"Our company imports and distributes machinery in Australia from Italy and currently, since we are in the process of installing several pieces of equipment, we have several technicians who are coming from Italy to do the job," Stefano says.
"But an Italian technician who arrived on Monday [February 24] was denied access to the workplace by one of our clients - an American multinational," he told SBS Italian. "This is different from what has been experienced by other technicians who arrived in Australia just two weeks ago, and were treated normally".
Stefano says how his colleague was also transferred to a different hotel to avoid contact with other workers.
"Now he is pretty much exiled, self-quarantining in a hotel waiting for something to happen, for someone to give him the green light," Stefano says.
His colleague has since tested negative for the virus but has been asked to remain in quarantine for 14 days regardless.
Stefano says he finds it awkward that the request to self-quarantine came from the company and not from Australian authorities.
"This person could actually move around, travel within Australia and take a vacation paid by the customer, but he cannot work, he cannot enter the factory because that's the company policy. That's the paradox."
The Department of Home Affairs hasn't placed any restrictions on people arriving from Italy and neither have Australia's health authorities issued any blanket instructions to quarantine travellers from the European country.
"Travellers coming from a country or region which is at higher risk for COVID-19, such as Italy, should monitor their health for the next 14 days upon arriving in Australia," a Department of Health spokesperson told SBS Italian.
The only exception is healthcare workers and residential aged care workers, who "should not attend their regular work for 14 days", the Health Department explains on their website.
Only people returning from mainland China or Iran, or if they show any symptoms, are required to isolate themselves.
Stefano's colleague was not the only healthy Italian who was asked to self-quarantine by the employer.
Another Italian national, Leonardo, who was planning to come to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa for a fruit-picking job at a farm has been asked to self-quarantine as soon as he arrives in Australia. His future employer sent him an email to convey this while he was in Italy and preparing for the travel.
“I need to take precautions regarding Coronavirus, and I have concerns about parts of Italy right now," email reads.
“Frankly speaking, I have concerns about you arriving in Australia and coming directly into our harvest, where we will have 25-30 people working.
“Let me know about your visa, but I need to think about if I can risk you coming directly into the harvest crew after arriving,” he was told.
To slow the spread of COVID-19, Italy has enforced preventive measures, including closing schools until 15 March and holding sporting events without spectators as the country's death toll from coronavirus crosses 100 and the number of confirmed infected cases climbs to over 2,700.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is asking Australians to "reconsider" plans to travel to Italy's worst affected areas in Lombardy. But so far, no travel bans have been put in place for Italy.
Across the globe, there are over 93,000 cases of coronavirus - an overwhelming majority from China - but with deaths reported in countries other than the worst affected ones, governments world over are scrambling to stem the spread of the virus.
