The families of Covid’s victims in Italy are taking the government to court

ROME – Five hundred families of victims of coronavirus are taking legal action against Italy’s regional and national governments, which they hold responsible for a series of omissions, mistakes and delays during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The families say the national government and regional authorities in the heavily affected region of Lombardy were unprepared for the crisis because the virus struck and did not take action that could have prevented the national blockade and subsequent economic damage and loss of life.

Italy became one of the early epicenters of the pandemic, with its health system pushed to the climax. Nearly 70,000 people have died of coronavirus in Italy to date, the highest number of deaths in Europe.

The members of the group Noi Denunceremo, or We will denounce, arrive at the court in Bergamo, Italy, on July 13.Claudio Furlan / AP file

“These complaints are our Christmas present for those who should have done what they were supposed to do and did not do while in Italy, on December 25, there will be 70,000 empty seats,” said Luca Fusco, president of the group. advocacy for coronavirus We will denounce, or we will denounce, who launched the process, said in a statement.

“With proper planning, as the EU and WHO have always called for, we are confident that there would have been far fewer,” Fusco added.

The trial names Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Lombardy President Attilio Fontana, and Health Minister Roberto Speranza.

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics

Lawyers representing the committee are seeking monetary compensation of approximately $ 315,000 for each family for a total of more than $ 120 million.

Representatives for Conte, Fontana and Speranza were not immediately available for comment.

Source