Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio on Thursday urged Italians abroad to be "responsible" and not to board repatriation flights back to their homeland if they have Covid-19 coronavirus symptoms.
"Whoever has symptoms must stay abroad and we will help them to receive treatment at the hospitals of those countries they are in," Di Maio told Italy's TG5 news bulletin.
Italians with Covid-19 symptoms should not "put at risk other passengers' health and that of their families" by taking the repatriation flights arranged through the foreign ministry, Di Maio underlined.
He appealed to Italians' "sense of responsibility".
Di Maio admitted that "a very difficult situation" faced Italians stranded abroad during the coronavirus pandemic which has caused countries to suspend international flights and close their borders.
"We are bringing many people home," Di Maio said.
