by Federico Grandesso
PRATO, Italy, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The way the Chinese community has responded to the outbreak of COVID-19 has exerted a positive influence on local citizens, Matteo Biffoni, mayor of central-northern Italian city Prato, has told Xinhua.
Recalling that at the beginning of the outbreak, many Italians thought the novel coronavirus was a distant issue, Biffoni said the fact that the Chinese community took the virus very seriously at the very early stage "had a positive impact on our citizens and therefore we were better prepared when the storm arrived here."
Now almost three months later, there has not been a single Chinese infection reported in Prato, about one eighth of whose total population is ethnic Chinese, according to data on the city's government website. The city is below the regional and national average in coronavirus infections.
"In January, the Chinese community closed their shops and factories ... Everybody started using masks. A food delivery service was put in place and the Chinese started going out less and less," Biffoni said.
"When the virus arrived in Europe ... Italians understood that the Chinese took all these measures because it was a very dangerous infection," he said.
"The Italians recognized a strong sense of responsibility from the Chinese community. It means that this Asian community showed strong attachment to our city. Also at the political level, everybody appreciated the attitude of the Chinese during this crisis," the mayor said.
Prato has received lots of personal protective equipment, including masks and hand sanitizers, from China, he said. "Some are still coming while the flux will continue also in the future."
Weathering the pandemic together is a valuable experience. "This will mark the relationship between our communities, which I imagine will be even closer," he said.
Prato, the capital of Prato Province, is a historically multicultural city.
A globalized world must not only focus on the interests of a few people, but on the interests of everybody, the mayor said.
Biffoni urged deeper global cooperation, noting that other than diplomatic ties, communication among people is also very important. "This is increasingly necessary because the message that has come to us is that we risk being fragile if we don't intervene (act) together."
