Conte says he's nothing to hide over COVID decisions

(ANSA) - ROME, 10 AGO - Premier Giuseppe Conte has said he has nothing to hide in relation to the government's decisions during the coronavirus emergency and said all the advice received from the CTS panel of experts would be made public.
    A row broke out last week when newly released documents showed that the government did not follow advice to seal off two Lombardy towns that were among the first to be hit by the pandemic from the CTS on March 3.
    Bergamo prosecutors are investigating if any felonies were committed in the failure to promptly set up 'red zones' at Nembro and Alzano Lombardo by sealing them off and locking them down.
    The government initially sealed off several towns in the province of Lodi and one in Veneto, Vò, in the early stages of the COVID-19 emergency here.
    The same measures were not applied to Nembro and Alzano Lombardo though and later in March the government imposed a national lockdown.
    The opposition League party has said the document suggests the government could have averted a national lockdown if it had followed the CTS's advice.
    The premier said the advice the CTS had given the government had been kept confidential initially to prevent the panel coming under pressure or being at the centre of controversy.
    He said the fact that the documents were confidential did not mean that were classified.
    "I never imposed State secrecy and I am the first one who will allow everything to be published," he said.
    "We have noting to hide".
    The premier said a vaccine for COVID-19 could be available "within months".
    "I think that it should not be obligatory," Conte said.
    "But it must be available (to those ho want it)". (ANSA).