Transcript unedited
the gondolas are moored up
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the ancient waterways of venice usually
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teeming with traffic
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are quiet now just a few people wander
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through some of the most famous squares
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and narrow passageways in the world
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the city and the rest of the country
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remain in covid lockdown
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the dark and quiet streets of venice
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though are now home to a growing
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controversy
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over the world’s lack of preparation for
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the pandemic
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at the center of it is this man and his
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employer
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the world health organization
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early last year italy was the epicenter
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of the covet outbreak
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weeks ahead of the rest of the developed
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world dr francesco zambon
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was tasked with sending a detailed plan
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to all nations
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on how to cope based on italy’s response
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he did it it was published then it was
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withdrawn by the world health
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organization
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the world never got the plan
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they could have had what we didn’t have
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time
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we didn’t have time to prepare but
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this report would have allowed them to
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buy
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time which was the by far the most
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important uh
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good uh for getting better prepared for
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the pandemic
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the chaotic scenes of overwhelmed
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hospitals in northern italy prompted the
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who
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to provide real-time analysis to help
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governments prepare
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italy was not unique in being unprepared
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most countries were not
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the report team discovered that italy’s
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pandemic plan
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hadn’t changed since 2006 and noted it
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dr zambon and his lawyer say it wasn’t
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an issue until wh
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officials told the zambon team to amend
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the report
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and say the plan had been updated he
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refused
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and has resigned dr zambon says the
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affair has completely undermined
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the world health organization’s
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reputation
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i think that the problem here is about
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the lack of independence
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a lack of transparency of the world
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health organization
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the mandate of the organization is to
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preserve to promote the health
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of the citizens of the entire world and
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the story that happened in a year
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shows that the organization is bound
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by personal interests by
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government’s interest and by
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financial powers
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100 miles or so west of venice is
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bergamo
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one of the worst hit cities in the
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pandemic
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prosecutors are investigating the
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government’s covid planning on behalf
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of the families of those who died here
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they’ve asked for the who
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to help their investigation but so far
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it has refused even saying staff members
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have immunity from questioning it’s left
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the prosecution teams confused and
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suspicious
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and talking to dr zambon
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disappeared
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politico
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responding to our questions the who said
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that the report
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was published too early and it had
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inconsistencies
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and inaccuracies they did however say
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that they are reviewing what assistance
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they can give
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to the prosecutors here in bergamo
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[Music]
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dr zambon is now unemployed and has been
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forced to put his home and his beloved
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piano up for sale
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the prosecutors in bergamo say his
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testimony and any evidence he possesses
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continues to be part of their
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investigation
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preliminary findings of that
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investigation are expected next month
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stuart ramsey sky news northern italy
English (auto-generated)