Coronavirus has taught Italy hard lessons. Other countries must learn from us | Maurizio Molinari

My newspaper has found itself on the frontline of the crisis. Free information is more important now than ever

• Maurizio Molinari is editor-in-chief of La Stampa
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Last week, Italy became the first European country to go into complete lockdown to protect its citizens from a pandemic attack. Previously, such a scenario was just an academic hypothesis for national security experts. Now what Italy is doing can become a model for other countries threatened by the same enemy: coronavirus.

A lesson coming from Italy is the crucial importance of collaboration between citizens and official institutions