SARDARA - Yet more political polemics in Sardinia after 20 people, among them several local politicians, were arrested in a spa hotel in the south of the island by the Guardia di Finanza for breaking the region’s anti-Covid regulations.

  The Guardia di Finanza conducted a raid on the hotel’s restaurant while a large banquet was being held, despite the region being an orange zone, strictly prohibiting such large gatherings. Witnesses say there were around 40 people at the lunch, though most managed to escape, only 19 being caught by the police.

  Though those caught claimed to have been there for reasons of work, the restaurant should not have given such a large group table service, as the orange zone dictates.

  Sardinia was for a while the only region in a white zone, with minimal restrictions, however they went orange at the end of March and have as of Monday become red, given the hugely increased number of cases on the island.

  The Guardia di Finanza have begun investigations into who was there and have given fines to those they caught, as well as to the owner of the hotel and restaurant.

  Though it hasn’t yet been confirmed who was there, both the 5 Star Movement (M5S) and the Progressives have criticised the affair. A statement from the Progressives said it is “a disgrace for the entire island, unacceptable in the face of the sacrifices everyone has made in the last year.” They have said they will demand an investigation, and that the Regional Council will clarify this “unseemly affair.”

  The M5S councillor Desirè Manca has called for Sardinia’s President Christian Solinas to conduct an investigation into who was there, and has argued, along with the League’s Dario Giagoni, for penalties that will make an example of those at the lunch.

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