Macron is doing exactly the same in France. Any head of state is gonna try and keep things as low-key as possible. Until they can't anymore.
Like Italy - where they can't avoid it anymore - nobuddy wood bleeve them now. They've just quarantined 13 million people in Vince Lombardy, including Milano. Just like Wuhan and Hubei province.
It is way too late for that to have much effect, other than slow down the rate of spread in northern Italy. Heck, they already have one dude in Vatican City who has it. And several in Roma.