Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced new measures amid a rise in coronavirus cases to avoid a new lockdown. As daily cases in Italy hit a new record 11,705 on Sunday, Conte announced that mask-wearing would be mandatory and schools have been closed for two weeks.
As per the restrictions, restaurant and other food shops will be allowed to remain open until midnight but will be allowed to serve only seated customers after 6pm. Italy was the first country in Europe to be hit hard by COVID-19 and has the second-highest death toll in the region with 36,543 fatalities. Authorities had managed to contain the virus by imposing a rigid two-month lockdown over the summer. A second wave has resulted in the authorities ordering new measures.
The new measures mean that mayors will get to close public areas after 9pm. "We cannot waste time, we must put in place measures to avoid a generalised lockdown, which could severely compromise the economy,” Conte said.
He said maximum precaution is required. Local conferences and festivals are suspended under the new restrictions and amateur contact sports have been suspended. Gyms and swimming pools will have to adopt new protocols in seven days.
Europe one the whole is facing a new surge of coronavirus. France on Sunday saw 30,000 new cases. Belgium will be closed for four weeks with a curfew in place from 12am to 5am. Gatherings of more than 15 places in public are banned in Switzerland, while the Czech Republic would wait two weeks before deciding if a full lockdown is needed.
