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Italy has announced that it is tightening coronavirus restrictions for five regions experiencing a surge of cases, reports The New York Times.
Driving the news: Like much of Europe, Italy is seeing an increase in coronavirus cases across the country, straining hospitals and the country’s healthcare system.
Details: The central regions of Tuscany, Abruzzo and Umbria, in addition to Basilicata in the south and Liguria on the coast, have moved from the “yellow zone” category to the more restricted “orange zone”, in the tiered COVID-19 classification system, by Reuters.
- People can move around their cities or regions, but cannot leave them, Reuters reported.
- Bars and restaurants will close, but stores may remain open.
What they say: “Almost all Italian regions are strongly affected,” Giovanni Rezza, director of the prevention department at the Ministry of Health, told NYT.
- Rezza also said the restrictions were necessary because the virus “keeps getting worse”.
The big picture: Italy has already imposed a nationwide curfew, from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily, and forced restaurants and bars to close early.
- But Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has so far resisted the implementation of a strict country-wide lockdown and has instead taken a multi-level regional approach.
- Last week, Conte announced that the strictest policies would be implemented in four “red zone” regions: Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta to the north, as well as Calabria to the south. Lombardy is home to Milan and accounts for a fifth of Italy’s GDP.
- Bolzano, in the northern part of the country, is expected to be added to the “red zone” list, Reuters reported on Monday.
- Travel inside and outside these regions is prohibited except in cases of absolute necessity, and bars and restaurants are closed. People should also stay at home, unless they are shopping for essentials or exercising nearby, by PA.
- Some regional officials protested the restrictions, according to the NYT.
Go further… In photos: Coronavirus restrictions are growing across Europe
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