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Italy announced on Saturday it was tightening restrictions in five of the country’s 20 regions in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Driving the news: The announcement comes as health experts and scientists warn of the most transmissible coronavirus variants, according to Reuters.
The state of play: For the first time since the end of January, two regions – Basilicata and Molise – have been placed in the country’s red zone, the strictest level of the Italian color code system.
- All non-essential bars, restaurants and businesses are to close and travel will be severely restricted.
- The levels (white, yellow, orange, and red) are based on infection levels and other factors.
- In Lombardy, Marche and Piedmont, which have been moved from the yellow zone to the orange zone, restaurants and bars must close except for the postponement. Residents are also not allowed to leave their city, except in an emergency or for health and work reasons.
- Yes, but: The island of Sardinia has become the first region to move towards the unrestricted white zone, according to Reuters.
What they say: “Many epidemics are due to (new) variants. I am concerned about the progression of the epidemic, ”Gianni Rezza, senior advisor to the Ministry of Health, told Reuters.
- “We have to keep our guard and we have to intervene quickly and firmly where it is needed,” Rezza added.
The big picture: Earlier this week, the country extended the ban on non-essential travel between regions until at least March 27, according to Reuters.
- Italy started its vaccination campaign last year and has so far administered more than 4.2 million doses of the vaccine. More than 1.3 million people have been fully immunized.
- According to data from the Ministry of Health, the country recorded 20,499 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, up from 19,886 the day before.
- More than 2.9 million cases and 97,500 deaths have been reported in Italy since the start of the pandemic.
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