Italy approved an economic aid program for …

Italy approved eight billion euro stimulus package (approximately $ 9.6 billion) to support the sectors most affected by the pandemicannounced the government of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. As of Monday, 16,377 new cases of the coronavirus were reported, up from 20,000 a day for the first time in five weeks. Anyway the curfew will be maintained even during the Christmas holidays because the effects of the second wave are still being felt. The government wants at all costs to avoid a repeat of the situation last summer, when Italians went on vacation believing that the battle against covid-19 had been won and that health standards and protocols were not being properly respected.

The economic package postpones the deadlines for paying taxes for companies in regions subject to the most severe restrictions and offers a one-time allowance of one thousand euros for workers in tourism, spas, arts and sports, which have been strongly affected by the pandemic.

The decree approved by the Council of Ministers serves “to broaden and strengthen support for Italian workers, professionals and companies, who must not feel alone in the face of the difficulties posed by this crisis,” Finance Minister Roberto Gualtieri published in his Facebook account. “I’m sure we’ll all be dating soon,” he added. The package also provides funds for military and police forces.

Italy is the eighth country in the world with the most infections, a figure that reaches 1,601,554, while the death rate is around 56,000. As cases appear to have plateaued, the second wave of covid-19 continues to alarm authorities. Just think that About half of the infections confirmed in the country during the duration of the emergency were localized last month.

For it, the Italian government is already working on a new decree with restrictions to replace the current one, which expires Thursday. Something that will not change will be the national curfew from 10 p.m., not even during Christmas and Christmas Eve, Italian Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia confirmed on Monday. “If we decide that there is a time limit on traveling, that you go home regardless of what you have to do, Is Christmas Eve celebrated? It is celebrated at home “Boccia told state broadcaster RAI.

Until the government decides this week on the restrictions to be imposed in the coming weeks, Boccia was in favor of maintaining the ban on travel between the regions. “This is about giving absolute priority to the defense of health networks. I don’t think anyone wants a third wave“he remarked.

In the same vein, the president of the Italian medical association (FNOMCeO), Filippo Anelli, warned that households should celebrate Christmas “with caution”. “At Christmas, the restrictive measures put in place by the government will surely have cooled the contagion curve. But that doesn’t mean it’s all over: the virus continues to circulate, and in a much stronger way than in summer, when we came out of two months of total lockdown, ”he said.