Italy will be under another coronavirus blockage for much of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the latest closure on Friday, after days of debates over how the government can prevent a further increase in cases, Reuters reported.
“The situation is difficult across Europe. The virus continues to spread everywhere, “Conte told reporters. “Our experts were very worried that there would be a jump in Christmas cases. … Therefore, we had to act, but I can assure you that it was not an easy decision. “
Under the new rules, non-essential stores will be closed December 24-27, December 31 – January 3 and January 5 and 6. In those days, Italians will be allowed to travel only for work, health or emergency reasons. Limited visits will be allowed – for example, to see elderly parents living alone.
Conte urged Italians to act responsibly, but said police would not be sent to homes to see if residents were complying with the rules.
The shops can be opened between December 28-30 and January 4, and people can leave their homes in those days. However, all bars and restaurants must remain closed.
Conte said the launch of the vaccination campaign at the end of this month will mark the beginning of “the end of this nightmare”, the BBC reported.
Elsewhere in Europe, the Netherlands and Germany also have blockades until January. Austria is scheduled to blockade after Christmas, and Sweden is tightening restrictions, including imposing masks on public transport and reducing restaurant capacity.
Italy was the first Western country to be hit hard by the virus in February. As of Friday, the death toll in COVID-19 had risen to 67,894 – the highest in Europe.
Italy has had a repeated, disabling cut in purchases and activities since cases began to rise again in October.
Last month, Pope Francis canceled or changed most of his Christmas activities, including a wreath blessing ceremony at the Spanish Steps that traditionally marks the beginning of Advent.