Rome, Nov. 10, (dpa/GNA) – Stricter restrictions were set to be implemented in multiple Italian regions from Wednesday as the country struggled to contain a spiraling coronavirus pandemic.
“The epidemiological situation in our country keeps on getting worse,” Giovanni Rezza, a top official at the Ministry of Health, said in a video statement.
Rezza said the situation gives good cause to impose more stricter restrictions, “especially in the areas worst affected.”
Starting on Wednesday, the province of Bolzano, also known as Bozen, will be declared a “red zone,” joining Lombardy, Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta and Calabria in a strict lockdown.
The regions of Liguria in the north, Tuscany, Abruzzo and Umbria in the centre and Basilicata in the south will on Wednesday be declared “orange zones” and will face additional travel restrictions and closures of bars and restaurants, while shops will remain open.
Sicily and Puglia were already included in this category.
The Italian government has effectively divided the country into three zones, “red,” “orange” and “yellow” ones.
Relatively less-infected “yellow” regions only have to comply with nationwide measures such as a night-time curfew, closed museums and a switch to online lessons for high schools and universities.
The government has adopted a differentiated regime as a way of avoiding a nationwide shutdown that would cause more damage to the economy. The new set of anti-coronavirus measures started last week and will be in place until December 3.
On Monday, Italy reported 25,271 new infections, down from a record of nearly 40,000 on Saturday.
The total infections count climbed to 960,373 while 356 additional fatalities brought the overall death toll to 41,750.
GNA