![]() ![]() There has been criticism of the lack of clarity in several of the measures. His government has been split between those advocating extreme caution in line with the scientific advice, and those wanting a more rapid reopening of the economy. The formulation of phase 2 has, inevitably, been a severe test for Conte. Phase 2 will be accompanied by extensive testing and contact tracing of the virus, and restrictions will be quickly reimposed on a zonal basis if necessary. On May 18, it will be the turn of retail shopping, museums, libraries and cultural centres to reopen and on June 1 bars, restaurants, hairdressers and wellness centres, as long as they all meet stringent requirements regarding regular disinfecting and social distancing.Įxcluded from the list for now are schools, which are not expected to reopen before September religious services (to the open fury of the Catholic church), cinemas, theatres and nightclubs. Public transport will be adjusted to carrying fewer people at any one time. The wearing of masks will be compulsory inside public places, on public transport or wherever social distancing cannot be guaranteed. Funerals will restart but will be limited to a maximum of 15 people. Exercise with other people will be possible, but not team sports, recreational activities or sunbathing.īars and restaurants will be permitted to sell takeaways, if ordered online. Although some industries such as automobiles, components, clothing may be given special permission to start early, May 4 will mark the reopening of the manufacturing sector, including textiles, construction and wholesale commerce.įrom May 4 people will be free to travel beyond their municipality for limited reasons and with a self-certification document, but not their region unless visiting a second home. ![]() Phase 2Įxiting “phase 1” (lockdown) and going into “phase 2” (living with the virus) will be gradual. The challenge for Conte is how to achieve this without provoking further spikes in COVID-19 cases. The northern regions, spurred on by the Confederation of Italian Industry, are leading calls to reopen the economy. Cases have been far fewer in the south, yet regional leaders there are aware that it is the lockdown that has kept those numbers low and their fragile health systems intact. The south of the country is predicted to be especially hard hit, which is ironic since the pandemic has hit mainly the north and especially the industrial heartlands of Lombardy. It has been left shouting largely redundant anti-immigration and anti-EU messages from the sidelines while its ratings decline.Ĭonte dials in to a meeting of European leaders. The far-right opposition League, although still the largest party in opinion polls, is disoriented. Despite Italy having the third highest number of coronavirus cases in the world the highest number of deaths save for the United States a significant loss of medical personnel and a veritable capacity crisis early on, Conte’s personal approval ratings are at an unprecedented 71%. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, moreover, is coming out of the crisis with his reputation enhanced. Intensive care beds are being freed up, and 50,000-60,000 coronavirus tests carried out per day. The “R0” figure (infection rate) has been brought down to below 1. ![]() Now the peak of the pandemic has passed, with the total number of positive coronavirus cases in decline since April 21. Italy has been on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic since it exploded there in late February, and it was the first European country to impose lockdown on its citizens. ![]()
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