The Italian government has already tightened restrictions twice in 10 days.
Milan:
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will announce on Sunday another set of measures to counter the new wave of COVID-19 cases, his office said, after the country recorded a new daily record of infections on Saturday.
Conte’s office said the government was discussing new restrictions with local and health authorities, aimed at stemming the contagion while limiting the impact on individuals and businesses.
Italy was the first major European country to be affected by COVID-19 and had managed to bring the epidemic under control by the summer thanks to a rigid two-month blockade of the movements of businesses and people. But infections have exploded in recent weeks.
The country recorded 10,925 new infections on Saturday, according to the health ministry, its highest daily toll to date, up from the previous record of 10,010 cases released on Friday.
Government ministers have ruled out a repeat of the lockdown imposed at the start of the crisis, but officials have considered a range of alternative measures to reduce social contact.
The chief of the northwestern Liguria region, Giovanni Toti, said on Facebook that the government would urge schools to alternate between online and in-person lessons and ask companies to increase remote work.
The government has already tightened restrictions twice in 10 days, making masks mandatory outside the home and placing restrictions on public gatherings, restaurants, sports and certain school activities.
According to Italian newspapers, the new restrictions could also target non-essential activities such as gyms, swimming pools and amateur sporting events.
Italy has the second-highest death toll in Europe after Britain, with 36,474 deaths since the outbreak erupted in February, official figures show.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
