The roadmap of reopening, from sport to curfew

by Massimo Nesticò

139 people died with Covid yesterday. Always many, too many. But this is the lowest figure since last 25 October, when 128 were recorded. An important signal in view of the week that will lead the Government to define the time schedule of the new reopening: from weddings to sports, from indoor restaurants to the relaxation of curfew at shopping malls on weekends. While the Ministry of Health is thinking about a possible modification of the Rt index that could otherwise postpone some regions in orange despite the positive trend on hospitalizations and infections.

Meanwhile, the weekend, thanks to the summer weather, was characterized by crowded beaches and nightlife areas, with many interventions by the police who yesterday sanctioned 1,500 people.

Among the sectors that are clamoring for a restart is that of marriages, which complains of high losses due to the blocking of ceremonies. "Many future spouses and wedding operators - explains the minister for regional affairs and autonomies, Mariastella Gelmini - have written to me and I reassure them: the government is working on it and based on the trend of the infections we will soon give a date" to the recovery "because weddings must be planned in time. And the same goes for sport. Already this week there will be control booths with the CTS to give dates to these sectors".

Among the sports activities on stand by there are indoor swimming pools and gyms. For the wedding, the Regions aim to restart as early as 1 June with the guidelines developed, which include outdoor banquets, strictly spaced guests and all with masks. But a more probable date is that of June 15th. The green light to indoor pools could instead take place earlier. Obviously, everything is conditioned by a careful analysis of epidemiological data from May 26th.

As for the indoor restaurants, coffee at the counter and the extension of the curfew (at 11pm or midnight depending on which line will prevail in the Government), the news could start as early as Monday 17 May.

But these are still divisive points within the majority and Prime Minister Draghi will therefore have to find a synthesis as happened for the reopening of April 26 last.

The political control room that will decide will meet in the middle of the week.

The measures will then go to the Council of Ministers. 

The data of the last 24 hours, in addition to child victims, shows an increase in the positivity rate (from 3% to 3.7%), with 8,292 infected.

Intensive care patients dropped to 2,192, 19 less than yesterday.

In the ordinary wards, on the other hand, 15,420 people are hospitalized, down by 379 units.