Italy has been through its severe lockdown in the fight against the corona pandemic for almost seven weeks. Many Italians want to get started again. Now the government is introducing its opening concept.
Rome (AP) - The Italian government gave the go-ahead on Sunday for a gradual end to the strict corona locks.
The country will loosen a number of restrictions from May 4, allowing citizens to do more outdoor sports and exercise in their own region, for example. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday evening in Rome when presenting an overall plan for the gradual opening of the country. The economy should also start in several stages.
The government in Rome had imposed a particularly strict exit ban on citizens on March 10. In addition, large parts of the economy in the EU country stand still.
The head of government said on Sunday that movements within their own region should be possible in May, subject to certain rules. Trips to other regions were initially largely prohibited. Conte warned the citizens that the fight against the virus was far from over. "We will be put to the test in the next few months," he said.
Italy has registered more than 26,600 corona deaths since February. In total, civil defense counted almost 200,000 people who had been officially infected with the Sars CoV-2 pathogen. Experts also assume that the number of unreported cases is very high. After weeks of steep increases in numbers, there were many positive signals over a longer period. The situation in the long overcrowded hospitals is relaxing.
"We can not extend the lockdown any further. Otherwise we risk severe damage in the social and economic area," said Conte earlier in an interview with the newspaper "La Repubblica". And he had announced that the 60 million citizens would not get back their full freedom of movement from May 4. Italy's schools will remain closed until the summer holidays, the head of government said. They only reopen in September.
As early as next week, the first companies in the manufacturing sector that produce for export will be allowed to start again, it said. However, the prerequisite is that they can protect their employees from infection.
In order to get the economy going again, the EU country has already launched several large billions of packages, some of which are in preparation. The government announced last Friday that it was planning an additional new debt of 55 billion euros. This would increase the budget deficit in 2020 to a total of 10.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
All over Italy, people have rarely been allowed to leave their homes. Longer distances are only allowed for shopping or if you absolutely have to go to work or to the doctor. Everyone has to explain the reason for their exit on a form that can be printed out. Otherwise, you may face fines. Many do home offices. Schools, universities and kindergartens are also closed. Many therefore complained about the stress caused by the confinement at home after the weeks of standstill.
In addition, most shops are tight. Only grocery stores and other stores for current needs are open. The opening plan also contains data for shops, bars and restaurants. The bars should remain closed for several weeks.
