The health ministry said Wednesday
Italy has registered 182 new coronavirus cases in the last 24
hours.
That was a higher rise than Tuesday, when there were 142.
Of the new cases, 109, or 59.8% of the total, were in Lombardy,
the worst-hit region.
The ministry said there have been 21 COVID-19 deaths in the last
24 hours, slightly down from Tuesday's 23.
The overall death toll is now 34,788.
The total number of cases here, including the deceased, the
currently positive and those who have recovered, now stands at
240,760.
Italy has chosen to adopt a prudent line as coronavirus travel
restrictions are eased and is keeping in force self-isolation
and health-surveillance measures for all people arriving from
extra-Schengen countries for the moment.
That means the measures will also apply in our country to
citizens from the 14 countries on the EU's 'green list', to and
from which it is possible to move freely as of Wednesday,
according to an ordinance signed on Tuesday by Health Minister
Roberto Speranza.
The ordinance adds 'demonstrable reasons of study' to the list
of reasons for which people are allowed to enter Italian
territory.
The other reasons are demonstrable work needs, health reasons
and absolute necessity.
"The situation at the global level remains complex," Minister
Speranza said after signing the ordinance. "We must prevent the
sacrifices the Italian people have made in recent months from
being wasted".
Some 72,000 Italian households have requested a 500-euro holiday
voucher from the government in the first day it has become
available, Culture and Tourism Minister Dario Franceschini said
Wednesday.
The voucher is available to households that earn up to 40,000
euros gross a year. Families with household income above that do
not qualify. "The #bonusvacanze started at midnight. In 12 hours
72,295 households asked for and obtained it in a few minutes,"
Franceschini said on Twitter. "Thank you to everyone who worked
to make it operational in a few weeks. A concrete help to
families and tourist firms". The vouchers already obtained
amount to some 35 million euros and around 20 families haver
already spent theirs, official said.
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