We're trying to avoid a total lockdown says Conte

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 11 - Premier Giuseppe Conte has said his government is doing everything it can to combat the spread of COVID-19 while averting another "total lockdown" like the one Italy endured during the first wave of the coronavirus.
    "I'm working to avoid a total lockdown," Conte said in an interview published by daily newspaper La Stampa on Wednesday.
    "The (contagion) curve is climbing but I expect it to start to bend over the next few days, in part due to the effect of the new measures." Last week Conte's government introduced a three-tier system of restrictions to combat the upswing in COVID cases.
    This saw Calabria, Lombardy, Piedmont and Val d'Aosta go into a soft lockdown after being classed as high-contagion-risk red zones.
    The autonomous province of Bolzano joined them this week, when five regions, Abruzzo, Umbria, Basilicata, Liguria and Tuscany, were bumped up from yellow to orange zones, joining Puglia and Sicily.
    These areas have slightly less stringent restrictions as they have been classed as medium-high risk while the rest of the country is moderate risk - yellow.
    However, four other regions, Campania, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Emilia-Romagna, are close to being moved up a tier too.
    Under the restrictions, which apply until, December 3, non-essential shops and markets are closed in red zones and travel outside one's home town is banned, except for work or health reasons.
    Conte told La Stampa that the government "has a strategy" and called on the public to cooperate by respecting the contagion-prevention rules.
    He said the government was ready to continue in 2021 giving aid to the business forced to closed by the restrictions.
    He also said he expects people will be able to celebrate Christmas with their families, but stressed that this must be done "with prudence". (ANSA).