Premier Giuseppe Conte has said Italy may start to gradually ease its coronavirus lockdown, with some sectors being allowed to return to work, at the end of this month. "We need to pick sectors that can restart their activity," Conte told the BBC. "If scientists confirm it, we might begin to relax some measures already by the end of this month".
After a month of stringent lockdown measures, data over the last few days suggests the spread of COVID-19 is starting to slow. But Conte also stressed that the lockdown can be eased "only gradually".
Conte also said that the EU project could fail in its "greatest crisis since the Second World War" unless an agreement is reached on euro bonds to help fund the economic response to the virus crisis.
Northern members have rejected the so-called coronabonds advocated by Italy, France and Spain.
A stalled Eurogroup meeting will resume later Thursday on using such bonds or the European Stability Mechanism, which Italy has rejected.
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