Premier Giuseppe Conte's government
looks set to approve restrictions that will put Italy into some
form of a lockdown over the Christmas holidays to stop social
contact during the festive season feeding a third wave of
COVID-19 contagion here.
The government is expected to declare all of Italy a red zone,
meaning bars and restaurants and non-essential shops must close.
But the executive has reportedly not decided exactly which days
this system should be in force and whether to also impose
restrictions to stop get-togethers between families and friends
over the holidays.
Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia said Thursday that he
thinks Italians should stay at home this Christmas.
"We must take decisions to protect the fragile and the elderly,
even at the cost of approaching unpopularity," Boccia told Sky
television.
"Each one of us must spend Christmas in their own home.
"Those thinking about big get-togethers are wrong in a big way"
Conte is expected to have the latest in a long series of meeting
with the parties supporting his government and talks with
regional governors on Friday.
His cabinet is then set to meet at 18:00.
As things are, people will not be able to move between regions
from December 21 until January 6 and they will not be able to
move out of their home towns or cities on Christmas Day, St
Stephen's Day and New Year's Day.
A night curfew kicking in at 22:00 will remain in force.
The CTS panel of experts advising the government on its COVID-19
policies has called for tougher measures than those currently
planned for Christmas.
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