The government on Thursday passed a strict package of restrictions aimed at stopping the festive season fuelling a third wave of COVID-19 contagion.
The package includes a ban on travelling between regions between December 21 and January 6 and a ban on moving outside one's home town on Christmas Day, St Stephen's Day and New Year's Day.
The government has also maintained the current night curfew, with people not allowed out of their homes from 10pm until 5am, except for work or health reasons or other urgent situations.
That means, among other things, it will not be possible to attend the traditional Christmas midnight mass.
On New Year's Eve-Day the curfew will run a little longer, until 7am.
As is currently the case in regions that are not red or orange high-risk contagion zones, restaurants and bars will be able to be open until 6pm , including on Christmas Day, St Stephen's Day and New Year's Day.
But people who choose to spend New Year's Eve in a hotel will not be able to have supper in the dining room, as they decree says meals must be provided via room service on that night.
The government has resisted intense pressure from Italy's Alpine regions to open the nation's ski slopes for the Christmas holidays.
Under the new decree, which will be in force until January 15, it will only be possible for non-professionals to go skiing again on January 7.
Italy's shopping centres will have to remain closed at weekends too.
Cruises will be barred from December 21 until January 6 and people entering Italy from abroad in that period will have to go into quarantine for two weeks, unless the trip regards work or health reasons or other urgent situations. The cabinet has also decided to keep Italy's high schools closed until January 7, with classes being taught via distance learning, sources said.
In the new year high-school students will have lessons split 75%-25% between classes in school and distance learning.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
