WORLD / EUROPE
Italian PM signs new anti-virus decree
Published: Mar 03, 2021 09:17 AM
People wearing face masks visit the reopened Roman Forum in Rome, Italy, Feb. 1, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

People wearing face masks visit the reopened Roman Forum in Rome, Italy, Feb. 1, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi signed on Tuesday a decree with fresh coronavirus containment measures.

The decree, to be effective from March 6 to April 6, extends to March 27 a ban on travel between Italy's 20 regions, the government said in a statement.

Among the novelties is that beginning on March 27, museums will be open on weekends, while cinemas and theaters may reopen at 25 percent capacity in regions designated as low risk.

Under the new decree, schools, hairdressers, barbershops, and beauty salons will have to close in regions designated as at high risk of infections.

Gyms, swimming pools and ski facilities will remain closed everywhere for the duration of the decree.

The decree also gives regional governors powers to shut down schools "in areas where there are more than 250 infections per 100,000 residents in a period of seven days."

As of March 1, Italy had eight low-risk regions, 11 medium-risk regions, 2 high-risk regions, and 1 "white" region, Sardinia, where the virus is circulating very slowly and restrictions are very relaxed.

However, even in the white zones it is mandatory to wear a mask in public, and events and venues such as fairs, congresses, football games, and nightclubs remain closed, the government said.