Italy extends COVID lockdown up to May 3 to contain the coronavirus pandemic
Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that the country will remain under lockdown until May 3 to contain the coronavirus pandemic, though a small number of businesses will be allowed to re-open next week. “It is a difficult and necessary decision for which I assume full responsibility,” he said in a televised address on Friday.
Conte had signaled earlier that the containment measures would certainly be extended beyond the original expiration date of April 13, reports Efe news.
And while Italy has had some success in “flattening the curve” of new infections, the nation continues to lead the world in COVID-19 deaths with 18,849.
The Prime Minister did not provide a complete list of the businesses that will be permitted to resume operations starting next Tuesday, mentioning only bookstores and shops selling baby clothes, but media outlets said that forestry companies and factories making farm machinery are likely to be included. All non-essential businesses were ordered closed a month ago and Italy’s leading employers’ associations have been clamouring for a relaxation of the restrictions. (IANS)