Italy to Introduce New Restriction to Contain Spread of Covid-19

The Italian health minister, Roberto Speranza is likely to impose new social restrictions in the coming weeks, to control pandemic in the country. The cabinet is going to meet on Tuesday to decide how to respond to the increasing number of infections.

The Xinhua news agency reported the Minister said the new rules would include limits or a full ban on parties at home, as well as a prohibition for people to linger outside bars, clubs, and stores to avoid gatherings. He also added that "the battle isn't over. We don't have the numbers seen in other European countries, but we are in a phase of significant growth and I hope the country finds a spirit of unity,"

The new measures include making the wearing of masks obligatory. Mask-wearing is compulsory in just five of Italy's 20 regions, mainly in the south. The measure on private parties were aimed at stemming the virus from spreading within family circles. However, the most important thing is to take direct responsibility for one's actions and he also said that "we can't have the police checking every single person. The government is working day and night to avoid a return to a full lockdown as the country cannot afford it."

Presently, Italy's overall Covid-19 caseload stands at 359,569, with 36,205 deaths.

Since October 1, the daily increases in new cases ranged between 2,500 and 5,700, still low compared to other European countries, but enough to raise the alert to the national level.

As a result, the cabinet on October 7 reintroduced the mandatory use of face masks everywhere outdoor and indoor, when not in contact with household members, and extended the state of emergency until January 31, 2021.