Italy to Significantly Ease Quarantine Regulations

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Italy is set to abolish the nighttime curfew system next month. This decision comes from the assessment that the spread of COVID-19 has significantly weakened due to vaccination and previous restriction measures.

According to reports from public broadcaster RAI News and others, the Italian coalition government approved additional easing of quarantine regulations at a cabinet meeting held on the 17th (local time).

Accordingly, from the 19th, the start time of the nighttime curfew will be delayed by one hour from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., and from the 7th of next month, it will be further eased to midnight. On the 21st of next month, the nighttime curfew itself will be abolished.

Italy has been enforcing a nationwide nighttime curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day since November last year, when the second wave of infections intensified.

From the 1st of next month, indoor operations of restaurants and pubs will resume as scheduled. Outdoor operations will be allowed until just before the curfew starts, as is currently the case.

Weekend and holiday operations of large shopping malls will be permitted from the 22nd of this month, and health clubs will reopen from the 24th.

Weddings with guests and amusement park openings will be allowed from the 15th of next month. For weddings, only those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, those with immunity after infection, or those who possess a negative COVID-19 test certificate conducted within 48 hours before the event can attend.

Audience attendance at sports events such as soccer will be allowed from the 1st of next month within 25% of the stadium capacity (up to a maximum of 500 people), and casinos, indoor swimming pools, and spa facilities will open from July 1.

Discotheques will not be allowed to operate either outdoors or indoors.

The Italian government has been easing quarantine regulations since the end of last month, seeing a clear decline in virus spread due to vaccination and high-intensity restriction measures.

As of today, Italy’s daily new COVID-19 cases are 3,455, and deaths are 140. The cumulative totals are 4,162,576 cases and 124,296 deaths, respectively. The positivity rate is 2.9%.

About 19.33 million people, or 32.1% of the total population (approximately 60 million), have received the first dose, and about 8.847 million people (14.7%) have completed the second dose.