The Italian government is considering far-reaching measures to curb the outbreak of the corona virus, according to a draft decree in the hands of the British news agency Reuters. Among other things, the decree states that citizens are no longer allowed to enter or leave the hard-hit region of Lombardy.
So far, only a limited number of areas in northern Italy have been quarantined; these are the so-called ‘red zones’. But the new concept decree states that people are no longer allowed to enter or leave Lombardy.
In addition to Lombardy, eleven provinces in other regions may also be locked. These are the provinces of Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro, Urbino, Veneto, Padua, Treviso, Asti and Alessandria. The restrictions apply according to the concept until at least 3 April.
These relevant regions can only be entered and departed when strictly necessary, writes the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera. It goes according to Reuters for example for “necessary work” or for family reasons.
Decree may be approved on Saturday
The decree is expected to be approved later this Saturday, the head of the Italian Civil Protection Agency said earlier.
In the last 24 hours, the number of infections in Italy has risen by more than 1,200 to 5,883 cases.
The decree states, among other things, that all schools in the regions concerned will remain closed until 3 April. Museums and swimming pools must also keep their doors closed. Restaurants and bars may remain open, provided that a safe distance of 1 meter can be guaranteed. All vacations of care workers are also canceled.
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