ROME, Apr 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, extended the country’s national COVID-19 lock-down to “at least” May 3.
“The national quarantine will be extended to at least May 3,” Conte said. “The decision is not an easy one, but it is what the situation required.”
The prime minister’s announcement came, about one month after the first decree went into force. Since then, Conte has periodically strengthened the terms of the lock-down and extended its length.
Before this extension, the measures were scheduled to be lifted Monday, though reports began circulating that it would be extended into May, after Conte held a conference call with trade union leaders.
Italy was the first country in Europe to issue a national lock-down, as a way to curb the spread of the virus.
The extension means that for an additional 20 days, residents in Italy will not be able to leave their homes, except for “vital” reasons, such as food shopping or medical visits.
Conte said, he wanted to loosen the terms of the lock-down “as soon as possible”, and if changes warranted, they cold be loosened before May 3.
He said, some activities — notably stores that sell goods for small children — would be allowed to re-open, starting Apr 14.
Italy remains one of the countries hit hardest by the virus pandemic, with nearly 19,000 deaths and nearly 150,000 infections.
