All Of Italy Under Lockdown: What Happens Now?

Dipartimento Protezione Civile from Italia / CC BY

“Stay at Home Decree” enters into force

On the evening of Monday March 9, Italy’s Prime Minister Giusppe Conte announced on television that all of Italy is under lockdown, in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The unprecedented measure was taken two days ago for the Lombardy region plus other 14 provinces in northern Italy, and is now extended to the whole national territory.

The Prime Ministerial Decree will enter into force on Tuesday March 10, and decrees the following (summarized) enactments:

• Physical persons must avoid any travel in and out of the interested territories, as well as within the same territories, except for necessity or proven work or health reasons. Returning to one’s home residence is also permitted;

• Subjects with respiratory infection symptoms and fever (more than 37.5° C) are strongly recommended to stay at home, limit social contacts as much as possible, and contact the family doctor;

• There’s an absolute ban on mobility from one’s home or dwelling for people who have been quarantined or have tested positive;

• Events and sporting competitions of any kind, and activities carried out in public or private places, are suspended;

• Public and private employers are reccomended to encourage employees to go on leave during the period the decree is in force;

• All ski areas are closed;

• All organized demonstrations are suspended, as well as events in public or private places, including cultural, recreational, sports, religious events and fairs, even if carried out indoors, namely cinemas, theaters, pubs, dance schools, game rooms, betting rooms, bingo halls, discos and similar places;

• All didactic activities in schools are suspended at all levels. School attendance and training activities, including those carried out by universities, institutions and other public, private, territorial and local bodies, to the exlcusion of specialist training and specific courses in general medicine, as well as the traineeship activities in the healthcare professions, are suspended;

• The opening of places of worship is conditioned on the necessary adoption of organizational measures so as to avoid gatherings of people. All civil and religious ceremonies are suspended, including weddings and funerals;

• Museums and other cultural institutes are closed;

• Public and private examinations and public tenders are suspended to the exclusion of cases in which the evaluation of candidates is carried out exclusively on a curricular basis or in telematic mode;

• Retail commercial activities other than those explicitly mentioned (food and essential goods such as supermarkets, pharmacies, etc.) are closed;

• The ordinary leave of health personnel and technicians, as well as that of the staff whose activities are required by the crisis units established at regional level, is suspended;

• Middle and large sales structures, as well as commercial premises within shopping centers and markets, are closed on public holidays;

• Gyms, swimming pools, spas, sport centers, cultural centers, social centers and recreation centers are suspended.

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