The Italian government will slowly relax the coronavirus lockdown measures based on how the contagion spreads in different regions of the country, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said today.
“Reopening of activities would be based on precise scientific criteria,” he said during an address to Parliament.
Conte’s comments come as 13 out of the 20 Italian regions have asked the government to reopen certain activities, through a joint letter delivered on Wednesday. Lombardy, the region affected most by the coronavirus outbreak, is one of the signatories.
The letter, published by the governor of Veneto, asks the government “to guarantee the possibility of reopening activities to all those who respect the measures already provided” by the government decree. “It’s clear that health is the first essential objective, but it can’t be the only one,” the letter read.
Restaurants, bars, and shop owners around Italy are “handing over their keys” to their mayors in protest against the government. Many shop owners fear that the longer the lockdown will last, the harder it will be to reopen.
On Thursday, the Italian Health Minister is expected to publish a series of measures defining the guidelines and thresholds to evaluate the evolution of the contagion in each area of Italy.
