ROME – Italy remains closed until May and from Monday more than half of the country will be in the red zone, with Calabria, Tuscany and Valle d’Aosta being added to the 7 regions and the autonomous province of Trento in which they are already the toughest restrictions are in force, while Lazio is back in orange. With still 24 thousand cases and 450 deaths in one day, the government confirms the line of maximum rigor even after Easter, deciding, however, to invest the “treasure” guaranteed by the first signs of an inversion of the curve on the school: it will return to the presence until the sixth grade in the red areas, while in the orange ones all students up to eighth grade and 50% of high school students will be in the classroom. Until April 30, therefore, no movement between regions, shutters still lowered for bars and restaurants, reopening of gyms, swimming pools, cinemas and theaters at a later date, yellow zone canceled until the end of the month. “The measures adopted so far have given us a very first sign of a slowdown, but the situation is still delicate,” says Health Minister Roberto Speranza. The decision to extend the squeeze for another month was shared in the control room, but still caused tension in the majority.
“It is unthinkable to keep Italy closed even for the entire month of April” says Lega leader Matteo Salvini asking the Prime Minister, “in the name of common sense that distinguishes him and above all of medical and scientific data”, to consider the possibility of safely reopening activities at least in those regions and cities “with the situation health under control “. The closures “are conceivable or unthinkable only on the basis of the data. It is desirable to reopen, the decision whether to do it or not depends on the data “, replies Draghi himself at the press conference, leaving a window open: there will be monitoring” week by week “and if the numbers allow it,” changes cannot be ruled out. ” in progress”. The government will therefore extend the current decree in force as early as the beginning of next week after the meeting on Monday with the Regions, and will evaluate the trend of the contagion curve no earlier than mid-month. In any case, it is likely that until April 30, when the state of emergency in force since January last year will expire, nothing will change. That will be the occasion to define the duration of the extension and a gradual picture of the reopening.
In fact, at the moment the epidemiological situation is that which the coordinator of the Technical Committee explained to the ministers scientific Franco Locatelli and the president of the Higher Institute of Health Silvio Brusaferro. The curve slows down, the Rt index falls from 1.16 to 1.08, the first signs of stabilization and a slight decrease in cases and incidence begin to be seen. A decline which, however, “does not allow for a reduction in current measures” and which, on the contrary, still requires a “drastic reduction in physical interactions and mobility” in order to consolidate. The map of Italy, with 5 high-risk regions and 13 with the RT above 1, therefore remains orange-red: Calabria, Tuscany and Valle D’Aosta join the range with the maximum restrictions where they are already located. Campania, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Marche, Veneto, the provinces of Trento and Puglia. Region, the latter, where President Michele Emiliano signed an ordinance introducing further restrictions: no moving to second homes, shops closed at 6pm, increased smart working for public employees. On the other hand, Lazio, which has an Rt of 0.97, turns orange from Tuesday: there are 8 regions in this band, in addition to the province of Bolzano, even if in many there are entire municipalities in the red zone.
In Sicily, (region that remains orange) for example, the president Nello Musumeci signed the ordinance for three municipalities of Agrigento – Comitini, Racalmuto and Siculiana – and Centirupe nell’ennese, which are added to Caltavuturo and San Mauro Castelverde. In Sardinia, on the other hand, there are 7, with Pozzomaggiore in the province of Sassari joining Golfo Aranci, Uri, Bono, Sindia, Samugheo and Sarroch.
Announcing the extension of the restrictions, Draghi however, it suggests that perhaps the end of the tunnel is beginning to be seen. He does so by replying to those who ask him if he would advise Italians, as did the Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia, to book their summer holidays. “I agree with him, if I could go on vacation I would gladly go there.”