People walk at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, as the government prepares to bring in further restrictions over the Christmas period to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Milan, Italy, December 18, 2020. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo

Italy announces Christmas and New Year lockdown

On Dec 19, 2020 227

Addis Ababa, December 19, 2020 (FBC) -Italy has ordered a nationwide lockdown over much of the Christmas and New Year period in an effort to combat a rise in coronavirus cases.

The country will be under “red-zone” restrictions over the public holidays, with non-essential shops, restaurants and bars closed, and Italians only allowed to travel for work, health and emergency reasons.

Limited home visits will be allowed.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said it was “not an easy decision”.

“Our experts were seriously worried that there would be a jump in cases over Christmas… We therefore had to act,” he said in a news conference.

Italy has recorded the highest COVID 19 death toll in Europe, with close to 68,000 fatalities.

Conte said the launch of the vaccination drive later this month would mark the beginning of “the end of this nightmare.”

Source: BBC