A waiter wearing a face mask brings a drink to a table in a bar October 19, 2020, in central Rome. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
The Covid-19 rules are to be eased next week in much of Italy with the reintroduction of yellow zones, meaning many businesses can reopen and restrictions on movement will be lifted.
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The majority of the country’s 20 regions and autonomous provinces are to become lower-risk yellow zones from Monday April 26th, according to a health ministry ordinance released on Friday evening.
Five regions are to remain in the moderate-risk orange zone: Basilicata, Calabria, Puglia, Sicily and Valle d'Aosta
The island of Sardinia will be the only region to remain in the highest-risk red zone.
All other regions will be placed under lower-level yellow zone restrictions.
The health minister is expected to sign the ordinance on Friday evening making the zone changes official.
Italy's coronavirus Rt reproduction number has fallen to 0.81, down from 0.85 last week, the latest weekly coronavirus monitoring report from the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS) showed.
The number of new cases fell to 157.4 for every 100,000 inhabitants, down from 160.5 in the previous week, officials said at a press conference on Friday.
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This is still a long way from the 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants that would make it possible to resume tracing and tracking, however it does mean pressure has eased on hospitals in most regions, health officials said.
The lower-level yellow zone classification returns to the map on Monday after the government announced last week it would begin slowly easing restrictions ahead of summer..
Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP
Restaurants in yellow zones will be able to serve customers at outdoor tables, after weeks of being limited to takeaways and deliveries only.
Restrictions on non-essential travel between regions in yellow zones will also be dropped.
Travel to and from higher-risk regions will be possible using a new travel pass, the government announced.
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I needed to go to San Marino today for business and was pleased to see it already has the bars and restaurants open and no 10pm curfew.
Currently I believe you need a reason to enter San Marino, but with Italy allowing travel between yellow zones next week it might be worth seeing whether the San Marino government are allowing leisure visitors from next week. It was nice to have a bit of normality
Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP
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