Italy bans Christmas travel between regions
Italy is banning travel between its regions from 21 December to 6 January as a neighborhood of strict coronavirus curbs over the Christmas holidays.
A curfew from 22:00 to 05:00 also are going to be in place.
Restaurants can open in some regions until 18:00 but only takeaways are allowed in other parts of the country. Ski slopes must close until 7 January.
It comes as Italy announced its highest daily Covid price since the pandemic started, with 993 fatalities.
“We cannot disappoint our guard,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told a news conference.
“We must eliminate the danger of a third wave which could arrive in January – and not less serious than the first and thus the second,” he added.
There will be travel exceptions for work, medical reasons, or emergencies.
On top of the regional travel bans, people won’t be allowed to travel away from their home towns on Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day Day Day.
The new curbs are criticized during a joint statement by regional authorities, who say they weren’t consulted by the central government.
“The lack of dialogue has made it impossible to balance the curbs with the wants of families,” the statement said.
Attilio Fontana, governor of the northern Lombardy region, which has reported the foremost cases and deaths, called the new rules “crazy”.
More than 58,000 people have lost their lives to Covid-19 in Italy.
Before Thursday, the country’s previous record daily price was 969 on 27 March.