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Italy will enter a new lockdown for much of the Christmas and New Year period to cope with the increase in coronavirus cases.
The bars, restaurants and non-essential shops will close between December 24 and 27, New Year’s Eve until January 3 and from January 5 to 6.
Italians may only travel for work, health or emergency reasons.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said it was “a painful decision,” but it comes amid a surge in COVID-19 infections.
“The situation is difficult throughout Europe. The virus continues to circulate everywhere,” he told reporters.
“Our experts were seriously concerned that there would be a jump in cases over Christmas … So we had to act, but I can assure you it was not an easy decision.”
He said limited visits will be allowed to see elderly parents living alone, adding that police will not be dispatched to people’s homes to make sure they abide by the rules, but called on the population to follow measures.
Conte said the action was necessary to “face the upcoming holidays in a way that protects us better, and also in view of the general resumption of activities to come in January.”
Italy was the first Western country to be severely affected by the virus in February and, as of Friday, 67,894 people had died as a result of the disease, the highest number of deaths in Europe.
Sweden is introducing its most stringent restrictions so far amid a surge in coronavirus cases
The surge in measures comes as several countries in Europe that had contained the coronavirus early in the pandemic are now seeing an increase in cases, prompting tough action in the lead-up to Christmas.
Sweden, which has had a comparatively hands-off response to the pandemic and has tried not to allow it to disrupt normal life, is introducing its most severe restrictions yet.
Face masks are now mandatory on public transportation and restrictions on the numbers that can be gathered in restaurants, stores and gyms starting next week, while people have been told to work from home.
The Scandinavian country has not entered lockdowns or closed businesses, relying instead on people’s common sense to control infections.
However, it is seeing a rapid increase in confirmed cases which is putting pressure on the healthcare system, and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven described the situation as “very serious”.
On Friday, it recorded a record 9,654 new daily coronavirus cases and 100 deaths, bringing the total to 7,993.
A surge in cases has put hospitals under extreme pressure in Switzerland
Restaurants, bars, cultural venues and sports facilities have been ordered to close next week in Switzerland, which the Swiss government says is necessary as “hospitals and healthcare workers have been under extreme pressure for weeks and the festive period increases the risk of rapidly increasing cases. “
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization chief of emergencies said a team of international experts investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic would travel to the city of Wuhan in China, the suspected site of the initial outbreak, in the first week. from January. .
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Dr. Michael Ryan says there will be quarantine arrangements for the team, which will work “with our Chinese colleagues” but will not be “supervised by Chinese officials.”
He said the world should celebrate the arrival of vaccines, but “the next three to six months are going to be tough.”
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