red zones and self-certification in Rome, Milan, Naples and Genoa

Yesterday it was Walter Ricciardi, consultant to the Ministry of Health for the coronavirus emergency, who threw the stone into the puddle: “Milan, Naples and probably Rome are out of control from the point of view of tracking the epidemic.” If we add to this Genoa – which starting tonight will have four “high attention” areas – and Turin, it is understandable that the government is thinking of introducing red zones in big cities with a curfew from midnight (or even before 8 or 10) at 5 in the morning.

“City out of control”: red zones and self-certification in Rome, Milan, Naples and Genoa

Yesterday, the Civil Protection bulletin counted more than 15 thousand positive coronavirus cases and 197 deaths in what now seems to be an escalation that comes mainly from the numbers of large cities: yesterday in Milan there were 1,858 (there were 1,054 on Tuesday and they arrived to more than four thousand in Lombardy), in Rome 543 (there were 625, in Lazio 1224 cases, a record since the beginning of the epidemic) and in Naples 717 in two days. For this reason, the ordinance has arrived in Lazio that will impose the blockade of traffic from 24 to 5 on Friday, October 23 and distance learning in institutes and universities from Monday, completed with self-certification to go out at night as in Lombardy and in Campania.

In Liguria, the measures refer to Genoa, where the curfew takes effect from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and you can only drive to go to a shop, a bar or a restaurant. As of Monday, distance teaching will be carried out in 50% of the baccalaureate. In Piedmont, the shopping centers will be closed during the weekend and the nightlife in Turin has been limited as in Florence. Even in Sardinia, as the President of the Region, Christian Solinas, said, we are moving towards closures.

Download the self-certification form (Pdf)

But, explain today The impression, the decisions of the governors could soon be overtaken by the decisions of the government that wants to lighten the roads since public transport is a biological bomb that experts say is dragging the contagion curve upwards. For this reason, the four metropolises (Rome, Milan, Naples and Genoa) could be the first to be surrounded by red zones where the essential movements will be reduced to those of school and work.

Early curfew and Dpcm on the way

Yesterday the government spoke of “hypotheses” about a new Dpcm that will be launched on Sunday, October 25. Although today The Republic He says that instead it is planned to enact an even more restrictive measure than the one we were talking about in recent days, where the curfew could be brought forward to 20 or 22.

So, by Friday, the restrictions promoted by the individual regions will be operational. The second step will be to study with the first citizens of the four cities at risk (but a special lens is also aimed at Bari, Palermo and Turin) the idea of ​​an early curfew, along with new limitations on non-essential movements.

In this sense, there is already an important precedent, although it will not be repeated as it is: the prohibition of circulation between provinces decided by Vincenzo De Luca. It serves above all to protect Naples from the influx of unnecessary travel. In Rome, on the other hand, it could be decided to further increase smart work, also involving offices and companies that are not part of the public administration. But this add-on package almost certainly won’t be enough.

The blackest forecasts say that in a few days the 20,000 infections will be exceeded and that the next peak to climb will be 30,000: that could even lead to the national closure. Meanwhile, in the new Dpcm there may be a shopping center contraction on the weekends.

Towards a new Dpcm before Sunday October 25