what you can do and not do from today in Italy in semi-lockdown

The Dpcm October 24, the twenty-first of the era of the coronavirus, turns off the light in bars, pubs and restaurants at 6:00 p.m., closes cinemas, theaters and concert halls and with its publication in the Official Gazette it brings all of Italy to the semi-closed from today October 26 until at least November 24. And according to experts such as Walter Ricciardi it will not be of much use because “The measures linked to schedules have no scientific evidence. Where they were applied they had no effect on containment. France has applied a curfew for a week, but the increase in Los contagions are still very strong ”.

New Dpcm: what can and cannot be done from today in Italy in semi-lockdown

The package of measures goes in two directions: it stops most of the leisure and entertainment activities, but it keeps work and school. It does not restrict the movement of people, but the government issues a “strong recommendation” to avoid unnecessary travel. And it does so while the Civil Protection bulletin reports the figure of 21,273 cases and 128 deaths, and the city squares are filled with protests shouting “Close, pay us.”

Press reports say that the Dpcm has matured in a climate of confrontation, even bitter, with the Regions that asked to keep the premises closed at 11 pm, but the government went ahead, looking at the contagion curve. The only commitment with the governors is that of dad and the possibility that the restaurants open on Sundays, initially denied. These are the norms and prohibitions established by the Dpcm in the commercial sector and for the activity of public establishments. All activities are allowed in accordance with the spacing obligations and the mandatory use of masks both outdoors and indoors:

• Restaurants, bars, pubs, ice cream parlors and patisseries can remain open from 5 am to 6 pm Table consumption is allowed for a maximum of four people per table, unless they all live together;
• After 6 pm it is forbidden to consume food and beverages in public places open to the public, but catering is allowed in hotels and other accommodation facilities without a time limit, limited to its clients, who stay there;
• It is mandatory in public places open to the public, as well as in all commercial establishments, to place a sign at the entrance of the place that indicates the maximum number of people admitted to the room at the same time;

The rules applied to restaurants also extend to agritourism structures. Catering with home delivery is always allowed and, until midnight, catering with takeout food but always with prohibition of consumption on site or in the immediate vicinity. Canteen and catering activities are still allowed. Finally, food and beverage outlets remain open in service and refueling areas located along highways, within hospitals and at airports.

Dpcm October 24: the new rules and prohibitions valid for all Italy

Regarding other commercial activities, beauty salons, hairdressers and barbers remain open, as well as retail stores such as footwear, clothing, accessories, bookstores, perfumeries remain open without a time limit, but they must respect the rules: from a distance of a meter to delayed customer entries. The novelty is in the passage in which the government asks that exhibitors be prevented from staying inside the venue longer than necessary to acquire the merchandise. The actual stops refer to so-called leisure activities:

• “Shows open to the public in theaters, concert halls, cinemas and other spaces, even outdoors, are suspended.” The museums remain open and so do the other “institutes and places of culture”, such as archaeological areas and monuments. Public entrances are limited, visitors must respect the distance of at least one meter, and gatherings are prohibited. Theme and amusement parks are also suspended until the expiration of the decree, set for November 24;
• The activities of gyms, swimming pools, swimming centers, wellness centers, spas, cultural centers, social centers and recreational centers are suspended ”. There is still the possibility of practicing basic sports and physical activity in general as long as it is outdoors in sports clubs, public and private, without generating crowds and respecting distances;
• Contact sport is suspended but it is possible to train children and young people outdoors and respecting distances;
• It is still allowed to carry out outdoor sports or motor activities, even in conditioned areas and public parks, but always respecting the distance of 2 meters for sports and 1 meter for any other activity, such as walking;

Furthermore, “indoor and outdoor parties are prohibited, including those resulting from civil and religious ceremonies”, so lunches or celebrations after weddings, baptisms, communions or confirmations are not allowed. In any case, the activities that take place in dance halls and discos and similar venues, outdoors or indoors, are suspended ”. Festivals, fairs of any kind “and other similar events” are prohibited. Until November 24 it will not be possible to organize international fairs and congresses and conferences are suspended. For royal ceremonies (weddings, confirmations, baptisms) the Dpcm allows “religious functions with the participation of people in compliance with the protocols.” Capacity must be indicated outside places of worship.

The new Dpcm brings Italy into semi-lockout from today (but it won’t be enough)

A separate chapter refers to smart work: the participation of 50% of public employees in smart work has already been set with a provision signed on October 20 by the Minister of Labor, Fabiana Dadone. In the public sector, it was established that “meetings are held remotely, unless there are justified reasons.” The same rule is “strongly recommended for private meetings.”

With regard to the private sector, the Dpcm recommends that professional activities “are also implemented through agile working methods; paid vacations and leave for employees are encouraged, as well as other tools provided by collective bargaining; adopt anti-security protocols – contagion, without prejudice to the obligation to use protective devices; workplace sanitation operations are encouraged “.

Finally, in the new decree the limit of six guests in the house falls: now in the Dpcm there is no maximum number of people that can be invited to the house. But the government has inserted (in article 1, paragraph 9, letter n) the prohibition of parties indoors and outdoors. With regard to private homes – read the final text, already in the Official Gazette – it is strongly recommended not to receive people other than those who live together, except for work needs or situations of need and urgency ”. A recommendation and not a ban.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte only gave the go-ahead after having received from the Ministry of Economy the certainty of the arrival of refreshment measures for traders in a short time (a decree of law that will be approved in the middle of the week). He is convinced that the measures will be enough to lower the contagion curve in four or six weeks, and that they will help “a more peaceful Christmas”. Massimo Galli from the Sacco hospital, in an interview with Fatto Quotidiano, does not seem to have these certainties: “In many parts of Italy the health system will go into crisis and we will have an appalling death toll, but this may not happen yet. we will be more competent, the curve will slow down, I am referring to the country system taken by surprise and lagged behind by the first wave, but which was not prepared for the second for not having introjected the lesson last summer ”.

The text of the Dpcm October 24, 2020