[ad_1]
Image copyright
AFP
The mayor of Milan has threatened to close the popular Navigli neighborhood as crowds gather
Italy has become the first country in the European Union to record more than 30,000 coronavirus-related deaths.
It reported 243 new deaths on Friday, compared to 274 the previous day, bringing the total to 30,201.
The daily number of confirmed new cases decreased slightly to 1,327, bringing the total number of infections to 217,185.
Restrictions have begun to ease across the county, but a doctor described the city of Milan as a “time bomb,” according to local media.
Italy has the third highest number of officially registered coronavirus deaths in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom, which is no longer a member of the EU.
Britain passed the 30,000 mark on Wednesday. Spain is the third most affected country in Europe with more than 26,000 deaths.
- Reality check: Can you compare the UK to Italy?
Italy was the first country in Europe to impose a blockade when coronavirus cases began to emerge in the northern regions in February.
Some blocking measures have been reversed. This week, Italians have been able to exercise for the first time in weeks, as long as they respect the rules on physical distance and wear masks where distancing is difficult. They can visit family, but not friends, within their region.
Catholic churches are also preparing for the resumption of Mass on May 18, but there will be strict social distancing and worshipers must wear face masks. Other religions will also be allowed to hold religious services.
Image copyright
EPA
More people have been in Rome since restrictions were relaxed
However, schools, cinemas, and most stores will remain closed, and all public gatherings are still prohibited. Bars and restaurants will begin allowing customers to sit at tables in June.
While some restrictions remain, images shared on social media show people in busy areas ignoring the rules of estrangement and not wearing protective masks, sparking a protest.
Massimo Galli, head of the infectious diseases department at the Sacco hospital in Milan, told La Reppublica newspaper that it was clear that reducing the closure “can present problems”.
He said: “We have a large number of infected people returning to circulation.”
Coronavirus commissioner Angelo Borrelli warned the public that containment measures would “tighten up” if the virus showed signs of taking off again.
“We are monitoring things carefully,” he said Thursday.
Media playback is not supported on your device
Police in the capital Rome said they were setting up checkpoints on the roads leading to the coast, lakes and rural tourist spots over the weekend.
They said they would also be monitoring popular areas for nightlife.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala issued an “ultimatum” on Friday after images of crowds of people, most of them young, appeared, eschewing facial masks or social estrangement in the city’s popular Navigli area.
Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region, which has been the epicenter of the Italian outbreak.
“I will take action, I will close the Navigli,” Sala threatened, describing the scenes as “embarrassing.”
In another development, an Italian government agency warned that the cashless tourism industry is vulnerable to incursions by mafia organizations as the closure eases.
A report by the criminal infiltration monitoring body Covid-19 said the tourism and catering sectors would have “a lack of liquidity that would expose them to loan theft.”
He said mafia groups would seek to invest in struggling businesses like hotels and restaurants with the aim of laundering money.
