Covid-19: Italy declares 5 new orange zones

Rome: Italy is to raise five regions from yellow (lower risk) to orange (medium risk) under the government’s three-tier system of restrictions based on covid-19 infection rates, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The five regions – Abruzzo, Basilicata, Liguria and Tuscany and Umbria – will become orange zones from Wednesday, November 11, following an order by Italy’s health ministry.

A decision on whether or not to raise Campania, the region around Naples, from yellow to orange is expected.

The five new orange regions will join Puglia and Sicily in the zona arancione category, which faces slightly less severe restrictions than the red zones.

The autonomous northern province of Bolzano joins the red zone regions of Calabria, Lombardia, Piemonte, Val d’Aosta and Alto Adige, which are under “soft” lockdowns.

All other regions, including the central Lazio region around Rome, remain in the yellow category for now.

“The situation continues to worsen and justifies the adoption of more restrictive interventions”, explained the director of the health ministry’s prevention department, Gianni Rezza, last night.

The move comes amid calls from the national federation of doctors’ guilds, FNOMCEO, for a total nationwide lockdown in Italy – something that premier Giuseppe Conte is keen to avoid over fears of damaging an already fragile economy.

On Monday 9 November Italy registered 25,271 new covid-19 cases over the previous 24 hours, about 7,000 fewer than the day before but with 43,000 fewer tests: 147,725 tests compared to 191,144 on Sunday.

Italy registered 356 covid-related deaths on 9 November, up from 331 fatalities the day before.

The most restrictive measures apply here, including local lockdowns. People are prohibited from entering or leaving, or moving to other towns or cities within the zones. People may only leave their homes for reasons of necessity, such as work, health or taking children to school. Distance learning applies to the final two years of middle school as well as high school. Bars, pubs, restaurants and most shops are closed. Food shops, pharmacies and hairdressers remain open.

Restaurants and bars are closed but shops remain open. Distance learning applies to senior high-school students. People can move freely within their towns and cities, but not leave them even to travel to other towns in the same region. It is forbidden to enter or leave the region.

The rest of Italy currently falls under the yellow category. In these zones there are no restrictions other than those imposed nationwide. Restaurants and bars are open until 18.00, and shops stay open as normal. Shopping centres are closed at weekends. It is possible to move within the region and from one yellow region to another.