Covid-19: Italy’s yellow zone restaurants can open in evening, says CTS

Rome: The technical scientific committee (CTS) advising the Italian government has given its approval for restaurants in yellow zone regions to open in the evenings from 5 March, while restaurants in orange zones would be allowed to open for lunch, reports Italy’s newspaper of record Corriere della Sera.

Currently restaurants in yellow zones are permitted to serve food and drink on their premises from 05.00 and 18.00, after which take-away is allowed until the nationwide curfew kicks in at 22.00.

Bars and restaurants in Italy’s orange zones can currently only serve food to take away, from 05.00 until 18.00, with no take-away service in the evening.

The relaxing of measures – which requires government approval – would see restaurants open for lunch and dinner in regions classified as low-risk yellow zones under Italy’s tiered system of coronavirus restrictions.

It would also see restaurants in medium-risk orange zones being permitted to open for lunch, while restaurants in the highest-risk red zones would remain closed, according to Corriere della Sera.

In granting the green light, which reportedly followed a request from the ministry of economic development, the CTS reiterated that the existing rules – such as the wearing of masks when not at table, no antipasti buffet and restricted seating arrangements – would be retained.