Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Sunday tightened restrictions against the coronavirus, after the publication of record numbers of new infections, despite opposition from region governors and protests against the curfew. Cinemas, theaters, gyms and swimming pools will have to close from Monday until November 24 according to the new restrictions, while bars and restaurants will have to stop serving after 6 p.m., the Prime Minister’s services said. Some 20,000 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the last 24 hours in Italy, according to the count announced by the authorities on Saturday, a national record. In total, more than 500,000 cases of infection and 37,000 deaths have been recorded in the first European country to be hit hard by the pandemic.
“Semi-confinement for a month”, proclaimed the daily Republic, pointing out that Giuseppe Conte had not put much effort into appeasing the governors of the regions, who advocated less drastic measures to save businesses hard hit by the spring lockdown. Schools and kindergartens will remain open, however, with 75% of classes in high schools and universities being held online. The population was called upon to avoid public transport and travel outside the communities as much as possible.
Clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators
The new measures were announced hours after a demonstration by dozens of far-right supporters protesting the curfew, who clashed with riot police overnight from Saturday to Sunday in central Rome. Some 200 masked activists belonging to the neofascist group Forza Nuova threw projectiles at the police and set bins on fire. In Naples (south), incidents had already erupted the previous night, when young people opposing the curfew had confronted the police. These incidents follow the decisions taken this week to impose a curfew in three regions: those of Rome (Lazio), Milan (Lombardy) and Naples (Campania).
But region governors have warned that shutting down businesses will exacerbate social tensions as the spring lockdown plunged Italy into its worst post-war economic recession. The governor of the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (north-east), Massimiliano Fedriga, appealed to the Prime Minister, warning that “social tensions are growing and the risks are worsening if we do not adopt fair measures and reasonable ”.
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