Italy PM announces plan to ease coronavirus lockdown

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday (local time) that the manufacturing, construction and wholesale sectors are going to be ready to return to figure beginning on May 4.

Retailers will follow them, museums, galleries and libraries on May 18 and bars, restaurants, hairdressers and wonder salons on June 1.

Also ranging from May 4, people are going to be allowed to go to their relatives as long as they wear masks, while parks and public gardens will reopen and folks are going to be ready to go jogging or bike riding further than 200 metres from their homes, Conte said during a nationally televised speech.

The Prime Minister made the remarks previous the tip of the national lockdown on May 3, which is to be followed by what he called Phase Two.

Funerals are going to be allowed but with a maximum of 15 participants as long as social distancing requirements are fulfilled. All businesses will follow rigorous workplace safety protocols.

Conte said that the govt has fixed the worth of surgical masks at 50 euro cents each to stop speculation and promised “massive support” measures for businesses and also the tourism sector to reopen the economy during Phase Two.

“If you like Italy, maintain your inter-personal safety distance to stay the new coronavirus pandemic trapped. We are near to start the phase of living with the virus. We must remember that the curve of the contagion could return up in some parts of the country,” he added.

“The risk is there and that we must take it on, methodically and rigorously. this can be why during Phase Two, it'll be even more important to take care of the inter-personal safety distance of a minimum of one metre,” the Prime Minister further said.

“If we don't respect the space, the curve will return up, and it could venture out of control. Our deaths will increase, and at that time, the damage to our economy could become irreversible. Our objective isn't to own more people on welfare but more people with jobs,” Conte said.

According to Sputnik, Italy has recorded 260 coronavirus-related deaths over the past 24 hours, which is that the lowest number of daily deaths registered since March 14, the country’s civil protection department said during a statement on Sunday. The death toll  stood at 26,644.