A man rides a bicycle past the Altare della Patria - Vittorio Emanuele II monument on Piazza Venezia in downtown Rome on March 10, 2020.
VINCENZO PINTO
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told his entire nation to "stay at home" on Monday evening as the country experiences the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world.
As of Tuesday morning, Italy had 9,172 confirmed cases — only second to mainland China where the virus first emerged late last year. As a result, the Italian government has decided to put the entire country in lockdown and impose a series of restrictions to try to contain the spread. Here are just some of them from the government's official decree:
- Italians are encouraged to stay home and "limit social contact as much as possible."
- Travel is only allowed for "urgent, verifiable work situations and emergencies or health reasons."
- Civil and religious ceremonies are suspended, including funerals, though worship places are still allowed to open provided people can keep a meter's distance from one another.
- Public and private companies have been encouraged to put their employees on leave.
- Restaurant and bar activities are only allowed from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. – In addition, the owners of these commercial activities need to ensure conditions so people can have at least one meter of interpersonal distance.
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- Health personnel are suspended from taking holidays.
- Gyms and other sports facilities, and cultural centers, are also suspended.
- Sports events and competitions have also been suspended in public and private places.
- Lifts in ski areas are also closed.
- Cinemas, theaters, dance schools and betting rooms are also on hold.
- Schools and universities are closed.
These restrictions are set to last until April 3, at the least.
Waiters wait for customers at a restaurant on Piazza del Popolo in Rome on March 10, 2020. - Italy imposed unprecedented national restrictions on its 60 million people on March 10, 2020 to control the deadly coronavirus.
TIZIANA FABI