ROME (AP) — Italy’s leader has imposed at least a month of new restrictions to fight rising coronavirus infections, shutting down gyms, pools and movie theaters and putting an early curfew on cafes and restaurants. Worried about crippling Italy’s stagnant economy, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte opted against another full nationwide lockdown. The decree he signed Sunday keeps elementary and middle schools open but says 75% of high school students must have virtual classes. It also requires everyone except children younger than age 6 and people exercising to wear masks outdoors. The measures take effect Monday and are set to last until Nov. 24. Italy has reported a total of 37,338 virus deaths, Europe’s second-highest death toll after Britain.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
A client sits at a restaurant in Rome, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. For at least the next month, people outdoors except for small children must now wear masks in all of Italy, gyms, cinemas and movie theaters will be closed, ski slopes are off-limits to all but competitive skiers and cafes and restaurants must shut down in early evenings, under a decree signed on Sunday by Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, who ruled against another severe lockdown despite a current surge in COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Posted at 5:44 PM, Oct 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-25 20:44:59-04
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