ROME: At about 2:30 am on Sunday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte decreed a partial quarantine over a swathe of Italy’s north region. Just over 24 hours later, he extended the measure to the entire country of 60 million people. These decisions were the most aggressive countermeasures against coronavirus taken since the outbreak in January. Italy is suffering the second worst outbreak in the world, with more deaths than in any other country outside China.
Originally billed as a full lockdown of northern Italy, Conte’s measures, as they became clearer, turned out to be limited. He ordered some restrictions on travel and public activities covering the entire country. To move around, citizens are supposed to fill out a Ministry of Interior form giving the reasons for travel: for work; for a “situation of necessity;” for health reasons; and to get home.
The statement is a “self-declaration,” so it’s not clear how the information is going to be verified. Police will be carrying out spot-checks.
