Covid-19: Italy to close museums

Rome: Italy will “also close museums” as part of a new decree, expected imminently, to curb the spread of covid-19, said the minister for culture and tourism Dario Franceschini.

The minister was speaking last night in an interview with the television programme Che tempo che fa on state television channel Rai Tre.

The news follows the closure of Italy’s cinemas and theatres last week under the latest covid-19 restrictions.

Their closure, also announced in advance by Franceschini, led to an outcry from the nation’s embattled cultural sector.

However it remains to be seen if the imminent closure of museums, as anticipated by Franceschini, will be on a national or regional level.

The Italian government is currently considering new restrictions including provincial lockdowns, limiting travel between regions and making distance learning obligatory for terza media high-school students.

On Sunday 1 November, Italy registered 29,907 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours, down from 31,758 new cases the day before, with 298 coronavirus-related deaths, compared to 297 the previous day.