Italy: A different kind of Christmas

Rome: Italian government ministers are working on a new set of coronavirus restrictions to be in place by early December. Here’s what we know so far.

This week, Italy’s government ministers and regional heads have been thrashing out proposals on how the country can get the coronavirus situation under control, while allowing citizens to enjoy the festive season.

Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte is holding further meetings with ministers and regional heads on Friday as they attempt to reach agreements on everything from midnight mass to reopening shops.

The meetings come as contagion rate appears to be slowing in some parts of the country,

However, many areas are still strugging with high transmission rates, and Italy’s death toll rose this week to a level last seen at the height of the first wave.

Although there have been some positive signs, it’s currently too early to know how much the the pandemic situation is improving in Italy. We’ll have a clearer picture on Friday afternoon, when health authorities are set to present data from the preceding week.

Based on the next batch of health data, government officials are expected to make the final decision on the Christmas rules over the weekend.

The health ministry will also use the data to re-evaluate the tiers each region has been placed into under the country’s graded system of coronavirus restrictions.

Conte said this week that there may be no more red zones in Italy by December if the contagion rate continues to slow.

Red areas are designated high-risk and subject to maximum restrictions, including a ban on all but essential travel and the closure of bars and restaurants.

But many restrictions still remain in place in lower-risk orange and yellow zones, and the prime minister has already warned that rules won’t be relaxed as much as they were during summer.

“It will be a different kind of Christmas, sacrifices are still necessary in order not to expose ourselves to a third wave in January with a high number of deaths”, Conte said on Italian television on Thursday night.

While it seems the Italian government will be taking a cautious approach, few restrictions have been officially confirmed so far.

We can expect an official announcement in the coming days, as Italy’s next emergency decree is due to be signed off by December 3rd.

The big question many in Italy are asking is whether or not the cenone (literally “big dinner”) can go ahead this Christmas – and, if so, how many family members they can invite.

While no legal limit is likely to be set, the goverment continues to recommend avoiding all gatherings.

“This Christmas we must plan to be as few as possible,” said Undersecretary for Health Sandra Zampa on Monday.

While the government recommends that people avoid any kind of gathering at home, these are likely to remain recommendations, not laws – meaning the police won’t come knocking if you do have a party.

“A free and democratic state cannot enter homes and say how many people can sit at the table,” said Conte on Tuesday. “There will be limitations on social occasions in general”.

The ‘rule of six’ recommendation is expected to remain in place.

The current emergency decree states: “With regard to private homes, it is strongly recommended to avoid parties, as well as to avoid receiving more than six non-cohabiting people”.

While churches are allowed to remain open even in red zones, the nationwide 10pm curfew would prevent people from attending the traditional Catholic midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

Despite speculation in Italian media that the curfew could be lifted or altered in December, or at least over Christmas and New Year, ministers appear to be taking a more cautious approach.

“Holding mass – and I say this as a Catholic – two hours earlier, or having the baby Jesus born two hours earlier, is not heresy,” said the regional affairs minister Francesco Boccia during a videoconference with local authorities on Thursday. “Heresy is not noticing the sick, the difficulties of the doctors, the suffering people”.
Christmas shopping

Italian media reports that, according to a leaked draft of the new decree, shops will be allowed to reopen as usual for at least a couple of weeks in December.

All non-essential shops are currently closed in Italy’s red zones, while shopping centres are shut at weekend nationwide.

Shops could be reopened between December 4-20th, according to reports, however this has not been officially confirmed.

Conte said on Tuesday that the government “hopes” to allow more shops to open if possible ahead of the Christmas holidays.

“The government’s policy is to contain opportunities for socializing but to allow the tradition of exchanging of gifts,” the prime minister said.

“We will try to expand the opening hours of shops,” he said. “We want to run the economy in compliance with the protocols, while avoiding gatherings”.

Travel for non-essential reasons is currently only allowed between yellow zones, but will this restricton be lifted over the festive season?

Health Minister Roberto Speranza this week played down suggestions that travel restrictions could be removed over Christmas, saying this will only be possible if all of Italy’s regions are yellow zones by then.

Each region’s classification is reviewed every two weeks. If the Rt index drops below 1 throughout Italy, as ministers hope, it will mean that restrictions could be eased in the regions currently classified as red zones.

“We are looking at travel between regions at Christmas,” Conte said on Tuesday. “If the current trend continues, at the end of the month we will no longer have red areas”.

There has been speculaton in the Italian press that some international travel restrictions may be relaxed in the December 3rd decree, however this has not been confirmed by officials.

Italian residents travelling abroad during the holidays may also face quarantine or testing on re-entry, according to media reports.

While Italian resorts would usually be preparing to open to snow tourists in early December, things don’t look promising for Italy’s multi-billion-euro ski industry as Conte has already warned Italians that they won’t be allowed ski holidays at Christmas.

“Everything to do with skiing holidays is uncontrollable,” he said this week.

Several northern regions along the Italian Alps are currently ‘red zones’, and their regional authorities have proposed adopting extra safety measures – including mandatory face masks and a cap on the number of people on the slops or in cable cars – in order to get permission for the season to go ahead.

Cone said that he was discussing taking a coordinated approach with other European countries, and on Tuesday confirmed that he had talked about “European coordination of health measures on Covid-19 during the Christmas holidays”.

Italian media reports say a leaked draft of the new decree allows restaurants and bars to open in the evening across the country – though groups could again be limited to six.

Bars and restaurants are currently closed to the public in red and orange zones, while they can stay open until curfew at 10pm in yellow zones.

It’s not known whether the nationwide curfew rule will be changed or removed altogether.

The usual New Year’s Eve parties are unlikely to happen this year in streets and squares, as the government says it will keep a ban on gatherings in place.

“Gatherings and parties in squares will not be allowed,” Health ministry undersecretary Zampa said.

“The holidays will be adequately regulated and, unlike during this summer, there will be no exceptions. We cannot risk a third wave.”