Covid-19: Italy extends regional travel ban until March 27

Rome: Italy has banned inter-regional travel until 27 March after the government of premier Mario Draghi extended an existing ban that was due to expire this week.

The ban on travelling between Italy’s regions, as part of nationwide measures to curb covid-19, had been extended a couple of weeks ago in one of the last acts of the outgoing Conte government.

The measure applies to all non-essential movement between regions and autonomous provinces in Italy, with travel only permitted for urgent or necessary reasons such as health, work or for those who need to return home.

Italy’s health minister Roberto Speranza said the measure was “indispensable” to combat the spread of virus variants – reports news agency ANSA – as regional affairs minister Maria Stella Gelmini pledged that “timely” decisions on coronavirus restrictions would be made in agreement with regional authorities.

Italy’s new government caused an outcry earlier this month after it revoked a decision to reopen ski slopes in lower-risk ‘yellow zones’ just hours before they were due to open for business.