Italy: Restaurants and museums reopen as Italy relaxes coronavirus curbs

Rome: Italy has relaxed coronavirus restrictions in most of its regions, allowing greater freedom to travel and the daytime reopening of bars, restaurants and museums.

The government announced an easing of restrictions on Friday, even after the World Health Organization (WHO) and other experts warned that the move may be premature.

Sixteen regions are now under the lower-risk “yellow” category, while five – Sicily, Sardinia and Puglia in the south, Umbria in the centre and South Tyrol in the north – are still “orange.”

In Rome, which is in the “yellow” region of Lazio, the Colosseum and other tourist landmarks such as the Pantheon and the Borghese Gallery reopened their doors.

The Vatican also eased coronavirus restrictions, allowing visitors back into the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel after being closed for 88 days – the longest closure since World War II.

However, museums can stay open in “yellow” regions only during the week.

In “orange” areas, bars and restaurants are limited to takeaway or home delivery service, people cannot leave their towns of residence except for work or urgent needs, and museums remain shut.

A nationwide curfew remains in place from 10 pm to 5 am, along with social distancing and mask-wearing in public.

The country has been one of the worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 2.5 million infections and around 88,500 deaths from Covid-19. It recorded 11,252 new coronavirus cases and 237 deaths on Sunday.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza said that returning to yellow zones “does not mean that the danger is over”. “We still need the utmost caution if we don’t want to reverse the gains made in the past weeks.”