Italy prepares for coronavirus lockdown to be extended into May to prevent second wave of deadly infections
ITALY is preparing to extend its nationwide lockdown into May to prevent a second wave of deadly coronavirus cases, say reports.
Italian media says Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is expected to extend most of the country’s stringent quarantine measures until at least May 3.
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The news means the UK may also extend its lockdown as Italy’s figures have been around two weeks ahead of those in Britain – which introduces measures a fortnight after Rome.
The Italian government imposed its lockdown on March 9 and the measures have already been extended once.
“We do not have the conditions to restart things now,” PM Conte reportedly told union and business leaders on Thursday in a video conference call.
Plans to extend the lockdown followed days of consultations with scientists, say the reports.
It had earlier been reported Italy could see shops reopening across the country next week, despite health experts warning it would be a “dangerous thing to do.”
The Italian government was reportedly looking at plans for shops to resume trading and people to return to work after being in lockdown for a month because of coronavirus.
And during an interview with the BBC on Thursday Conte revealed Italy may start gradually lifting some restrictions in place to contain the new coronavirus provided the spread of the disease continues to slow.
“We need to pick sectors that can restart their activity. If scientists confirm it, we might begin to relax some measures already by the end of this month,” he said.
However, if the new reports, are to be believed it looks like those plans have changed.
Meanwhile, deaths from coronavirus rose by 610 on Thursday, up from 542 the day before.
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The number of new cases also came in higher at 4,204 from a previous 3,836.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light rose to 18,279the highest in the world.
The number of confirmed infections climbed to 143,626, the third highest global tally behind those of the US and Spain.