02/05/2020
CALENDAR: What will Italy reopen first under new lockdown rules?
CALENDAR: What will Italy reopen first under new lockdown rules?
Italians are looking forward to greater freedom during the next phase of Italy's Covid-19 lockdown. Photo: Marco Bertorello/AFP
The Local
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27 April 202009:41 CEST+02:00
Updated:
30 April 202009:11 CEST+02:00
When will shops reopen, are schools restarting, and when can we go to the park again? Here are the key dates in 'Phase Two' of Italy's coronavirus lockdown.
After days of speculation, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Sunday night announced the first steps in Italy's slow return to normal life after more than six weeks of near-total shutdown.
READ ALSO: Q&A: Italy's new rules on going outside in lockdown phase two
He laid out the measures that will come into place immediately after the current lockdown expires at the end of May 3rd, signing a new decree that will replace them from May 4-18th.
While Conte stressed that the decision to ease the restrictions could be reversed if the coronavirus epidemic shows signs of worsening again, here's what the Italian government expects to reopen and when.
From April 27th: Key businesses can prepare to reopen
From today, manufacturing, construction, real estate and wholesale companies can start getting ready to resume operations in early May.
Employers have to make sure that workplaces meet safety requirements, including social distancing and thorough cleaning.
From May 4th: Family visits, returning home, trips to the park, outdoor exercise, takeaways and funerals allowed
For most people, daily life won't change much until Monday, May 4th.
From that date, people in Italy can once again:
Travel home. While returning to your permanent place of residence isn't currently considered a valid reason to travel within Italy, from May 4th you will be allowed to go home, even if it means going from one region to another. The form required to justify all movement in Italy will be updated accordingly.
Visit relatives who live in the same region as you. You'll have to wear a face mask and keep your distance, and big family gatherings remain banned. You won't be able to visit friends or travel outside your own region.
READ ALSO: Who exactly are you allowed to visit under Italy's 'phase two' lockdown rules?
Go to the park. You'll have to keep your distance from others; some areas where it's hard to do so, such as children's playgrounds, may limit the number of people who can enter at once. And while the national government has given the OK, ultimately it's up to each regional governor or town mayor to decide when local parks can reopen.
Leave your neighbourhood to exercise. You'll be allowed to go on long walks, runs or bike rides for exercise without having to stay within a 200-metre radius of your home address, as is currently the case. But you'll be expected to maintain a safe distance from others at all times, and team sports will remain banned.
Pick up a takeaway. Cafes and restaurants, which currently can only offer home delivery, will be allowed to serve takeaways from their premises – though food must be eaten at home, not on the street, to avoid groups gathering outside.
Hold a funeral. While weddings, baptisms, mass and other ceremonies remain forbidden, from May 4th is will once again be possible to hold funerals. Attendees must be limited to 15 people – close family only – and should wear face masks and follow social distancing.
Go to work in construction, manufacturing, wholesale or real estate. These sectors will be allowed to resume activity from May 4th.
At the same time, masks or other face coverings will become compulsory on public transport in Italy. They will also be required in enclosed spaces where social distancing is difficult, such as inside shops, offices and factories.
READ ALSO:
Will we still need a form to go outside under Italy's lockdown phase two?
When will it be possible to travel to Italy again?
When should you wear a face mask in Italy?
From May 18th: Shops, libraries and museums reopen, team sports allowed
The second wave of reopening will see shops of all kinds allowed to open again, no longer just supermarkets, pharmacies and – as of a couple of weeks – bookshops, stationers and children's clothing stores.
Libraries, museums and exhibitions can also reopen from May 18th, though a limited number of visitors may be allowed in at a time. Cinemas, theatres and other performance venues will remain closed.
The government also indicated that people will once more be allowed to play team sports such as football from mid-May.
From June 1: Restaurants, cafes, bars and hairdressers reopen
While the government has not yet finalized plans beyond May 18th, Prime Minister Conte said they hope to reopen cafes, restaurants, bars, pasticcerie, gelaterie and all other food and drink businesses from the beginning of June.
Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP
Hairdressers, beauty salons and massage parlours may also be allowed to open at the same time.
Seating is likely to be limited to maintain distance, while face masks will be required for both staff and customers at hairdressers and salons.
From September: Schools reopen
Schools in Italy are not expected to reopen at all this academic year but will instead resume in September, Conte has already indicated.
Students in their last year of high school will be expected to go back to school one more time before then to take the oral exam of the maturità, their final diploma. Orals will be held in schools from June 17th.
