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HEALTH-VIRUS-ITALY
Italy’s Conte vows to reopen schools in September
ROME, April 26, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte
vowed Sunday to reopen schools by September and allow many businesses to
resume in a week’s time as the country emerges from a near-total shutdown.
Conte told La Repubblica newspaper that he will spell out the full details
of how Italy will ease its way out of the world’s longest active coronavirus
lockdown by the start of next week.
He has reportedly been presented with a cautious proposal that involves a
gradual lifting of restrictions over the course of May.
Italy’s official death toll of 26,384 is Europe’s highest and only second
globally to the United States.
But its number of cases has been ebbing and Italy believes its contagion
rate — reported at between 0.2 and 0.7 — is low enough below the key
threshold of 1.0 to try and get back to work.
“We cannot continue beyond this lockdown — we risk damaging the country’s
socioeconomic fabric too much,” Conte told La Repubblica.
– ‘Very high risk’ –
Italy gradually closed everything over the first half March as it became
increasingly clear that an initial batch of cases in northern areas around
Milan was spreading.
Scientists now believe that Italy’s infections probably began in January –
– if not earlier — and that the virus was running rampant by the time the
first official COVID-19 death was recorded on February 21.
But Italy’s health care system held the line and Conte now appears to feel
safe enough to focus on mending an economy that his team expects to shrink by
eight percent this year.
Conte said his government will “allow a large number of companies” to
restart on May 4.
Italy’s schools were closed before most other businesses and will now be
one of the last to reopen.
He said the return to school was filled with peril because many teachers
were older and at greater risk of catching the virus.
“Schools are at the centre of our attention and will reopen in September,”
the premier said.
Conte explained that resuming tuition before then involved “a very high
risk of contagion”.
– ‘Greater freedom’ –
Many Italians are most concerned about when they will finally be able to
walk in parks and jog without being stopped and fined by the police.
Italy’s stay-at-home orders were announced nationally on March 9 and
require everyone to stay within about a block of their front door.
Many have turned their roofs into improvised gyms and even tennis courts
in a collective effort to avoid going stir crazy.
“We are not yet in a position to restore full freedom of movement, but we
are studying a relaxation of the current, strict regime,” Conte said.
“We will make sure to allow greater freedom of movement while maintaining
our guarantee to prevent and contain contagion.”
Media reports say the government might allow people to move freely within
cities but limit their travel between the country’s 20 regions.
Conte was also reportedly considering the option of outfitting airports
and train stations with thermal scanners that can flag people who are running
fevers.
But Conte cautioned against expecting bars and restaurants to open their
doors in May — or tourists returning this summer.
“We will be reviewing our social distancing rules,” said Conte.
“But this does not mean that we will be abandoning them.”
BSS/AFP/MRU/1710hrs