Italy announces Christmas and New Year lockdown
Italy has ordered a nationwide lockdown over a lot of the Christmas and New Year period in order to combat a rise in coronavirus cases.
The united states will be under "red-zone" restrictions over the public holidays, with non-essential shops, restaurants and bars closed, and Italians only permitted to travel for work, health insurance and emergency reasons.
Limited home visits will be allowed.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said it had been "not a fairly easy decision".
"Our authorities were seriously worried that there will be a jump in cases over Christmas... We therefore had to do something," he said in a news conference.
Italy has recorded the highest Covid death toll in Europe, with close to 68,000 fatalities.
Mr Conte said the launch of the vaccination drive later this month would mark the start of "the end of the nightmare."
The announcement of the Christmas restrictions on Friday followed days of wrangling in the governing coalition between those wanting a complete lockdown and others seeking limited action to greatly help struggling businesses and invite families to meet.
Meanwhile in France, President Emmanuel Macron remains in self-isolation in the official presidential residence at La Lanterne at Versailles after testing positive for Covid-19. Mr Macron said he was suffering from fatigue, headaches and a dry cough.
The "red-zone" restrictions will be in place across Italy on 24 to 27 December, 31 December to 3 January, and 5 to 6 January.
During this period persons "can go out only for reasons of work, necessity and health," Mr Conte said.
But, he added, the rules will allow people to get no more than two guests, excluding people beneath the age of 14, in their homes. A curfew from 22:00 to 05:00 will stay in place.
Slightly looser curbs will be in place from 28 to 30 December and on 4 January. On nowadays, people will be absolve to leave their houses but bars and restaurants will stay closed.
Mr Conte said the guidelines were designed to "permit the minimum socialization that's suitable for this era".
He said police would not be sent into people's homes to check on the guidelines were being observed, but urged Italians to act responsibly.
