Health

Italian province ignores gov’t and speeds up reopening

Rome, May 8 (efe-epa).- A province in northern Italy has sped up the easing of restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, defying government measures for a gradual reopening.

Retail stores in Alto Adige can open their doors from Friday, with bars, restaurants, hairdressers, museums and cultural centres able to resume activities from Monday.

Primary schools and nurseries in the region are set to welcome students back from 18 May.

The almost total restarting of activities was approved on Thursday night by the provincial council and goes against the Italian government’s plan, which would not see shops reopen before 18 May.

This two-week delay was deemed necessary to evaluate the rate of Covid-19 infections and deaths after the first phase of reopening started on 3 May.

Regional governor Arno Kompatscher said: “After Rome did not listen for weeks to requests for a regional differentiation of measures we decided to embark on our autonomous legislative path.”

Authorities in the province deployed their autonomous powers to make the decision.

The new measure also sets out a gradual resumption of freedom of movement between provinces and with hotels, cable cars of the ski resorts to open from 25 May.

Nurseries will be able to reopen from 18 May with smaller groups, a maximum of four children per room in kindergartens and six in primary schools, for half a day and without a meal service.

Secondary schools can offer educational consulting services to students in their buildings, provided that groups are made up of a maximum of six students, at a distance of at least two meters from each other.

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