When do bars, shops, hairdressers, restaurants, offices and so on reopen? May 4th is approaching and citizens are wondering about the dates that will lead to the gradual easing of the restrictions imposed by the government to contain the spread of the coronavirus in Italy. After days of waiting, the first answers arrive. There is finally a calendar, still to be approved and therefore subject to changes, which provides the first operational indications to the hundreds of thousands of businesses that have been forced to close their doors, risking in some cases never to reopen again.
Four dates, four Mondays will mark the progressive reopening of activities starting from 27 April. But we must be very careful, because the ground on which the country is walking is full of pitfalls. “The rules and the reopening calendar that we will agree will have a firm point. The safer a territory is, the more the measures can be relaxed. The more the contagion rises, the more new restrictions will be triggered. It is clear that the Regions must never let their guard down, intensive and sub-intensive therapies and immediate health interventions on the infected must be the absolute priority ”, warned the Minister for Regional Affairs, Francesco Boccia.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will decide by the weekend, taking into account the opinions of the task force led by Vittorio Colao, the technical-scientific committee and local authorities.
APRIL 27: FASHION, CARS AND SOME FACTORIES START AGAIN
The May 4 deadline could be brought forward by a week in some sectors which, according to the data, are subject to a lower risk of contagion than others. These include automotive, fashion and components. Starting again as early as Monday, factories of industrial machinery for agriculture and forestry and perhaps boating could also resume work.
MAY 4: OK TO CONSTRUCTION SITES, FACTORIES AND TRAVELS
Green light, but respecting the safety measures in manufacturing, textiles, construction, wholesale trade, laboratories and research activities. Lotto and Superenalotto will also restart on May 4th.
Citizens will be able to move within their Municipality and their Region, while moving from one Region to another will have to wait. Allow yourself to play outdoor sports even when you are away from your home.
On public transport, masks must be worn and restrictions on the number of passengers will be imposed.
MAY 11: STORES REOPEN, MAYBE HAIRDRESSERS
Retail trade should finally restart on 11 May. Clothing, footwear, etc. they will be able to raise the shutters as long as they provide guarantees on individual protections and respect the distance. For some businesses there will be an obligation to sanitize the products. Shopping centers and local markets that do not get food will remain closed.
Hairdressers and beauty centers could also reopen on Monday 11, but in both cases the postponement of a week could be established (therefore to 18 May). Upon reopening, it will be necessary to guarantee the relationship between a worker and a customer, sterilize work tools and make dispensers containing disinfectants available. It is mandatory to clean twice a day and use masks and gloves.
MAY 18: IT'S THE TURN OF BARS AND RESTAURANTS
The last to reopen will be bars and restaurants, but for them the rules will be even stricter: always masks and gloves, tables separated by at least two meters and capacity limits in the premises.
SECURITY PROTOCOLS: HERE ARE THE NEW RULES
In view of phase two, the government and the unions have reached an agreement on updating the safety protocol in the workplace. The document signed on March 14th is integrated with the new rules on return concerning protective devices, sanitization of environments, smart working, distanced workstations. Those who do not respect the rules will face the temporary suspension of the activity.
Once recovered, workers who have tested positive for Covid-19 will need a medical certification of "negative test" to return to work. If workers share common spaces, it will be mandatory to use surgical masks, while in the most risky situations during the reopening phase, it will be necessary to proceed with the extraordinary sanitization of the environments. Spaces and workstations will have to be spaced out and companies will have to provide for different hours.
Finally a clear and detailed article. Often reading the articles on the net I know they have more questions than answers at the end of the reading, this is the first one I've read that has clarified in a synthetic way. Well done
Hoping it's reliable!