Coronavirus, March 22 Decree: here's who opens and who doesn't

The professionals they continue to work, they close The factories. The Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, signed the decree of 22 March which indicates which activities are considered indispensable and which, as such, will be able to continue to carry out their activities. But the unions are on a war footing and threaten a general strike if too many businesses remain open.

The Dpcm March 22, the one announced by Giuseppe Conte in his Saturday night talk, was published on Sunday evening on the Prime Minister's website. "They are suspended - it is written in article 1 of the measure - all industrial and commercial production activities, with the exception of those indicated in Annex 1 and subject to the provisions below. The professional activities are not suspended and the provisions referred to in article 1, point 7, decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 11 March 2020 remain unchanged.

Here then the text of the decree which suspends activities from Monday 23 March and the text of annex 1 which instead indicates, one by one, all those that can continue to remain open as they are considered strategic. Those to be closed, however, the text of the Dpcm specifies, will be able to continue the activity in mode smart working or with the so-called agile work, carried out by employees from home via the Internet.

There are 80 businesses that waive the closure obligation and among these there are supermarkets, pharmacies, professional firms such as law or engineering and architecture firms, newsagents, post offices, newspaper and magazine distribution agencies, hotels, call centers as well as domestic cleaners and the carers. Banks, insurance companies and financial services also continue to operate. And then mechanics, couriers for the delivery of parcels, public and private transport.

The validity of the decree and of the overall provisions decided by the government is unified: the new decree enters into force on Monday 23 March and is valid until 3 April 2020. This means that suspended businesses can dispose of deliveries until March 25 and that restrictive measures on the movement of persons, which would have expired on March 25, are extended and merged with the April 3 deadline.

The unions, however, are critical. «Unlike what was indicated on Saturday in these hours - the secretaries of CGIL, CISL and UIL affirm Maurizio Landini, Anna Maria Furlan and Carmelo Barbagallo - it would seem to put forward the hypothesis that, in the decree under discussion, the Executive intends to add to 'list of sectors and activities to be considered essential in the next two weeks production activities of all kinds". This was stated by the general secretaries of CGIL, CISL and UIL, Maurizio Landini, Annamaria Furlan and Carmelo Barbagallo, explaining that they are ready for "mobilization, up to the general strike" in defense of workers' health.