Coronavirus, Lombardy and the rest of Italy: the new rules

THElatest government decree to deal with the coronavirus emergency, it canceled the red zones (which included 11 municipalities in the Lodi area plus Vo 'Euganeo in Veneto) to establish a large orange zone. This includes the whole of Lombardy plus 14 other provinces scattered between Veneto, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Marche. Here's the list:

• Venezia
• Padova
• Treviso
• Modena
• Parma
• Piacenza
• Reggio Emilia
• Rimini
• Pesaro-Urbino
• Alexandria
• Asti
• Novara
• Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
• Vercelli

The rest of the country is now classified as a yellow zone.

THE RULES FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE ORANGE ZONE

1) Movements: highways, trains and planes
         There is no absolute ban on entry and exit as it was for the red areas. However, travel is only permitted for health or work reasons. A self-certification to be provided through the forms provided by the police forces in charge of the checks is sufficient. The rule applies not only to those who enter and leave the orange zone, but also to those who move within it.

Airports and railway stations remain open, but - like the highways - they will be manned by the police force, who will check the self-certifications. Those arriving in Venice on cruise ships will be able to disembark only to return home.

No restriction envisaged for the transit of goods, so as not to jeopardize the activity of factories, plants and businesses. Assolombarda has developed a handbook for companies in which it specifies that "it is advisable to adopt preventive and precautionary measures towards carriers". In particular, it must be ensured that “drivers cannot get off the vehicles and are equipped with medical protection and prevention devices such as disposable masks and gloves; if the loading/unloading requires the descent from the vehicle, the safety distance (1 meter) must be maintained and the transport documentation must be transmitted electronically".

Green light also for the almost 70 cross-border commuters who go to Switzerland every day: they will only have to indicate the company they work for.

Almost all the Central-Southern Regions (Tuscany, Lazio, Molise, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Campania, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia) have issued ordinances which oblige anyone who has stayed or passed through the orange zone in the last 14 days to notify them to the ASL and to remain in quarantine.

2) School, university and competitions

         In the orange zone, schools will remain closed at least until April 3, almost three weeks longer than in the rest of Italy, where the deadline is fixed (for the moment) at 15 March. Also stop at universities, masters, professional schools. The only exceptions are courses in medicine and apprenticeships in the health professions. The meetings of the collegiate bodies of the schools have also been suspended, which in any case are invited to provide educational activities online.

As regards the already announced public competitions, they all stop, as well as the personnel selection procedures organized by private companies. Also in this case there is a derogation for competitions, state exams and qualifications for the medical, health and civil protection professions.

Finally, the exams for obtaining driving licenses in the offices of civil motorizations are cancelled. The deadlines for the pink sheets will therefore be extended.

3) Bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and more
         The following businesses will remain closed:

• Ads
• movies
• theaters
• museums
• gyms
• swimming pools
• wellness centers
• spa
• discotheques
• games rooms
• betting rooms

Bars and restaurants can only remain open between 6 and 18 and only on condition that they guarantee a minimum distance of one meter between customers

Entrepreneurs who violate the curfew will see their business closed. Shopping malls will be closed on weekends. The ski resorts also stop.

Public offices remain open as normal.

4) Sanctions: fines and arrests

Anyone who violates these rules is punished with imprisonment of up to three months and a fine of up to 206 euros.

More serious penalties will be imposed on those who escape from quarantine knowing they are positive for the coronavirus. In that case, the crime of culpable crime against public health can be configured.

THE RULES FOR THE REST OF ITALY (YELLOW ZONE)

In the rest of Italy (yellow zone), bar e restaurants they can also remain open in the evening, but they will still have to guarantee a distance of at least one meter between customers. The same rule applies to all shops (including supermarkets), where entrances will be restricted to maintain sufficient space between people. Unlike in the orange zone, shopping centers remain open on weekends.

They will remain closed everywhere many kinds of exercises: pubs, cinemas, theatres, discos, dance schools, game rooms, bingo halls, betting rooms, museums and places of culture in general. Congresses, meetings and events are also suspended.

Sports training and competitions can only take place behind closed doors.

Lazio and Sicily have ordered the closure of gyms e swimming pools, which instead remain open in the other regions of the yellow zone, always on condition that at least one meter distance is maintained between people.

The CEI has decided to suspend the celebration of masses, weddings and funerals until April 3rd. For the deceased there is only a prayer in the cemetery, while the wedding already fixed will be celebrated in a civil ceremony and only with witnesses and a public official.

As for the hospitals, an authorization is required to visit the sick, while anyone accompanying someone to the emergency room must stay outside.

Also stop visits in the facilities dedicated to the elderly – that is, long-term, rehabilitative, residential – unless explicit authorization is received from the health management.