Premier Conte has announced that he will propose to Parliament of extend the state of emergency, expiring on 15 October, until 31 January 2021 to try to cope with the new increase in infections which is particularly involving the regions of central and southern Italy.
"Yesterday in the CDM we made an update on the point and we agreed that given the state of the situation, which requires maximum attention, we will go to Parliament to propose the extension of the state of emergency reasonably until the end of January", said the Prime Minister in margin of a visit to a school in San Felice a Cancello (Caserta).
“We must resist with a knife between our teeth in these difficult 7-8 months that await us, but while we resist we must also look to the future,” added the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza.
STATE OF EMERGENCY: WHAT IT PROVIDES
According to the provisions of the law:
The state of emergency can also be declared "in the imminence" and not only "upon the occurrence" of natural disasters or disasters connected to human activity which, due to their intensity and extent, must be faced with immediate intervention with extraordinary means and powers. The state of emergency is decided by the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the President of the Council of Ministers or, by his delegation, of a Minister with portfolio or of the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Secretary of the Council. The request can also come from the President of the Region concerned, whose agreement must in any case be acquired.
The duration and territorial extent of the state of emergency are defined. The duration cannot, as a rule, exceed 90 days and can be extended, as a rule, for a maximum of 60 days, with a further resolution of the Council of Ministers.
THE NOW FAMOUS DPCM
The state of emergency allows the government to act in derogation of numerous rules through the issuing of decrees of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (Dpcm in fact) and the issuing of ordinances of the Minister for Health. Without the state of emergency, the Executive cannot resort to these tools.
SMART WORKING
Two Prime Ministerial Decrees issued at the beginning of the pandemic (February 25 and March 1) allow public and private employers to resort to smart working without resorting to the individual agreements provided for by law (81/2017). This derogation will be in effect until the expiry of the state of emergency, i.e. until October 15th. The extension will allow us to continue along the same lines until 31 January 2021. If, on the other hand, we return to the ordinary situation, the rules will have to be revised.
STATE OF EMERGENCY AND SCHOOL
The state of emergency allows the Covid emergency commissioner, Domenico Arcuri, to provide for extraordinary measures for the school, following facilitated (and much faster) routes than normally foreseen. The measures implemented also include the purchase of single-seater benches, masks, disinfectant gels and so on.
TRAVELS AND ENTRANCES
Among the government's prerogatives if the country is in a state of emergency is the possibility of blocking travel to and from countries at risk for health reasons. The same applies to entries into Italy from some countries considered at risk. To date, for example, entry is prohibited for travelers from Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Moldova, Oman, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Kosovo, Montenegro and Colombia , with some exceptions for citizens of the European Union.
RED ZONES
The state of emergency allows for the establishment of "red zones" with strict prohibitions and reinforced controls.
SHIPS FOR MIGRANTS
The extension gives the government the possibility "to charter ships for the health surveillance of migrants and it does not escape anyone of how current the use of this tool is for an orderly conduct of the quarantine for the protection of public health", explained the Premier .
PENSIONS
With the extension of the state of emergency, the advance of the payment terms for pensions, checks and accompanying allowances for the disabled civilians will also continue in the coming months.
BEDS IN BARRACKS AND HOTELS
In the event of an overload of the health system, the extension makes it possible to find beds in structures other than hospitals, such as barracks or hotels. It had already happened in March, at the beginning of the emergency.
