4 million Italians allowed to return to work as restrictions ease

Italy, one of the European countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, allowed millions of people to return to work on Monday, as it joins several nations tentatively lifting lockdown measures as infections and deaths appear to decline.

More than 4 million Italians were allowed to return to work after a lockdown of about two months. Construction and manufacturing were allowed to resume, as was traffic in downtown Rome and street vendors, The Associated Press reported.

“It’s something that brings happiness and joy, and people have been missing that these days,” vendor Stefano Fulvi told the AP. Fulvi added that he, like others in his line of work, had to make a decision on whether returning to work was worth any residual risk as well as what is likely to be reduced demand. While Fulvi said he doubted he would make as much returning to the job, he said, “you have to take the risk at some point.”

Italy has also allowed mourners to resume attending funerals, with attendance limited to 15. The country has not yet announced when Masses will be allowed to resume. Dine-in restaurant service also has yet to resume, although restaurants deep-cleaned their premises for take-out service, according to the AP.

Some students and workers, meanwhile, are preparing to return to the country’s southern regions after being trapped in the hart-hit north during the lockdown. Some regional governors in the south have said anyone returning home from the north will be required to quarantine for two weeks.

In a message to citizens, Premier Giuseppe Conte described the next steps as “a new page that we must write together, with trust and responsibility.”

Italians will still be required to explain why they are outside, but the list of acceptable reasons has been widened to include visits to family, for example. Italy, like several other European countries including Belgium, Greece and Spain, is asking citizens to wear masks on public transit, the AP noted.