Who exactly are you allowed to visit under Italy's 'phase two' lockdown rules?
Just who counts as a relative anyway? That's been the million-dollar question in Italy since rules for “phase two" of the national lockdown were announced on Sunday night.
From Monday, May 4, people in Italy are allowed to visit 'congiunti' under the latest set of rules – but even Italians weren't quite sure what that word meant.
Q&A: What are Italy's new rules on going outside in lockdown phase two?
Media reports said this quickly became the most searched-for term on the Italian internet after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the changes in Sunday's television address.
Conte said Italians would be allowed to leave their homes for the first time since March 9th "to visit relatives, but only if they respect distance and wear masks".
Most major Italian newspapers devoted articles to the subject of whether your boyfriend or distant cousin counted as a relative or not.
"Here is who you can call your relative," read a headline of the highbrow Il Sole 24 Ore financial newspaper.
The paper's deep dive into the subject included a passage on "emotional relationships" and kinship.
Finally, at the end of last week, the Italian government issued a clarification
The government defined 'congunti' as spouses, partners, parents, children, in-laws, siblings, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins and cousins' children – but not friends.
You can only expect to see family members living in the same region as you, no further away. And big family gatherings are forbidden.
Meeting up with anyone except relatives will not be considered a valid reason to travel.
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From Monday, May 4, people in Italy are allowed to visit 'congiunti' under the latest set of rules – but even Italians weren't quite sure what that word meant.
Q&A: What are Italy's new rules on going outside in lockdown phase two?
Media reports said this quickly became the most searched-for term on the Italian internet after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the changes in Sunday's television address.
Conte said Italians would be allowed to leave their homes for the first time since March 9th "to visit relatives, but only if they respect distance and wear masks".
Most major Italian newspapers devoted articles to the subject of whether your boyfriend or distant cousin counted as a relative or not.
"Here is who you can call your relative," read a headline of the highbrow Il Sole 24 Ore financial newspaper.
The paper's deep dive into the subject included a passage on "emotional relationships" and kinship.
Finally, at the end of last week, the Italian government issued a clarification
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