IN PHOTOS: Italian cities stand empty under new coronavirus rules

The eerie sight of empty streets in Italy's usually packed city centres returned this weekend after strict new rules came into force.

READ ALSO: Italy's new coronavirus rules at a glance

The streets in Milan, Turin, and other cities within the country's four 'red zone' regions have been almost empty as movement was strictly curtailed from Friday.

Milan's downtown Porta Garibaldi district on Saturday morning after new restrictions came in. Photos: Miguel Medina/AFP

The southern regions of Puglia and Sicily were classed as medium-high risk 'orange zones' while the rest of the country is yellow, or moderate risk.

 

Turin's famed city-centre landmarks were unusually quiet on Friday. (Top: Porta Palatina. Bottom: Piazza Castello). Photos: Marco Bertorello/AFP

But even cities in lower-risk yellow zones, including Rome, were noticably quieter than usual this weekend despite being under lighter restrictions.

At night, streets were quiet across Italy under the new nationwide evening curfew from 10pm until 5am.

Rome's Largo dei Librari and Trevi Fountain standing empty aside from a police patrol on Friday night: Photos: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

Doctors on Monday demanding a total lockdown nationwide in order to curb the continued rise in new coronavirus cases.

Italy's leading health experts warned on Monday that the situation is “largely out of control” in the country.

Milan's trams and metro had few passengers on board on Saturday. Photos: Miguel Medina/AFP

Italy was the first European country to be hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic in March, and the government imposed a more than two-month lockdown that battered its already struggling economy.