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Italy bans travel between towns over Christmas

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
Italy bans travel between towns over Christmas
The village of Sassello, Liguria, following overnight snowfall on December 2nd. AFP

The Italian government on Wednesday approved a law banning travel between regions over the Christmas period, and between towns on Christmas Day.

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The Italian government is due on Thursday to announce and sign off on a new set of anti-coronavirus measures, to come into force by Friday.

READ ALSO: 'A different kind of Christmas': What will Italy's new coronavirus rules be in December?

But ahead of the full set of measures, the government on Wednesday night separately approved a decree law prohibiting non-essential travel between regions from December 21st-January 6th.

The rules will be even stricter on Christmas Day itself, with a ban on travelling between towns and comunes in place on December 25-26th, and on New Year's Day, as the government seeks to avoid a third wave of coronavirus infections being triggered by socialising over the festive period.

"From December 21st 2020 to January 6th 2021, travel between different regions (including those to or from the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano) will be prohibited, with the exception of travel for proven work reasons, situations of necessity or health reasons," a government press release stated on Thursday morning.

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"On December 25th and 26th 2020 and January 1st 2021, travel between different municipalities will also be prohibited, with the same exceptions."

The restriction would apply nationwide even if, as ministers hope, all regions are downgraded to lower-risk yellow zones this month.

Travelling between towns and regions for non-essential reasons is already prohibited in Italian regions designated high-risk red and orange zones.

The goverment's statement clarified that travel "will always be possible, even from 21 December to 6 January, to return to one's residence or home."

However, there will be limits on visiting second homes during the holidays.

"From December 21st 2020 to January 6th 2021 it will be forbidden to travel to second homes located in a region or autonomous province other than one's own. On December 25th and 26th 2020 and January 1st 2021, the ban will also apply to second homes located in a municipality other than their own."

TELL US: How have your plans changed this Christmas?

As well as this law, Italy's prime minister is due to sign off on a new emergency decree – formally called a DPCM (Decreto del presidente del consiglio, or 'prime minister's decree') - containing rules covering the next month, including the Christmas period, by Friday, December 4th.

Photo: AFP

 

 

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Anonymous 2020/12/03 08:26
Hello<br />Since travel restrictions start on the 20th- can you go some place in the north like a chalet in the mountains for the two weeks? if all is yellow? or if you are in yellow and the other region is yellow? <br /><br />

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