As of this morning, a number of businesses in Italy will be allowed to re-open, despite the Government’s recent decision extending the general lockdown in the country until early May.
The shops that will be allowed to open again from today include bookshops and outlets selling children’s clothing items. So far, only food outlets and pharmacies were allowed to operate as the nation grappled with one of the largest impacts of the pandemic on the European continent.
Other businesses allowed to operate include those operating in the agricultural sector and forestry and the production of chemical products. While other businesses remain closed, a limited number of employees will be allowed access to their place of work to process payments, including salaries or the sanitize the workplace.
While factories remain closed, a number of industrial storage facilities will be allowed to open so as to be able to process imported products which will also allow a number of containers and long haulage trailers to resume their operations particularly with regard to raw material. This is considered as a first step towards the resuming of industrial activity, which is depending on the availability of such material.
Despite the relaxation of the measures on a national level, regions have the final say on their territories. Indeed, a number of them including the Northern regions of Lombardy and neighbouring Piedmont have announced that they will not be transposing these directives and will continue to extend the full version of the country’s lockdown until further notice. In the case of the former, the only exemption will be made for outlets stocking kids and infants clothing and apparel.
Read more via Tgcom / Il Giornale
