COVID-19: Italy goes mask-free after authorities mark all 20 regions as 'low risk'

All of Italy, on June 28, became mask free, “low risk” zone for coronavirus marking a major milestone for the first European country to be hit by the COVID outbreak. In a decree that took effect Monday, the Italian Health Ministry, for the first time, classified each of Italy’s 20 regions as “White”, signifying Low risk under the country’s colour-coded classification for COVID-19 risk zones. Until last week, only the autonomous province of Valle d'Aosta, located on the border with France and Switzerland was classified as a moderate risk “yellow” zone, but on Monday, the ministry labelled it as “white”.

Starting Monday, Italian residents would no longer be required to wear masks outdoors.  However, people are advised to keep a facemask handy for events with a high risk of spreading the infection. Additionally, the country has also reopened its gates for "fully vaccinated" tourists and also removed the quarantine mandate for foreign visitors.  The Italian administration decision is based on the advice of the Comitato Tecnico Scientifico (CTS) scientific advisory panel. 

40 per cent vaccinated 

Since the outbreak, Italy has reported a total of 4,258,069 cases out of whom 127,472 have lost their lives while 4,073,435 have recovered. A total of 57,162 cases still remain active in the coastal country, according to the latest data by worldometers. So far, 40 per cent of people have been vaccinated with 49,474,512 doses administered. 

On June 21, Health Ministry allowed all regions except for Valle d'Aosta to drop most remaining coronavirus-related rules following the latest health data review. Additionally, couples in Italy also got the green light to go ahead with wedding receptions, as long as they adhere to strict COVID-19 measures, according to the Associated Press. As per the new regulations, all guests at wedding receptions are required to have an antigen test at least 48 hours before the wedding or provide proof of a vaccine completed 15 days earlier. Additionally, all guests must have their temperatures measured at the entrance and are asked to clean their hands with disinfecting gel.

Image: AP