Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared that the nation-wide lockdown will continue till May 3, however with some minor concessions.
The extended lockdown includes re-opening of stores that sell goods for children and stores that sell stationery and books, beginning April 14.
“Our hope is that after May 3 we can gradually start again, with caution,” he said.
“But this will depend on the efforts we make between now and then,” he added.
“We are determined to loosen the measures for economic activity as soon as possible. But we are not yet in a position to do so,” Conte said.
Italy is one of the worst hit coronavirus countries, with nearly 19,000 deaths and nearly 150,000 infections.