As of Monday, all regions of Italy are classified as "low risk" regarding the spread of the coronavirus, and wearing masks outdoors is no longer mandatory. This marks a significant milestone for the first European country hit by the pandemic in February 2020.
In a decree that came into effect on Monday, the Ministry of Health classified all 20 regions of Italy as "white" for the first time, indicating a lower risk under the country's color-coded risk classification system for COVID-19. This means that masks will no longer be required in outdoor areas, a news item welcomed across the country, especially as a continuing heatwave is expected to push temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in some southern regions this week.
Months ago, Italy was a symbol of suffering due to COVID-19; however, it has seen a significant drop in infections and deaths in recent weeks. After long prohibiting tourists from the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, and Japan from entering the country, these visitors are now returning after the government lifted the quarantine requirement for vaccinated travelers or those with negative test results.
Despite this progress, Health Minister Roberto Speranza urged Italians to remain vigilant. After signing the decree on Saturday, he wrote, "This is an encouraging result, but caution is still required, especially due to new variants." He added, "The battle is not yet won."
After a lengthy lockdown to combat the second wave of COVID-19 infections, restrictions were eased throughout Italy at the end of last month. More than 127,000 people have died in Italy from complications related to COVID-19, while over four million have been infected.
