Italy EXTENDS LOCKDOWN as it fights the battle against the Coronavirus

ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIUSEPPE CONTE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN AND SCHOOL CLOSURE PERIOD WILL BE EXTENDED FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

Mr. Conte also reiterated that anyone found violating these restrictions will feel the full weight of the law, Italian coronavirus deaths rise by record 475 yesterday.

Mr. Conte also said to be aware of the restrictive rules in force: “The penalties for those who transgress are there and will be applied severely and I agree with those mayors who have also closed the villas and parks, it is one thing to do sports another is to transform public places into assembly points, which is inadmissible.”

He went on to say: “At the moment there are no other far-reaching restrictive measures, but if the prohibitions are not respected we will have to act. ”

“Even after the infections slow down and the virus slowly disappears, life, as we know it in Italy, will never be the same again”.

Italy’s electricity consumption dropped in the past week, a first sign of the deep economic impact of the national lockdown imposed to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

Factories and shops are shuttered across the country, including fashion designer Armani’s restaurants and hotels, and Ferrari NV and Lamborghini’s car production. While daily calculations show a 5% drop in electricity on the Terna SpA network in the week through March 15, the grid operator estimates final figures will show the slump is actually about 10%.