The scenes of unrest came after Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered restaurants and bars to shut from 6:00 pm, while theatres, cinemas and gyms were ordered closed for a month. The violence in Italy, which imposed one of the toughest lockdowns in the first wave of infections in March and April, is likely to continue around Europe where governments are weighing the need for tougher measures against the fatigue and frustration felt by many.
“There’s no question that the European region is an epicentre for disease right now,” WHO emergencies chief said. “In many cities we’re seeing beds filling up too quickly, and we’re seeing many projections saying the ICU beds will reach capacity in the coming days and weeks”. Last week, a peaceful march by shopkeepers and other business owners in Naples, upset about a regional curfew that orders citizens off the streets at 11 pm, turned violent near the Campania region’s headquarters.
Smaller cities, including Catania in Sicily, and towns also saw protests Monday. In Cremona, a town in northern Lombardy, restaurant owners turned out in front of the local interior ministry’s office. After banging pots and bans, they left them piled up in the street to highlight their economic woes worsened by the latest early-shutdown decree.
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