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HEALTH

UPDATE: The latest information on the coronavirus crisis in Italy

Here's the latest news on the current coronavirus situation in Italy and how measures taken by the Italian authorities may affect you.

UPDATE: The latest information on the coronavirus crisis in Italy
Sanitation wrkers anitize the altar of the Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore church in Rome on May 13th. Photo: AFP

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Main points:

  • Italy passes 220,000 confirmed cases
  • Death toll now over 31,000
  • New cases continue to slow
  • More reopenings expected from May 18th

What's the latest on the situation in Italy?

Another 888 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Italy on Wednesday May 13th, meaning there have now been 222,104 cases in total since the outbreak began, including those patients now recovered or deceased.

There are currently 78,457 people known to be infected in Italy.

According to the latest data released by Italy's Department for Civil Protection, there were also 195 new deaths in 24 hours. This pushed the country's death toll up to 31,106.

While still worryingly high, the number of fatalities per day is significantly lower than its peak of nearly 1,000 in mid-March.

The latest data showed that a total of 112,541 people have now recovered.

New cases of coronavirus in Italy from late February to early May. Chart: Italian Civil Protection

 

Italy speeds up reopenings under phase two

Italian authorities on Monday gave the go-ahead for cafes, restaurants and hairdressers to open from May 18th.

This was originally planned for June 1st but has been moved forward.

Since May 4th, Italy has officially been in the second phase of its coronavirus lockdown, with some rules relaxed after eight weeks of nationwide orders to stay at home.

These are the key changes:

The current rules apply until May 17th, after which a new decree will come into force. 

For more details, read our Q&A here.

What hasn't changed?

You still need to carry an autocertificazione ('self-certification') form when leaving home until at least May 17th, when the rules are set to be revised again.

Find the latest version of the form here.

Travel remains tightly restricted, including within your own region. You are only supposed to go outside to buy groceries and other essentials, go to work, visit a doctor or pharmacy, exercise, see relatives or for another urgent reason.

Read more about the rules on travel within Italy here.

 Schools remain closed until at least September.

And you're still required to maintain at least a metre's distance from other people, including in shops, parks and on public transport.

Anyone with a temperature of 37.5 degrees or higher must not go out in public unless advised otherwise by a doctor.

The maximum fine for breaking quarantine rules is €3,000 euros. Penalties are even higher in some regions under local rules, and the most serious offences could result in prison terms.

Regional differences

The rules vary considerably around Italy, with some regional governments using their powers to reopen local shops and other businesses early.

Restrictions are expected to be lifted sooner in some regions than others, depending on how much new cases have slowed, how many hospital beds are available, and what capacity is in place to test and trace people who have the virus.

Check the website of your regione and comune to find out which rules apply where you are.

Read more about which regions are restarting earlier than others here.

When will it be possible to travel to Italy again?
 
Travel to Italy has become almost impossible and is now not advised by most governments, with any travellers arriving now subjected to a 14-day quarantine.
 

While a few flights are still operating to and from Italy, anyone arriving in the country is barred from using public transport and obliged to self-isolate for 14 days.

 
While Italy has not explicitly banned foreign visitors, travelling to and from Italy remains very complicated and is possible only in emergency situations.
 
 

 


How can I protect myself?

You should follow the government's guidance as well as taking the same precautions in Italy that you would anywhere else:

  • Wash hands thoroughly and often with soap and water, especially after coughing and sneezing or before eating.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.
  • Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
  • Avoid close contact with others where possible, and especially people who have symptoms of respiratory illness.
  • Wear a mask if you suspect you are ill, or if you are assisting someone else who is ill.
  • Clean surfaces with alcohol- or chlorine-based disinfectants.

Do not take any antibiotics or antiviral medication unless it has been prescribed to you by a doctor.

You can find the latest information about the coronavirus in Italy from the Italian Health Ministry, your country's embassy, or the WHO.

What should I do if I think I have symptoms?

The initial symptoms of Covid-19 include a cough, headache, fatigue, fever, aching and difficulty breathing.

Covid-19 is primarily spread through droplets released by an infected person when they cough, sneeze or speak, which may pass directly into someone else's mouth, nose or eyes or be transferred there via hands or objects.

Its incubation period is two to 14 days, with an average of seven days.

If you think you have the virus, do not go to hospital or your doctor's surgery: health authorities are worried about potentially infected people turning up at hospitals and passing on the virus.

READ ALSO: Italy's dedicated coronavirus phone numbers and websites

A special Italian health ministry helpline has been launched with more information on the virus and how to avoid getting it. Callers to the 1500 number can get more information in Italian, English and Chinese.

In an emergency situation, you should always call the emergency number 112.

 
Italian vocabulary

a fever – una febbre

a headache – un mal di testa

a cough – una tosse

a cold – un raffreddore

the flu – l'influenza

the coronavirus – il coronavirus

Find all The Local's coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy here

*****

Hi,
 
The Local's mission is to give our readers all the information they need about what's happening in Italy. We rely on paying members to do that, but we have chosen not to put any of our articles about the coronavirus behind our hard paywall, to help keep all of our readers informed. We believe it is the right thing to do at this time.
 
This means that new or occasional readers can read articles for free. On urgent need-to-know articles and official advice about coronavirus, we are also dropping the paywall completely. That includes this article. 
 
We have received many comments from supportive readers asking how can they contribute. The best way is simply to sign up as a member. You can do that in just a few moments by clicking HERE.
 
We hope our paying members understand why we have chosen to make these articles about the coronavirus free for everyone, but if you have any questions, please let me know.
 
As for the coronavirus, you can read all our articles here.

 
Kind regards,
 
Clare,
Editor, The Local Italy

 

 

While a few flights are still operating to and from Italy, anyone arriving in the country is barred from using public transport for 14 days.

Member comments

  1. Changing the caption doesn’t mean the report is new or different. Mispelt words included… please don’t report as if new article it’s not… its regurgitated material… very frustrating. Not renewing subscription….

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BREXIT

‘We are desperate’: Why the UK must help Britons with Italian healthcare charges

A 74-year-old British woman has explained the "frustration and fear" Britons in Italy are facing when trying to access healthcare and appealed to the UK government for help.

'We are desperate': Why the UK must help Britons with Italian healthcare charges

Pat Eggleton, a teacher and writer from the UK, appealed to the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron in the letter sent April 9th about the “desperate” situation faced by UK citizens entitled to free healthcare in Italy – but unable to access it.

British nationals residing in Italy before Brexit, and covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA), are in many cases being told by Italian health authorities that they must pay steep new fees at a minimum of 2,000 a year – even though they are exempt from paying at all.

READ ALSO: ‘Life or death situation’: Brits facing high Italian healthcare costs amid rule change uncertainty

In her open letter seen by The Local, Ms. Eggleton, who has lived in Italy since 2005, highlighted that the current minimum is a huge jump from the previous €387, and said that the sum was “difficult, or even impossible, for some to find when there had been no prior notification and there is no option to pay in instalments.”

“A great deal of undeserved worry, frustration and even fear has ensued,” she wrote.

“Some of our group have serious, ongoing health conditions. All we require is for one sentence from the Italian government confirming that Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries do not have to pay for healthcare access to be circulated to all regional health authorities.

“We implore you to act before this becomes even more serious. As someone put it, “This is a matter not only of money, but of health.” 

Ms Eggleton’s letter came exactly one month after the British government confirmed that all WA agreement beneficiaries are exempt from paying the 2,000 fee, provided they were living in Italy before January 1st 2021.

But there were no details available at the time from the Italian government setting out how the rules would be implemented or communicated to local health authorities around Italy.

Since then, there has been no further information released by the Italian government on any official platform. 

One Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary, Graham Beresford, told The Local last week how he was having trouble accessing healthcare, even though he has a right to it.

Mr. Beresford suffers from blood cancer and needs access to the Italian healthcare system to obtain his medication. 

“Every time I go to my ASL (local health unit) office, I always feel like I’m dismissed,” Graham said. “I told the ASL worker I need medication for my cancer and she replied lots of people come in here with sob stories.

“There genuinely seems to be no compassion whatsoever.”

The Local has written to the Italian health ministry for comment.

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