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WEDDINGS

Planning a wedding in Italy this year? ‘Be patient’, says PM

Those hoping to get married in Italy this year will get an update after a key government meeting on Monday May 17th, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has promised.

Planning a wedding in Italy this year? 'Be patient', says PM
Couples hoping to tie the knot are still waiting to hear if their wedding can go ahead in Italy. Photo: Foto Pettine / Unsplash

Waiting for news on whether weddings can go ahead has caused much frustration to people hoping to walk down the aisle in Italy this year.

Many couples have already postponed from 2020 and some are unsure whether they’ll have to push back their big day another year, as the Italian government hasn’t yet approved any new Covid-related guidelines for wedding ceremonies or receptions.

READ ALSO: ‘We’re exhausted’: What it’s like planning a wedding in Italy during the pandemic

Although there are still no firm decisions, Draghi has indicated that an announcement will be made next week.

“Celebration is something we all want, but it is essential to have a little more patience to prevent a joyous occasion from turning into a risk for those taking part,” he told parliament during prime minister’s question time on Wednesday evening.

Weddings will be discussed at the next steering committee on Monday 17th May, he promised, when the government will look at how to “give greater certainty” to the sector.

The government has earmarked €200 million from the current Support Decree (Decreto Sostegni) to help an industry significantly affected by the pandemic, according to Draghi.

“The government is careful to balance the economy with health, and weddings, as occasions for gatherings, can foster infections. We need to take a gradual approach based on epidemiological trends,” he cautioned.

Distanced and in masks: Italian weddings in times of Covid look like this. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

At the moment, wedding receptions – indoor or outdoor – are not allowed.

Both civil and religious wedding ceremonies are permitted, although with restrictions in place including a limit on the number of guests at venues, distancing, and mandatory mask-wearing.

And the maximum number of attendees allowed at wedding ceremonies currently depends on the venue and on local rules where you get married.

This is likely to continue to be the case, no matter what the government decides the wedding protocol will be for 2021.

READ ALSO: 

Waiting to hear whether weddings can go ahead are also tied up with possible changes to Italy’s travel rules this summer. For international couples with wedding guests trying to organise flights and hotels, this is proving an added headache.

The Italian government said in early May that it would allow tourism to restart from mid-May using a new ‘green pass’ for vaccinated or tested travellers, including those from outside the EU.

But no firm date has been given, and ministers have since indicated that visitors from the EU, UK or Israel would be allowed back without quarantine first while other countries would have to wait until June.

For more information on the current restrictions see the Italian Health Ministry’s website (in English).

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HEALTH

Covid-19 still causing 1,000 deaths a week in Europe, WHO warns

The World Health Organization's European office warned on Tuesday the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying it was still responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths a week in the region. And the real figure may be much higher.

Covid-19 still causing 1,000 deaths a week in Europe, WHO warns

The global health body on May 5 announced that the Covid-19 pandemic was no longer deemed a “global health emergency.”

“Whilst it may not be a global public health emergency, however, Covid-19 has not gone away,” WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge told reporters.

The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in central Asia.

“Close to 1,000 new Covid-19 deaths continue to occur across the region every week, and this is an underestimate due to a drop in countries regularly reporting Covid-19 deaths to WHO,” Kluge added, and urged authorities to ensure vaccination coverage of at least 70 percent for vulnerable groups.

Kluge also said estimates showed that one in 30, or some 36 million people, in the region had experienced so called “long Covid” in the last three years, which “remains a complex condition we still know very little about.”

“Unless we develop comprehensive diagnostics and treatment for long Covid, we will never truly recover from the pandemic,” Kluge said, encouraging more research in the area which he called an under-recognised condition.

Most countries in Europe have dropped all Covid safety restrictions but some face mask rules remain in place in certain countries in places like hospitals.

Although Spain announced this week that face masks will no longer be required in certain healthcare settings, including hospitals and pharmacies, with a couple of exceptions.

Sweden will from July 1st remove some of its remaining Covid recommendations for the public, including advice to stay home and avoid close contact with others if you’re ill or have Covid symptoms.

The health body also urged vigilance in the face of a resurgence of mpox, having recorded 22 new cases across the region in May, and the health impact of heat waves.

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