SCHOOLS in Italy will remain in lockdown until at least September, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revealed today.
He said the country will start reopening its manufacturing industry on May 4 as part of plans to ease strict coronavirus clampdowns.
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However, he added children will not be allowed to return to their classes for another five months.
"We are working in these hours to allow the reopening of a good part of businesses from manufacturing to construction for May 4," Conte told Italian daily La Repubblica.
He said the measures would be presented by the beginning of next week at the latest.
Italy was the first European country to be hard-hit by the killer virus and the first to impose a lockdown on March 9.
Its path to reopening its economy is being closely watched around the world as other countries contemplate similar moves.
Conte warned companies would have to introduce strict health safety measures before being allowed to open their gates again.
But he said some businesses considered "strategic", including activity that was mainly export-oriented, could reopen next week providing they got the go ahead from local prefects.
Conte said schools would reopen in September but added studies showed the risk of contagion was very high. Teaching remotely was working well, he said.
The next four Mondays will mark the country's reopening after the lockdown was imposed last month to slow the spread of the killer coronavirus bug, the Corriere della Sera daily has reported.
Italian authorities have recorded more than 190,000 confirmed cases and more than 25,000 deaths – the world's second highest death toll after the United States.
Under plans to help restart the Italian economy, building sites as well as the textile and fashion industry can reportedly open up on May 4.
A week later clothing, shoe and other shops are said to be allowed to raise the shutters.
Finally, bars, restaurants and hairdressers can be back in business on May 18.
Strict hygiene measures and continued social distancing will accompany the country's gradual reopening, it’s reported.
And shops with a surface area of 131 square metres or less will be allowed only one customer at a time.
Meanwhile bars and restaurants will have to keep a distance of one metre between customers — who will preferably not be seated in air conditioned spaces which are favoured by viruses.
But everything depends on the infection curve, and should infections start rising the next few days the process of lifting the lockdown will start later.
Italy's national lockdown is the longest one currently in force anywhere in the world.
The country’s stay-at-home orders were introduced on March 9 and have since been replicated by other European nations to varying degrees.
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Belgium is also relaxing its lockdown from May 4 despite having the second worst death toll per head of population.
While in neighbouring France, where nearly 22,000 have died, most businesses are set to reopen on May 11.
But the schedule for restaurants, bars and cafes will not be decided before the end of next month.
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