Italy reopens museums, extends nationwide anti-virus curfew

Rome, Jan 16 : Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has signed a new decree with fresh Covid-19 containment measures, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
According to the new decree signed on Friday, galleries and museums in Italy can reopen, but only on weekdays, and that eating or drinking outdoors after 6 p.m. is no longer allowed, Xinhua news agency reported.
The new decree also maintains a nationwide 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, bans travel between Italy’s 20 regions from January 16 to February 15, and makes mask wearing mandatory in public, both indoors and outdoors.
Meanwhile, it maintains the closure of gyms and swimming pools, gaming and betting venues, cinemas and theaters as well as concert halls and nightclubs. Fairs, conferences and any kind of festive gatherings, whether indoors or outdoors, remain prohibited.
The new decree replaces a previous decree that expires on Friday. It goes into effect on Saturday through March 15.
Italy on Thursday reported 17,246 new Covid-19 cases, pushing total active infections to 561,380, according to the ministry of health.