Premier Mario Draghi announced Friday that the government is to start significantly relaxing Italy's COVID-19-linked restrictions as of April 26.
He said the government had taken a calculated risk that was "based on (contagion) data that is improving".
The government is reintroducing moderate-risk yellow zones to the nation's tiered system of restrictions, but in a 'reinforced version' which means restaurants will be able to serve people at tables once again and concerts and sports events will be able to resume as long as they take place in the open air.
At the moment Italy only has high-risk red zones or medium-high-risk orange zones, where bars and restaurants can only do takeaways for home deliveries.
High-school students will return 100% to having lessons in class on April 26, except in red zones.
At the moment high-school students in red zones are doing lessons via distance learning, along with pupils in the second and third year of middle school.
High-school students in the rest of the country are having 50-75% of lessons physically in school and the rest via distance learning.
"We have brought the introduction of the yellow zone forward to this month, but with a change with respect to the past, giving precedence to open-air activities, restaurants open for lunch and dinner and all schools reopening in yellow and red zones," Draghi said.
"It is possible to look to the future with prudent optimism and confidence".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
