Italy Follows Spain by Closing Nightclubs and Making Masks Compulsory Outdoors

SIMILAR to Spain, Italy has closed nightclubs and made face masks compulsory outdoors after a spike in coronavirus cases among young people. New measures introduced to stop the spread of the virus mean that from today it will be forbidden to dance in nightclubs and other party venues.

Covid cases over the past week in Italy were more than double those registered three weeks ago. The median age of people contracting the virus has now dropped below 40, collected data has shown. New cases in the past week in Italy, the first European country to be hard hit by the coronavirus, were more than double those registered three weeks ago.

The new rules will start today, Monday August 17, and will run at least until September 7. At the weekend, many young people in Italy went out dancing at Ferragosto, a public holiday celebrated every year on August 15.

However, in a move that is likely to infuriate Spanish club owners, the Minister of Economic Development Stefano Patuanelli has announced venues will receive economic support while they are closed. The government has put aside €100 million for the businesses which will be forced to close down again.

“The expected damage from the closing of the discos is big but I don’t see alternatives, more attention is needed to avoid returning to the March data,” said Patuanelli.

“We will do everything possible to give economic support to the businesses that will have losses.”

Spain’s Andalucia last night brought in new laws last night to tackle the spread of the virus, as reported by the EWN these new measures are likely to bring even more hardship to nightclubs and bars across the region.