26 Oct
Italy and Spain are ratcheting up their restrictions to curtail the expansion of coronavirus cases.
Italy confirmed a record daily number of infections on Sunday, registering more than 20,000.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte held a news conference on Sunday, expressing concern over growing burden on the healthcare system. He ordered restaurants to close by 6 p.m. and the shutdown of gyms, cinemas, and other facilities.
The measures take effect on Monday and will continue through November 24.
Conte said, "We think that we will suffer a bit this month but by gritting our teeth with these restrictions, we'll be able to breathe again in December."
The manager of a restaurant in Rome said his business will suffer greatly as it cannot open for dinner, which is the most crucial time for eateries.
But a man in his 20s said he can tolerate the restrictions as they are better than a curfew.
Meanwhile, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a new state of emergency for the entire country on Sunday, except for some remote islands.
A nightly curfew went into force from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Regional governments can adjust the start and end of the regulation by one hour. They can also restrict travel between regions.
The emergency declaration is scheduled to remain in place through November 9. But Sanchez seems eager to maintain it until May with approval from the lower house of parliament.
The prime minister sought people's understanding of the decree. He said at a news conference that the country is in the most serious health crisis in the last century.
NHK
