CORONAVIRUS: ITALY SHUTS CINEMAS, GYMS AND POOLS IN COVID FIGHT
Italy is shutting cinemas, swimming pools and gyms from Monday in a further attempt to curb the rapid rise in coronavirus infections. Bars and restaurants will have to close by 18:00 but shops and the majority of businesses will remain operating.
Meanwhile, Spain's cabinet on Sunday agreed a nationwide "state of alarm", which would allow for a countrywide curfew, Spanish media report.
Both countries were hit hard during the first wave of the pandemic in Europe.
Italy’s measures were agreed between Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and regional leaders.
The Campania region, which contains Naples, has been among those calling for tighter restrictions.
Mr Conte has said he does not want to repeat the national lockdown imposed during the first wave in March and April because of the economic damage caused.
Under the new measures, the bulk of secondary school teaching will be conducted online instead of in the classroom.
The Italian move comes amid demonstrations in Naples, and then Rome, against stricter coronavirus measures.
Saturday saw a new daily record of cases in Italy of more than 19,600. The number of deaths was 151.
Spain has passed one million cases since the start of the pandemic and nearly 35,000 people have died.
The latest measure agreed by Spain’s Socialist government, with the backing of the centre-right Ciudadanos and separatist parties from the Basque country and Catalonia, imposes a nationwide curfew between 23:00 local time (22:00GMT) and 06:00, Spanish media report.
It also restricts social gatherings and movement between districts except for work and medical reasons.
More than half of the country’s 17 regions had called on the central government to tighten restrictions. The “state of alarm”, which allows for the curfew and other measures, will be in force for 15 days. The same level of emergency was introduced during the first wave of the pandemic in April.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was scheduled to make a statement on Sunday afternoon.