Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (c) made the call. Photo: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Much of Italy will be placed under a strict lockdown as of Friday in the most drastic steps the country has taken to fight the coronavirus since it led the world into lockdown nearly eight months ago.
The big picture: Italy managed to keep the spread of the virus largely under control for months after a brutal first wave. But like much of Europe, it's currently recording unprecedented daily case counts and scrambling to avoid a return to overcrowded hospitals and climbing death tolls in the coming weeks.
Driving the news: Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that the strictest policies would be implemented in four regions: Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta in the North, as well as Calabria in the south. Lombardy is home to Milan and accounts for one-fifth of Italy's GDP.
- Travel in and out of those regions will be banned except where absolutely necessary, while bars and restaurants will be closed. Sicily and Puglia will face a less strict quarantine, per AP.
- Conte has resisted a nationwide lockdown in favor of a tiered, regional approach, though he has recommended that all Italians remain home when possible and ordered most restaurants to close by 6pm.
- The new restrictions have been met by protests, in particular from the hospitality industry, which was just beginning to recover from the previous lockdown.