The Italian Cabinet is discussing a draft proposal that could put people in the region of Lombardy and 11 other provinces in northern Italy under complete lockdown due to coronavirus, according to a close adviser to one of the ministers attending a Cabinet meeting.
The text of the draft proposal – also sent to CNN by the press office of the Lombardy regional authority – says that people in Lombardy and the other 11 provinces should "absolutely avoid any movement into and out ... as well as within the same territories ... except for travel motivated by unavoidable working needs or situations of emergency."
The draft says the police, the fire brigade and armed forces could be used to enforce these measures.
The measures also could include:
- Schools and universities being suspended until April 3.
- All sporting events in those regions being suspended, with the exception of professional events. No spectators would be allowed at those professional events.
- People in places of prayer standing 1 meter away from each other.
- Bars and restaurants enforcing social distancing.
- Medical staff not being allowed to take a leave of absence.
"I have received the draft this evening. It seems to go in the direction of confining the spread of the virus, inviting citizens to be prudent by taking decisive measures,” Attilio Fontana, governor of the Lombardy region, said through his press office. “I cannot avoid commenting on the draft. It is a bit messy and it needs, on behalf of the government, some clarification in order to allow citizens to understand what they can and cannot do.”
It's unclear when or if these measure would actually be implemented, because the proposal is still being discussed and the terms could change. It could impact more than 10 million people in Italy.