Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday extended a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus until May 3, though he said a few types of shops would be allowed to re-open next week.
The draconian curbs on movement and the closure of most shops and businesses across Italy were imposed on March 9, and were scheduled to expire on Monday.
Among a few exceptions to the lockdown extension, Conte said bookshops, stationers and shops selling children's clothes could reopen from Tuesday. However, Conte said he would continue to assess the daily trend of COVID-19 infections and "act accordingly" if conditions allowed it, offering a glimmer of hope to Italians weary of a month confined to their homes for all but essential needs.
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