Coronavirus: Italy to make masks compulsory outdoors

Giuseppe Conte warns country that ‘battle is not won’

A woman puts on a face mask in Rome on 6 October, 2020. (AP)

Italy is set to make the wearing of face masks in outdoor spaces mandatory in an attempt to restrict the spread of coronavirus, as the number of Covid-19 infections continues to rise across Europe.

The new rule is scheduled to be introduced on Wednesday, the day after Roberto Speranza, the country’s health minister, said it was considering the measure.

"We are working on a proposal to make the use of masks compulsory," Mr Speranza told parliament on Tuesday.

"We have to make an extra effort, because (masks) must be used in any situation where there is a chance of people meeting who do not live together,” he added.

There will be exemptions for children under the age of six, for those who have health conditions which prevent the wearing of masks and for people who are exercising.

Some regions in Italy already mandate the use of face masks outside, including Campania and Lazio, which introduced the restriction on Friday.

The nationwide measure comes shortly after Italy saw its highest number of daily cases since April, with 2,884 new infections recorded on Saturday.

Although this number is well below figures in other European countries including France and Spain, Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte told the country to stay vigilant.

"The battle is not won, and we will need to remain on maximum alert during the weeks and months to come," he said in Rome on Tuesday.

Mr Conte said last week that he would seek permission from parliament to extend the country’s Covid-19 state of emergency until the end of January.

Italy has so far had 36,030 deaths from the disease and 330,263 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The only country in Europe to have suffered more fatalities during the pandemic than Italy is the UK, which has recorded 42,535 deaths from Covid-19.

Additional reporting from Reuters