Italy moves to strengthen movement restrictions... considering deployment of military forces

Regions including Toscana and Campania... Under Drone Surveillance

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Italy, which has surpassed China in the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), is strengthening enforcement against violations of movement restrictions.

On the 20th (local time), Italian media reported that regional governments are preparing supplementary measures as the currently enforced movement restrictions are not being well observed.

Some regions have started operating aerial surveillance systems using drones. Regions such as Tuscany, led by Florence, and Campania, where Naples is located, are deploying drones over parks, city squares, and beaches to monitor and crack down on gatherings of people.

The government is also considering deploying military forces. This is because it is difficult to enforce the restrictions with police personnel alone, and despite strong requests from medical authorities, people are not complying with the movement restrictions.

According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, from the 11th of this month, when the nationwide movement restrictions were enacted, 1.2 million people were checked across Italy over eight days. Among them, 52,000 were caught violating the movement restrictions.

Under the movement restrictions, going out is prohibited unless for reasons such as purchasing groceries or medicine, or commuting to work. Additionally, individuals must carry a self-declaration form stating the reason for going out. Those caught violating the restrictions were people who left their residences without legitimate reasons or whose stated reasons on the self-declaration did not match their actual purpose when checked.

The Italian government urges that the only way to reduce the scale of COVID-19 damage is for all 60 million citizens to strictly observe self-isolation and movement restrictions. Furthermore, due to the spread of COVID-19, it has been decided to extend the movement restrictions and school closures until April 4. Measures such as restricting outdoor sports activities are also being considered.

As of the 19th, Italy's cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 41,035, which is half of China's cumulative confirmed cases of 80,967 announced on the 20th. However, Italy's cumulative death toll of 3,405 has surpassed China's cumulative death toll of 3,248.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.