Conte Says Italy to Extend State of Emergency to October
- Premier speaks to senators, says extension ‘inevitable’
- Opposition’s Salvini says emergency hits economy hard
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte set out his case for extending his emergency powers to October, arguing the coronavirus is still present in the country despite the spread now being limited.
“An extension is inevitable, in some respects it is obligatory,” Conte told the Rome Senate. “Contagion has fallen, but the numbers show that the virus continues to circulate in the country, giving rise to outbreaks at local level which have been identified and contained. The international situation remains a concern.”
The premier said the plan had been discussed at a cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday and would be decided on after the parliamentary debate, but did not give a specific date in October. The government plans to prolong the state of emergency through Oct. 15, newswire Ansa reported.
The state of emergency, declared on Jan. 31 and initially scheduled to last for six months, allows the premier to draw up decrees on virus lockdowns and safety rules among other measures without the need for parliamentary approval.