FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Italy to extend state of emergency to March 31 as virus cases rise

Italy to extend state of emergency to March 31 as virus cases rise

Italy is set to extend the governments emergency powers until March 31 as the country faces a rise in Covid cases, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The decision to extend the previous deadline which was the end of this year, may come as soon as Tuesday, the person said. The government has used emergency powers, which streamline decision making, since the start of the pandemic.

Rising numbers of Covid cases around the world, combined with concerns over the omicron variant, are pushing governments to keep or even tighten curbs against the virus.

In the week ending Dec. 12 Italy reported 15,186 new Covid cases and 115 more deaths than the week before. According to government data 88.2% of Italians over 12 have received at least one dose of a vaccine against the disease.

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