Face masks now compulsory outdoors in Rome and surrounding region of Lazio

Face masks will be obligatory in outdoor public spaces in Rome and the rest of Lazio

Credit: AFP

The Italian region of Lazio, which includes Rome, has decreed that people must wear face masks outdoors as well as in closed public spaces such as restaurants, bars and shops.

Breaking the new rule, which takes effect from Saturday, will incur a fine of €400.

Exceptions will be made for children under the age of six and people who are doing exercise such as running or cycling.

Lazio joins other regions which have already decreed that face masks must be worn in outdoor public places, including Calabria in the far south and Campania, which includes Naples.

Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the pandemic but managed to bring it under control with a strict 10-week lockdown in March, April and May.

But since the summer, the number of new cases has steadily risen, an increase that is blamed in part on young people socialising together in bars, trattorias and piazzas at night, paying little heed to social distancing or mask wearing.

A mural by street artist "TV Boy" depicting a famous scene from the film Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn 

Credit: AFP

"Most of the cases are tied to the lack of respect in using masks and in social distancing," Alessio D’Amato, the region’s health chief, said as he announced the new measures.

On Thursday, Italy recorded more than 2,500 new cases – the highest number for a single day since the dark days of April. Lazio accounted for 265 of the new cases.

The authorities said that a record number of swabs had been taken nationwide – more than 118,000. Italy’s death toll is 35,918.

Although a second lockdown has been ruled out by the government, other regions are looking at whether to make face masks compulsory in public places.

The health minister has warned that the crisis is likely to continue for many months.

"We need to resist with the knife between our teeth for the difficult seven to eight months ahead," said Roberto Speranza.

"In the months ahead in which we do not have a Covid vaccine or cures, we will need correct behaviour by people because that is what enabled us to bring down the curve in previous months.”

Giuseppe Conte, the prime minister, has said he intends to extend the current state of emergency, which expires on October 15, until the end of January in order to combat the virus.