Italian cafes ready to reopen ahead of easing of COVID-19 restrictions
'Marco Martini'
Employees of Michelin-starred "Marco Martini" restaurant are seen during the reorganisation of the restaurant as owners prepare outdoor dining in order to be ready for April 26 when restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will relax and people can dine outside, in Rome, Italy.
Outdoor dining ready
A government decision to keep a 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) nightly curfew despite requests from coalition parties and regional governors to push it back to 11 p.m. has angered some restaurateurs, who had hoped for a full reopening.
People are used to having supper between around 8.30 to 9.30 p.m. in Italy, and maintaining an early curfew was expected to deter diners.
Piazza Navona
A view shows the terrace of a closed restaurant on April 24, 2021 on Piazza Navona in downtown Rome, two days prior to the partial reopening of bars, restaurants, cinemas and concert halls across Italy, in a boost for coronavirus-hit businesses, as the government unveils further details of its EU-funded recovery plan.
Downtown Rome
Italy subsequently adopted a four-tier, colour-coded system based on local infection levels, but shunted the entire nation into red or orange zones for the past six weeks to take pressure off hospitals and to let the vaccination campaign gather speed.
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