Italy to shut schools, shops and restaurants as COVID-19 cases spike, 1 lakh deaths reported

Shops, restaurants and schools will be closed across most of Italy on Monday, with Prime Minister Mario Draghi warning of a "new wave" of the coronavirus outbreak. For three days over Easter, April 3-5, there will be a total shutdown. Italy, which one year ago imposed one of the first national lockdowns, is once again struggling to contain the rapid spread of infections. The country has reported more than 100,000 COVID-related deaths, Europe's second-highest tally after the UK, the BBC reported.

Italy's vaccination campaign has been hit by delays, as has been seen elsewhere in the European Union. Last week the government in Rome blocked the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia in a bid to address shortfalls of vaccines. Elsewhere, Bulgaria, Denmark and Norway have all paused the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine over fears it causes blood clots.

The World Health Organization said on Friday there was no indication this was true, stressing that countries should not stop using the vaccine. From Monday, schools, shops and restaurants will shut in more than half of Italy, including the two most populous regions containing Rome and Milan.