Italy will be in blockade for Easter, while the country struggles to contain the increase in COVID-19 cases.
As of Monday, Italians in the most populous regions will be forced to stay home, except for work, health or other essential reasons.
The entire country will be closed on Easter weekend for the second consecutive year, from April 3 to 5.
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Cases across the country have increased by more than 25,000 a day for the past six weeks, as Italy’s vaccination campaign is plagued by delays.
The authorities warn that they are rapidly losing ground in the fight against new highly contagious variants.
Only 3 percent of the country is vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
“Italy is administering about 170,000 doses a day – our goal is to triple that,” said Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
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“Only with generalized vaccinations will we be able to pass without restrictions like the ones we had to adopt.”
More than 100,000 Italians died of complications from the coronavirus, the second highest number of deaths in Europe, after the United Kingdom.
Unlike last year, when Italy became the first western county to implement a national blockade, the authorities will allow limited visits to friends and relatives during the Easter holiday.
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The Easter Vigil of Pope Francis will probably be held earlier so that the faithful can meet the curfew at 10 pm.
Italians with non-essential jobs were also ordered to stay home for much of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“I hope this is the last sacrifice asked of our citizens,” said the president of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana.
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Italian health officials approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine on Friday. The doses will be delivered in a month, which the leaders said will help in efforts to contain the increase.