Addressing the nation, Italian prime minister Guiseppe Conte announced the plan to begin moving out of lockdown measures.
The country has been in full lockdown since 11 March, with over 26,000 deaths from the virus.
Manufacturing and construction activity is the first to resume. People will be allowed to travel within their regions for “targeted” reasons, such as visiting family.
Travel between regions will also be permitted for work or medical purposes. Parks and gardens will also reopen from 4 May, while schools won’t resume until September.
Museums and libraries will open on 18 May, while bars and restaurants will have to wait to 1 June to open to the public, though they can offer takeaway services from 4 May.
“You must always respect the safe distance of at least one metre. Even within the family setting. Experts tell us that one out of four cases of infection occur in the family context,” said the prime minister.
“We all want the country to restart,” he said. “However, the only way to live with the virus in this phase is to not fall ill — and social distancing.”
