Italy may tighten restrictions over Christmas to limit the spread of COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday as he urged Italians to avoid "irresponsible" gatherings during the holiday period.
Italy had managed to avoid a generalised lockdown to halt the surge of new disease since the summer, instead imposing a more limited set of restrictions. But as the Christmas break approached, "there might be certain little adjustments, certain additional supplementary measures."
"We have to avoid the risk of a third wave because it would be very serious," Conte said.
He said new vaccines being brought into service would start to have a significant impact in the next few months.
(Reporting by James Mackenzie; editing by Giulio Piovaccari)
