As per a new decree from the Italian prime minister’s office, all non-strategic and non-essential activities in the country must stop from March 25 until April 3 in order to tackle the coronavirus emergency. While most shops have already been closed down by the lockdown, many factories had continued to operate. The decree includes a list of 80 sectors that will remain open, including all services related to the production and supply of food, medicine, and transport of essential goods. The decree also allows businesses that are in a continuous production cycle to remain open. ArcelorMittal Italia's plants in Taranto, formerly known as Ilva, will therefore be exempted from the measures, unless the local prefect suspends its activities.
As reported previously, production volumes have been reduced at ArcelorMittal Italia. This has resulted in the presence of less than 50 percent of workers. However, after a new meeting between the company and the local unions, ArcelorMittal could decide to further reduce its active workforce. Local union Fiom Cgil Taranto is pushing for ArcelorMittal to halt the whole plant.
As per the new decree, all domestic travel has been banned, with the exceptions of provable work reasons or reasons of absolute health emergency.In Italy, 46,638 people have tested as being currently infected with thecoronavirus and 5,476 have died from the epidemic.