Italy will shut down at Easter as the country struggles to contain spiking COVID-19 cases.
From Monday, Italians will have to stay at home in the most populous regions, except for work, health or other essential reasons.
The entire country will be shut down for the second year in a row over Easter weekend from April 3-5.
In the past six weeks, there have been more than 25,000 cases per day across the country as the vaccination campaign in Italy has suffered delays.
Officials warn they are rapidly losing ground in the fight against new, highly contagious varieties.
Only 3 percent of the country is vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
“Italy admits about 170,000 doses per day – our goal is to triple that,” said Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
“Only with widespread vaccinations can we do without the restrictions we have had to adopt.”
More than 100,000 Italians have died of complications from the coronavirus, the second highest toll in Europe after the UK.
Unlike last year, when Italy became the first western province to implement a nationwide lockdown, officials will allow limited visits to friends and family members during the Easter holidays.
Pope Francis’s Easter Vigil is likely to be held earlier so that worshipers can adhere to a 10 p.m. curfew.
Italians with non-essential jobs were also ordered to stay indoors for much of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“I hope this will be the last sacrifice demanded of our citizens,” said Lombard President Attilio Fontana.
Italian health officials on Friday approved the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. The doses will be delivered within a month, which leaders say will help efforts to combat the wave.
With pole wires