Italy adds more 'red zones' as COVID-19 infections soar

A BBC report said that the latest to join this group were Campania and Tuscany which will join other regions which have been placed under the strictest lockdown measures from Sunday.

Authorities in Campania, which includes Naples, warned on Friday that due to increasing number of cases the health system there is on the verge of collapsing.

Friday's announcement came as Italy confirmed 40,902 new infections - its highest ever daily total.

Italy crossed the grim mark of recording one million COVID cases earlier this week, while the number of deaths increased to 44,000.

Walter Ricciardi, the government's coronavirus consultant, said that the country has "two to three weeks to decide whether it should go for another round of complete new national lockdown".

Under the new restrictions regions are divided into three zones - red for the highest risk, followed by orange and yellow. The red zone currently includes Lombardy, Bolzano, Piedmont and Aosta Valley in the north, and Calabria in the south.

In these areas, residents can only leave home for work, health reasons, essential shopping or emergencies. All non-essential shops have been shut down.

Bars and restaurants have also been shut but people can exercise near their homes if they wear masks. Hairdressers can remain open.

Italian media showed shocking scenes from hospitals in Naples, where the staff at one of the hospitals were shown bringing out oxygen tanks and other equipment outside to treat people sitting in their cars because the emergency department was swamped with cases.

Earlier this year Italy had become the epicentre of the pandemic in Europe but managed to bring the situation under control with a tough national lockdown. Restrictions were gradually lifted as cases eased but last week - faced with a second wave of infections, it was forced to introduce new measures.