Most of Italy, including its capital Rome and its financial center Milan, will have curbs on business and movement intensified from Monday as the government ramps up its efforts to stem a steady rise in coronavirus cases.
The country will also be placed under a nationwide lockdown over the Easter weekend for the second year running, the government said on Friday.
Italy, the first Western country hit hard by the pandemic, saw infections rise by 10% this week compared with the week before, and officials have warned that the situation is deteriorating as new, highly contagious variants gain ground.
In recent months the country has calibrated restrictions in its 20 regions according to a four-tier, color-coded system (white, yellow, orange and red) based on local infection levels which are revised every week.