Under a new ordinance signed by Campania Governor Vincenzo De Luca on Thursday, masks are now compulsory 24 hours a day throughout the region, which includes Italy’s third-largest city of Naples.
The new rule, which will remain in place until at least October 4, comes in response to a rise in cases and is designed to prevent the enforcement of tougher restrictions.
“We need to get back to behaving responsibly right away, even more so with the reopening of schools,” De Luca said.
“If we want to avoid wider closures we need the utmost rigour.”
Campania recorded 248 new infections on Wednesday, more than any other region in Italy, with 191 in Naples alone.
The region now requires masks regardless of whether you’re socially distanced from others, including outside and throughout the day, though there are exceptions for children under six, people who can’t wear a mask for health reasons and people exercising alone.
It is the latest part of Italy to tighten the rules on masks, after the cities of Genoa and La Spezia in Liguria introduced similar requirements.
In the rest of Italy, face masks are compulsory indoors during the day and outdoors between 6:00 pm to 6:00 am if you’re in a crowded area.
Italian police enforce the rules strictly and there are fines of up to €400 for non-compliance.
With ANSA
