Based on Italy’s latest health data, the government decided on Monday that the following regions should be bumped up from low-risk yellow zones to medium-risk orange zones under Italy’s three-tiered lockdown system: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Liguria, Tuscany and Umbria.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza was expected to sign an ordinance changing the regional classifications on Monday evening, Italian media reported.

The rules will come into effect from Wednesday, November 11.

The four regions will join Sicily and Puglia, which were declared orange zones last week.

The nation’s high-risk red zones are the northern regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, as well as Calabria in Italy’s “toe”.

The northern province of Bolzano will also become a red zone, according to local media.

On Tuesday, the government is set to make a further decision as to whether or not the hard-hit region of Campania should be declared a red zone.

Orange zones face slightly less severe restrictions than red zones.

People in regions set to move from yellow to orange zone restrictions will no longer be allowed to enter or leave their municipality or region without “proven” work- or health-related reasons for doing so.

Bars and restaurants will close, though takeaway and delivery is still allowed.

People in orange zones are also asked not to move around within their municipality unless necessary.

The entire country remains under an evening curfew between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am. 

Italy last week introduced the tiered system of restrictions, which is based on 21 different criteria, including local infection rates and hospital capacity.

Doctors on Monday urged the government to put the whole country under lockdown, as health experts said the coronavirus situation in Italy is “largely out of control”.

Italy, the first European country hard-hit by COVID-19, tamed its outbreak after a rigid lockdown in March and April, but has toughened up its curbs once again following a resurgence in infections and deaths.

On Monday, the nation registered 25,271 new infections after 32,616 the day before, mainly due to a customary fall in daily tests on Sundays.

COVID-related deaths were 356, the health ministry said.

The steady surge in hospitalisations is straining the country’s health system, and doctors warn that Italy could suffer some 10,000 fatalities in the next month on current trends.