The southern island will be bumped up to a moderate-risk “orange zone” from Monday after the health ministry on Friday made its weekly update to the four-tiered system of coronavirus restrictions.
When the changes come into effect on Monday, all of Italy will be in either the orange zone or the high-risk “red zone”, both of which mean significant restrictions on movement.
Most of Italy effectively went back into lockdown last week, as variants are fuelling a third wave of the virus that is putting hospitals under renewed stress.
As the country’s first white zone, the island of Sardinia had been the only region exempt from most of the nation’s restrictions since March 1.
Friday’s update also confirmed that nine regions and autonomous provinces will remain red zones until at least Easter: Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Puglia, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige.
Meanwhile, Molise has been downgraded from red to orange as the situation in the region has improved, the health ministry said in a statement.
Other regions could have their classifications reviewed in the next update on Friday, March 26.
Red zone rules mean the closure of all schools, restaurants, bars, non-essential shops and hairdressers, as well as tight restrictions on movement.
Anyone leaving the house will need to justify doing so using a self-declaration form.
In orange zones, shops and schools can remain open and movement within your region is permitted.
Italy’s new restrictions are in place until Easter, when the whole nation will be placed in the red zone over the weekend of April 3 to 5, to prevent the usual large family gatherings.
