MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2020) Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in his address to the parliament's lower house on Thursday that the once worst-affected European country is now over the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, yet calling upon citizens to refrain from mass gatherings and traveling abroad.
"If the worst is behind us, we owe it to the citizens, who have changed their lifestyles," Conte said, as quoted by the ANSA news agency.
He was further quoted as calling upon the public to "take your holidays in Italy."
Citing incidents of young people gathering at night in some Italian cities, the prime minister said that now is "not the time for parties, for movida, for get-togethers."
According to the report, the parliament session was repeatedly disrupted by protests staged by opposition lawmakers so that Speaker Roberto Fico had to suspend it at some point.
As of Thursday, Italian health authorities confirmed a total of 227,364 COVID-19 cases in the country, including 32,330 fatalities and 132,282 recoveries.
