Pubblicati
Mon, Aug 17, 2020, 13:00
- Health ministers from both countries issued the ruling last week.
All clubs, venues and party spaces in Spain and Italy must close with immediate effect, Reuters and Corriere della Sera report.
Spain were the first to issue the ban, with health minister Salvador Illa confirming the news last Friday, August 14th. Italy's Roberto Speranza followed yesterday, announcing that all indoor and outdoor party spaces must remain shut until at least September 7th.
Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in both countries. In Italy, new cases this past week were more than double those of three weeks ago, while the median age of the people infected has dropped below 40, Reuters reports.
"We've been monitoring the virus situation in our region," Marcolino Manzulli, promoter at Italian venue Sound Department, told Resident Advisor. "We know that the majority of new COVID-19 cases didn't come from our sector, but from travellers returning from Spain, Greece, Croatia and Malta. So this decision from the government keeps us in a very big crisis. We will wait for their help but as usual nothing will happen. I think this has only happened because Italy is being scrutinised by the media and social networks. We are scapegoats."
Both Spain and Italy, which were among the earliest and worst-hit countries by the virus, allowed clubs and venues to reopen in July. In Italy, popular DJs such as Jamie Jones, Nina Kraviz and Tale Of Us have recently played to busy crowds.
As well as closing venues, the Italian government has made it mandatory to wear face masks in public places between 6 PM and 6 AM.
Follow our rolling news coverage on the coronavirus's impact on electronic music here.
Photo credit: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP