<p>All of Italy became a mask-free, "low-risk" zone for coronavirus Monday, marking a dramatic milestone for the first European country to be hit by the global pandemic in February 2020.</p>.<p>In a decree that took effect Monday, the health ministry for the first time classified each of Italy's 20 regions as "white", signifying low risk, under the country's colour-coded classification system that evaluates Covid-19 risk.</p>.<p>That means facemasks will no longer be compulsory in outdoor areas -- welcome news across the country where an ongoing heatwave is expected to push temperatures past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some southern areas this week.</p>.<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/substitutes-spare-italys-blushes-in-2-1-win-over-austria-1001991.html" target="_blank">Substitutes spare Italy's blushes in 2-1 win over Austria </a></strong></p>.<p>Once a symbol of the coronavirus crisis in the West -- where images of army trucks transporting coffins from the overflowing morgue in the northern city of Bergamo were seen around the world -- Italy has seen Covid-19 infections and deaths plummet in recent weeks.</p>.<p>A third of Italy's population over the age of 12 has been vaccinated as of Sunday, or 17,572,505 people, according to the government.</p>.<p>Long prohibited from entering the country, tourists from the European Union, Britain, the United States, Canada and Japan are now back after the government removed a quarantine requirement for vaccinated visitors, or those who test negative.</p>.<p>Despite the progress, Health Minister Roberto Speranza urged Italians to be vigilant.</p>.<p>"It's an encouraging result, but caution and prudence is still needed, especially because of the new variants," Speranza wrote, after signing the ordinance Saturday. "The battle is not yet won."</p>.<p>After a long period beginning in November of full or partial regional lockdowns to combat a second wave of coronavirus infections, restrictions were relaxed all over Italy late last month. The entire country was made a "yellow zone", which brought more freedoms but maintained an overnight curfew that shortened restaurant hours.</p>.<p>As the government gradually eliminated the restrictions over the course of June, the lone holdout, until Monday, was the Aosta Valley, the small alpine region in the northwest.</p>.<p>In Italy, more 127,000 people have died of Covid-19-related complications, while more than four million people have been infected.</p>
<p>All of Italy became a mask-free, "low-risk" zone for coronavirus Monday, marking a dramatic milestone for the first European country to be hit by the global pandemic in February 2020.</p>.<p>In a decree that took effect Monday, the health ministry for the first time classified each of Italy's 20 regions as "white", signifying low risk, under the country's colour-coded classification system that evaluates Covid-19 risk.</p>.<p>That means facemasks will no longer be compulsory in outdoor areas -- welcome news across the country where an ongoing heatwave is expected to push temperatures past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some southern areas this week.</p>.<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/substitutes-spare-italys-blushes-in-2-1-win-over-austria-1001991.html" target="_blank">Substitutes spare Italy's blushes in 2-1 win over Austria </a></strong></p>.<p>Once a symbol of the coronavirus crisis in the West -- where images of army trucks transporting coffins from the overflowing morgue in the northern city of Bergamo were seen around the world -- Italy has seen Covid-19 infections and deaths plummet in recent weeks.</p>.<p>A third of Italy's population over the age of 12 has been vaccinated as of Sunday, or 17,572,505 people, according to the government.</p>.<p>Long prohibited from entering the country, tourists from the European Union, Britain, the United States, Canada and Japan are now back after the government removed a quarantine requirement for vaccinated visitors, or those who test negative.</p>.<p>Despite the progress, Health Minister Roberto Speranza urged Italians to be vigilant.</p>.<p>"It's an encouraging result, but caution and prudence is still needed, especially because of the new variants," Speranza wrote, after signing the ordinance Saturday. "The battle is not yet won."</p>.<p>After a long period beginning in November of full or partial regional lockdowns to combat a second wave of coronavirus infections, restrictions were relaxed all over Italy late last month. The entire country was made a "yellow zone", which brought more freedoms but maintained an overnight curfew that shortened restaurant hours.</p>.<p>As the government gradually eliminated the restrictions over the course of June, the lone holdout, until Monday, was the Aosta Valley, the small alpine region in the northwest.</p>.<p>In Italy, more 127,000 people have died of Covid-19-related complications, while more than four million people have been infected.</p>