After nearly two months stuck at home, citizens say the new rules don’t go far enough to save the economy or their mental health

By Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo & Angela Giuffrida in Orvieto @ TheGuardian.com, May 3

[....] Last week, after Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, outlined plans to slowly ease the country’s quarantine, millions of people were overcome with feelings of anger and disappointment as their hopes were dashed by what many described as a “false reopening”.

Italians will now be able to travel within regions to visit relatives, provided they wear masks, but schools, hairdressers, gyms and many other commercial activities will stay closed; cafes and restaurants will offer takeaways only; and all travel between regions will be banned except for work, health or emergency situations. Restrictions on funerals have been relaxed, with a maximum of 15 mourners allowed to attend, but masses and weddings will have to wait.

For this reason, last Friday, Pietro Demita, a stylist in Lecce whose company is a leading wedding dress designer, set fire to his entire collection in protest against the lockdown, which has brought the wedding industry to near-collapse [....]

“It seems they’re having a good laugh at our expense,” says Costantino Montalbano, 31, a hair stylist in Palermo. “It’s as if they’re telling us to go out, but to stay at home. All this time locked up has affected our mental health, but it’s also hit us hard in the wallet. If we don’t return to normality soon, coronavirus will have killed not only thousands of people, but the entire economy as well.” [....]