Italy PM hikes lockdown fines, hopes to lift restrictions soon

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian government has hiked fines for people who defy a lockdown order, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday, adding that he hoped he could start lifting the restrictions shortly.

Anyone caught leaving their home without good reason will now face fines of between 400 euros to 3,000 euros ($430 to $3,227) against a previous 206 euros, Conte said in a television address.

All non-essential businesses have been ordered to close until April 3, with people told to stay at home. There has been speculation the date will be pushed back and a decree issued on Tuesday gave the government the power to extend the deadline to July 31.

However, Conte denied planning to keep the lockdown in place until that date, saying he hoped to loosen restrictions "well before then".

(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• Humana surges: Barclays bets big on Medicare star ratings rebound
• Investing.com’s stocks of the week
• Atlas Energy stock surges on AI data center power deals