Italy is on the upper level; now, all regions are mask-free zones after being categorized as a "low-risk" of transmitting the coronavirus. As written in Aljazeera, The Italian Minister of Health stated as per this week, each of Italy's 20 regions classified as a "white zone" of coronavirus, which signifies the lowest risk of infected COVID-19. 

The outdoor mask-wearing rule also started to be applied when Italy faces extreme temperatures this summer. A rise in temperatures of more than 40 degrees celsius is expected to continue in southern Italy over the next week. Before declaring an outdoor mask-free rule, Italy was the centre of the spread of COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic. 

We should applaud the government for handling this pandemic in a fast and proper way. Italy can untie its belt from any restrictions and health protocols since the end of May. A third of Italians are above 12 years old, or around 17.57 million people did the vaccination. Even so, the minister of health, Roberto Speranza, urged people to keep aware. 

So, what did Italy do to turn the wheel of their fate?

The most prolonged lockdown and effectiveness in testing and tracking

Swab tests are widely available and able to be conducted at several public areas, like airports, train stations, and schools. They also provide COVID-19 tests for children. Their attention was diverted by lollipops or funny pictures when they were doing tests. Baby drive-thru test is available in Rome to serve newborns for six years old children. We can see that they did efficient and accurate testing and tracking. Also, Italy was the first country in the world that bravely did lockdown and the latest in reopened their country. 

Their structured lockdown is excellent

At the first stage, Italy quarantined big cities, then continued to Lombardy in the north. Afterward, the entire peninsula and its islands, although there are no cases reported there. This discretion prevented industrial workers from the north from returning home in the south and encouraged a unified nation to respond. 

The overcrowding was centered in the hospital initially. Although it was tiring, doctors and nurses were able to speed up the tracing. In the end, Italy can reduce the cases and lower the opportunity to count with someone infected. At the end of Italy's lockdown, the circulation of the virus fell sharply; in certain areas, almost no chain of transmission at all. 

When the lockdown was finished

They didn't directly celebrate the party after the lockdown; they continued to investigate the COVID-19 outbreak that hit them. The New York Times wrote on 31 July 2021 that Italy continued its health habits during the lockdown after a bad start. The government adopted policies guided by scientific and technical committees. Doctors, hospitals, and local health workers collaborated to collect more than 20 virus indicators every day, send them to regional authorities, and then pass them on to the National Institutes of Health. The result was a weekly report based on policy.