Italy mayors scold people not following lockdown

Mayors across Italy are taking direct action to make sure people follow lockdown rules. The whole of Italy is under lockdown. It is one of the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus. The country has reported over 80,000 cases of infections. There have also been 8,215 deaths, the most of any country in the world. The whole country is under lockdown but not everyone is following the rules. There are many videos online of mayors going into the streets to order people to stay at home. Over 100,000 people in Italy have been fined for being on the streets without a good reason. Three-quarters of the world is in lockdown as countries try to contain the virus.

Some mayors in Italy are posting angry messages on social media. The mayor of one town said he was tired of people walking their dogs many times a day. He posted a video saying: "Where are you going with these incontinent dogs? You need to stay home. People are dying. Don't you get it? You are irresponsible idiots, colossal idiots." The president of Lombardy, Italy's worst affected region, said: "Too many people are still out and about." Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said: "Everyone's efforts are needed as the survival of the social and economic fabric of our country is at stake." Italians have also started a worldwide trend of singing from their balcony to cheer people up.