Phase 2 could begin on 4 May but Italy's schools may not reopen until autumn. The second phase in Italy's Coronavirus emergency could last between "six and eight months", an Italian health expert warned on 8 April, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The government is currently in talks with its panel of medical experts as it draws up Phase Two of the nationwide lockdown - termed as "living with the virus" - which is expected to see a gradual loosening of stringent restrictions in relation to production, particularly regarding strategic supply chains involving food, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.