As per the latest government emergency decree, Italy is currently divided into three zones according to level of coronavirus risk. This means that each of the 20 Italian regions is classified as either red zone (higher risk), orange zone (medium risk), or yellow zone (moderate risk). 

The decision to put a certain region in one of the three areas is based on 21 criteria established by Italy’s Higher Health Institute (ISS). These criteria include the Rt number, meaning the number of people that a person with Covid-19 infects, the number of symptomatic cases, the number of patients admitted to hospital and intensive care, the percentage of intensive care beds occupied by Covid-19 patients, and the percentage of tests coming back positive for Covid-19.