Italy is planning to engage 60,000 volunteers to educate citizens on how to respect the social distancing protocol in the country’s post-lockdown phase.
Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia, who made this known, regretted that citizens were not respecting COVID 19 safety protocols as many were having close contact in public places.
The Regional Affairs Minister confirmed that the volunteers would be called civic assistants.
He maintained they would be armed with the strength of persuasion, reason and their smiles.
Mr. Boccia said government had used the carrot-and-stick approach which worked well, although he warned that further easing of restrictions could be delayed if people misbehaved.
Italy had suffered a devastating outbreak of the coronavirus, as the pandemic peaked in late March, and after weeks of falling infection numbers, the country’s lockdown was suspended on May 18th.
Authorities are currently scheduled to end a ban on travel between regions from June 3.
On the same date, Italy is set to reopen its borders to tourists from other European Union countries.