Four Italian regions are being put under red-zone lockdown, with severe limits imposed on the circumstances under which people can leave home, Premier Giuseppe Conte announced on Wednesday night, according to AP.

What he called “very stringent restrictions begin on Friday for Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle dAosta in the north, and for Calabria, which forms the southern toe of the Italian peninsula.

The lockdown is aimed at tamping down a surge in Covid-19 infections and preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed with cases. Lasting at least two weeks, it will involve some 16.5 million of Italy's 60 million residents and include the country's financial capital, Milan.

Barring very few exceptions, no one will be able to leave or enter the red zone regions. People there must stay home, except to go to work or shop for essentials. They can also exercise near their homes and while wearing masks.