Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday issued a new decree extending curbs to keep lid on Covid-19 infections after the health ministry warned that the epidemic was getting worse, according to Reuters.

Recorded daily cases have settled at 15,000-20,000 compared with a peak of around 40,000 in mid-November, but pressure on hospitals remains high. Between 400 and 600 people die due to the virus each day and the government fears that number will grow.

“In the past week there has been a generalised worsening of the epidemic, we are back to an expansionary phase,” Health Minister Roberto Speranza told parliament on Wednesday.

The new decree extends until March 5 a nightly curfew between 10pm and 5am and confirms the zoning system designed in November to calibrate the curbs between Italy’s 20 regions according to infection levels.