Italy’s government will need to impose new restrictions during the holiday season to rein in contagion and avoid a third, devastating wave of the coronavirus, the prime minister has said in an interview.

“Further, new restrictions are now needed [...] we must avert at all costs a third wave, because this would be devastating, also from the point of view of the loss of lives,” Giuseppe Conte told La Stampa.

Conte’s coalition government is considering more stringent nationwide rules for the Christmas and New Year holidays after crowds flocked to city centres over the weekend just after Rome had relaxed some restrictions put in place last month.