Italy set to extend COVID state of emergency as cases tick up - official

FILE PHOTO: People wear face masks after the southern Italian region of Campania made it mandatory to wear protective face coverings outdoors 24 hours a day, as part of the efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, in Naples, Italy, September 25, 2020. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) - Italy is likely to extend a state of emergency to help keep the coronavirus crisis under control, a senior official said on Tuesday as the government looks to avoid the surge in new cases hitting other European countries.

The state of emergency, which is due to expire in mid-October, gives greater powers to both regional and central government, making it easier for officials to bypass the bureaucracy that smothers much decision-making in Italy.