Italian restaurants ready outdoor tables ahead of easing of COVID-19 curbs

An employee of Michelin-starred "Marco Martini" restaurant carries a chair as owners prepare outdoor dining in order to be ready for April 26 when restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will relax and people can dine outside, in Rome, Italy, April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

ROME (Reuters) - Restrictions on many businesses, including restaurants, bars and cinemas, will be relaxed in many Italian regions from Monday, as the government slowly rolls back coronavirus curbs in low-infection areas.

Fourteen of Italy's 20 regions, including Lazio, centred on Rome, and Lombardy centred on Milan, will become moderate-risk yellow zones from April 26, after weeks of being designated as higher risk orange and red zones, the health ministry said.