Italians Flock Back to Coffee Bars as COVID-19 Restrictions Eased

Italians Flock Back to Coffee Bars as COVID-19 Restrictions Eased
People sit at a restaurant in Trastevere after the COVID-19 restrictions were eased in the Lazio region, Rome, Italy, on Feb. 1, 2021. Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

ROME—The familiar tinkling of ceramic cups and chatter returned to coffee bars across most of Italy on Monday, as rigid COVID-19 restrictions were eased.

After severe curbs over the Christmas and New Year period, two-thirds of Italy was declared a “yellow zone” allowing bars in those less risky areas to serve customers at counters and tables again instead of offering only take-away in plastic cups.