More than one and a half million people have logged on to youtube to watch opera singer Andrea Bocelli sing live in the empty Duomo di Milano cathedral in northern Italy’s Lombardy region as the world marked Easter Sunday.
Many parts of the world – including South Africa are on lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Lombardy region has been ravaged by the virus.
Italy has suffered more than 19 000 coronavirus deaths – second only to the US that has recorded well over 21 000 deaths.
Bocelli was accompanied by the organist in the empty cathedral. He sang a number of pieces including “Amazing Grace”.
The concert is organised at the invitation of the mayor of Milan and the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, the body that looks after the development and conservation of the cathedral.
Bocelli, whose personal foundation helps people struggling with poverty and illiteracy, said that, like everyone else, he was worried and uncertain about the future in a world turned on its head by the coronavirus.
In a country like Italy, which already faced many economic difficulties before the major outbreak of the coronavirus in February, problems such as large scale unemployment were likely to get worse with business at a standstill.
Italy may relax some coronavirus measures by end of April: Conte
Italy may start gradually lifting some restrictions in place to contain the new coronavirus by the end of April, provided the spread of the disease continues to slow, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told the BBC on Thursday.
“We need to pick sectors that can restart their activity. If scientists confirm it, we might begin to relax some measures already by the end of this month,” Conte told the British broadcaster.
Conte warned, however, that Italy could not lower its guard and restrictions would only be eased gradually.
There were 542 deaths from COVID-19 in Italy on Wednesday, lower than the 604 the day before, taking the total death toll to 17 669. There were 3 693 people in intensive care, down from 3 792 on Tuesday – the fifth daily decline in a row.
The decline has raised hopes the virus is on the retreat thanks to a nationwide lockdown, though the number of new cases rose 3 836, compared with 3 039 on Tuesday, to reach 139 422, the third highest globally behind the United States and Spain.
