Rome – Italian plastics, polyurethane and rubber machinery makers are exempt from Italy's coronavirus lockdown due tonight.
The news broke last night at 16:57 Eastern Time (21:47 CET) when Plastics News, a sister paper of UTECH-polyurethane.com and Urethanes Technology International received a note from Amaplast making it clear that PU machinery makers are exempt. Amaplast is the trade association representing the manufacturing sector.
That dramatic development came after an Italian presidential decree on 22 March. This forced all unnecessary economic activity to stop in the country. Companies operating factories had until end of business on 24 March to comply unless they were exempted. They were to close on 25 March and remain closed until Friday 4 April.
The Amaplast statement reads: 'Factories will have to comply with the Protocol (signed on 24 March, both by Government and Social parties), list all the measures that hinder and limit the spread of the infection inside and outside worksite and keeping the safety and health of people involved in the production cycle as a priority. '
To take advantage of the dispensation companies must show that they are 'limiting production only to those units which activity is really essential as a consequence, work shifts will also have to be rescheduled, based on real necessities,' said the association.
It added that there are some delays to the supply of materials and components, but this is not affecting production. Deliveries of machinery continue.
