Rome, Jun 20 (IANS): Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza has signed a new ordinance, extending the white or lowest-risk pandemic zone to most of the country from monday onwards.

"The new ordinance will become effective on Monday," the Minister said on Saturday.

The regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Marche, Sicily, Tuscany and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano will join Abruzzo, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Piedmont, the Autonomous Province of Trento, Puglia, Sardinia, Umbria and Veneto in the white zone, where most anti-virus restrictions are lifted, reports Xinhua news agency.

The only remaining anti-virus regulations in the white zone are social distancing and the obligation to wear a mask both indoors and outdoors.

The northern region of Valle d'Aosta will remain in the yellow or low-risk zone, with some restrictions still in place, including a midnight to 5 a.m. curfew for people who have not been fully vaccinated.

In a bid to contain the second wave of the pandemic, Italy has been using a colour-coded system in different regions in the country since late last year -- white for almost zero risk, yellow for low risk, orange for medium risk, and red for high risk -- with varying restrictions according to the level of virus transmission.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Health reported 1,197 new coronavirus infections, 4,087 recoveries and 28 deaths.

Italy's caseload and death now stood at 4,252,095 and 127,253, respectively.

So far, over 45 million doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in Italy, of which more than 15 million people have been fully immunised.