The interior ministry has sent a circular letter to the nation's prefects telling them to implement "effective services" to make sure the restrictions the government has imposed over the Christmas period to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are being respected.
Italy will be a 'red zone' for all but four days over the Christmas holidays, meaning that people need to have a good reason to be out of the home.
A maximum of two adults and their children under-14 are allowed to visit another person's home.
A ban on moving between regions, except for work or health reasons or other situations of necessity, came into force on Monday and runs until the January 6 Epiphany national holiday.
The circular letter tells the prefects to organize checkpoints on highways and in urban areas to stop breaches of the rules and avert gatherings of groups of people and situations in which physical distancing is not respected.
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