Most machinery manufacturers in Italy are still in operation, according to plastics machinery industry association Amaplast (Milan / Italy; www.amaplast.org). A spokesperson told Plasteurope.com that prime minister Giuseppe Conte’s announcement on business closures to curb the spread of the coronavirus does not include manufacturers, as of 12 March 2020. The measure only impacts shops, restaurants and other non-essential activities.

Amaplast member companies are complying with the restrictions in order to ensure the health of employees and all those involved in the manufacturing processes and, where possible, offer “smart working” such as for administration and commercial operations.

Companies are also having to deal with a slowdown in the supply chain, with certain difficulties and delays in supply and delivery of raw materials and components, among other things. For some businesses, there is the concern that if such bottlenecks become worse, they could have to eventually shut down.

Headquartered in the Lombardy region that has been hit hard by the coronavirus, polyamide producer and compounder Radici (Bergamo / Italy; www.radicigroup.com) announced on 9 March that its employees were working in a responsible manner, which allowed the group’s production sites to continue operations while safely adopting “all the precautions established by the competent authorities.”

At that time, the government’s measures allowed for the unrestricted movement of goods entering and leaving Italy, said Radici. The company noted that it could ensure regular delivery of orders according to agreements, and it was confident that the situation would return to normal “soon.”

Europe's most severely affected country with more than 21,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, Italy has witnessed the death toll surpassing 3,400 people.