Italian officials have quarantined a quarter of their population, 16 million people, in an attempt to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from getting worse.
Italy is struggling to contain the virus, major cities Milan and Venice have been hugely affected. Those living in Lombardy and 14 other central and northern provinces need special permission to travel and leave these areas.
This week, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that schools, universities, gyms, museums and other venues that attract crowds will be closed across the entire country. According to the BBC, these measures will be in place until 3 April. Schools and universities will be closed for 10 days.
Italy is currently the country in Europe with the largest number of reported cases and deaths. On Saturday 7 March, 5,883 confirmed cases had been reported. The death toll in Italy has exceeded 230, with 36 deaths reported in 24 hours.
Prime Minister Conte said to the BBC: ‘We want to guarantee the health of our citizens. We understand that these measures will impose sacrifices, sometimes small and sometimes very big. But this is a time where we must take responsibility for ourselves.’
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