Italy quarantines around 16 million people

Around 16 million people across a vast swathe of northern Italy woke yesterday to find themselves cut off from the rest of the country, after the government imposed a virtual lockdown to prevent the coronavirus spreading.

The number of fatalities nearly tripled, rising from 133 to 366 yesterday, according to the civil protection agency, with most deaths occurring in the hard-hit Lombardy region in Italy's wealthy north.

The country overtook South Korea and now has the most deaths of any country outside China, and the second-most coronavirus infections in the world, after the number of cases rose by a single-day record of 1,492 to 7,375.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed off on plans that strictly limit movement in and out of the north, including Venice and the financial capital Milan, for nearly a month.

"There will be no movement in or out of these areas, or within them, unless for proven, work-related reasons, emergencies or health reasons," Conte told a news conference in the middle of the night after hours of confusion over his plans.

It was not clear however how strictly the order would be enforced, or how authorities could prevent people from leaving.

The decree said that only people with a "serious" reason that cannot be postponed, such as urgent work or family issues, would be allowed in or out of the quarantine zones, which affect a quarter of Italy's population of 60 million.

But it does allow for the return home of those who were in the affected areas but live elsewhere, including tourists.

Flights appeared to be operating normally out of Milan and Venice airports, while it was business as usual at train stations.

Streets in Milan were largely deserted.

With more than 230 fatalities, Italy has recorded the most deaths from the COVID-19 disease of any country outside China, where the outbreak began in December.

The new rules came shortly after the news the number of people infected had jumped by over 1,200 in a 24-hour period.

GENUINE SACRIFICES

The World Health Organization yesterday saluted Italy's "genuine sacrifices" after the government put a quarter of the population under lockdown to try to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"They are making genuine sacrifices. @WHO stands in solidarity with Italy & is here to continue supporting you," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted.

Pope Francis expressed solidarity Sunday with the victims of the novel coronavirus in his first livestreamed prayer and message from the Vatican, reports AFP.

Two more people succumbed to the coronavirus in Washington state in US, officials said, bringing the nationwide toll to 19, while the number of confirmed cases in New York rose to 89. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York issued a declaration of emergency.

Bulgaria, Maldives, Paraguay, Moldova and Bangladesh yesterday reported their first cases as virus sweeps globe.

Five of a family in Kerala have tested positive for the coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in India to 39.

Iran's health ministry reported 49 new deaths, the highest toll within 24 hours since the start of the outbreak in the country.

"At least 194 of our compatriots who fell sick with the COVID-19 illness have passed away," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference.

Saudi Arabia said yesterday it has imposed a temporary lockdown on the eastern Qatif province, an oil-producing region and home to a large Shia Muslim population, to prevent the spread of coronavirus after 11 people there were infected.

LOWEST NEW INFECTIONS

South Korea -- which has the highest number of confirmed cases outside China with 7,313 -- added 272 new cases yesterday, far below daily increases of around 500 recently. Two more people died, bringing the death toll to 50, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least ten people were killed in the collapse of a hotel used as a quarantine facility in eastern China.

China yesterday reported its lowest number of infections since January, with nearly all the 44 new cases in the outbreak epicentre Wuhan. There were 27 new deaths from the virus, all in Wuhan and the lowest in more than a month, bringing the nationwide toll to 3,097, according to the National Health Commission.

The wife of South Africa's first novel coronavirus patient tested positive yesterday becoming the third confirmed case in the country, the health authority said.

North Korea has released more than 3,600 people quarantined over the new coronavirus, reports said.

SPORT STRUCK

Organisers of Bahrain's Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled for March 22 said the race would go ahead without spectators.

The Shanghai Grand Prix, slated for April 19, has already been postponed although the season-opening race in Australia on March 15 is set to go ahead as planned.

The Asian Champions League was put on temporary hold on yesterday, while Italy's sports m a called for an immediate suspension of the Serie A season.

Stock markets in the energy-dependent Gulf region plunged to multi-year lows yesterday after OPEC's failure to agree oil output cuts with its allies, especially Russia.