On Sunday, the Italian government announced a quarantine designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It would apply to the northern part of the country, including Milan and Venice. Soon, however, it became clear that this might not suffice. Following an uproar from professional athletes, who threatened to strike, all sporting events in the country were canceled until April 3.
And now, the next step has been taken: the quarantine which had previously applied only to northern Italy has been extended to the entire country. The BBC reports that the new measures will take effect on Tuesday, and will allow travel only in the cases of work and familial emergencies; in addition, all public gatherings are banned.
The number of coronavirus deaths in Italy reached 463 today; it’s the second-highest death toll, behind China.
A recent report from The New York Times puts the effects of the coronavirus in Italy in stark relief:
Italy has recorded more than 9,000 coronavirus infections and 463 deaths — well over half the toll for all of Europe — and the numbers continue to climb fast.
At a news conference, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said, “We all have to renounce something for the good of Italy.” He also said that the government would implement what the Times referred to as “more stringent rules” regarding the quarantine; details on what those would be have not yet been announced.
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