Rise in cases of coronavirus
in Italy
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| Venice Carnival cancelled due to Coronavirus (ANSA) |
The number of cases of Coronavirus in Italy continued to
rise on Sunday after the government passed a series of emergency measures to
limit the spread of the outbreak. The governor of Italy’s northern Lombardy
region said certified cases of the illness in the area had risen to 89 from 54
a day earlier. This brings the total number of cases in Italy to more than 129,
making it the biggest outbreak of the Coronavirus within Europe.
By Suzy Hodges
In an emergency decree approved late on Saturday, the
Italian government adopted special powers to be able to stop people leaving or
entering the worst impacted zones. The measures were introduced just hours
after two people died from the Coronavirus in the north of the country.
Under the government’s decree, a dozen towns in the regions of
Lombardy and Veneto have been effectively quarantined. Around 50,000
people living in the towns are affected by this lockdown. The Prime Minister
Giuseppe Conte said it was now forbidden to enter or leave the outbreak areas,
unless special permission was granted. Police and the military, will have the
authority to ensure the lockdown is enforced.
All schools and sports activities have been suspended in the
affected areas and in Venice, celebrations of the city’s famous Carnival have
been halted.
The Italian authorities say they fear the new virus has
spread far beyond the original isolated cluster of cases in Lombardy and
Veneto, making it difficult to contain.
An official for the World Health Organization or WHO said it
was worrying that not all the cases of the virus in Italy have any clear link
with China or through contacts with other confirmed cases.
The new virus originated in the Chinese province of Hubei
last year but has since spread to around 26 countries.
The WHO says the greatest concern now is the potential
spread of the virus to countries with weaker health systems, particularly in
Africa.
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