Italy has expanded a lockdown to the entire country as thousands are testing positive for coronavirus and hundreds have died.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced Monday that a lockdown already in place for the northern part of the country would be expanded to the entire nation, an “unprecedented” move meant to contain the growing outbreak better.
All travel in the country is now banned except in cases of emergency, and all sporting events have been canceled. Additionally, all public gatherings of any kind are now prohibited.
“There won’t be just a red zone,” Conte said in reference to areas of the country already in lockdown. “There will be Italy.”
The shutdown will extend school closures across the country of 60 million people until April 3. Italy announced 1,807 new cases on Monday, overtaking South Korea for the country with the most infections after China, where the flu-like virus originated. Conte also announced bans on young people gathering to drink at night.
“This nightlife … we can’t allow this anymore,” Conte said. All restaurants, bars, and cafes nationwide will have to close at dusk under the new lockdown.
Conte says that all travel in Italy is banned unless strictly necessary. All public gatherings throughout the country is now prohibited.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) March 9, 2020
Inmates at more than two dozen prisons across Italy rioted on Sunday after the country placed new restrictions on jail visits during its massive coronavirus outbreak. The country had more than 9,100 cases and at least 463 deaths as of Monday afternoon.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
