Coronavirus: Italy on lockdown, quarantines 16 million in Lombardy

Italian PM Giuseppe Conte has signed an emergency decree, virtually locking down the Lombardy region and 14 other provinces until April 3, to curb the spread of coronavirus that killed at least 233 lives across the country so far.
While the central government stopped short of enforcing a mandatory quarantine and introducing a complete travel ban, calling it a “reduced mobility” regime, it virtually banned citizens from entering or leaving the “red zones” unless for an emergency or “essential work reason.”
The quarantine measures – most drastic outside of mainland China so far – affect some 16 million people across Lombardy region, including its capital Milan, as well as 14 other provinces in the Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, local media report.
In addition to schools and universities, all museums, gyms, cultural centres, ski resorts and swimming pools will be shut in the affected areas, until at least April 3. Anyone with a fever of than 37.5 degrees Celsius or showing any signs of respiratory infections, regardless whether they are confirmed coronavirus positive or not, are “strongly recommended” to self-isolate at home.
Bars and restaurants, however, are allowed to stay open between 6 am and 6 pm, as long as they “guarantee at least a meter of distance between customers,” Conte said.
The draft of the bill, leaked earlier on Saturday, triggered heated debates and pushback from regional authorities. Conte eventually signed the bill late after midnight, saying that while he “very much appreciated” and was ready to address the opposition’s concerns on Monday or Tuesday, Italy could not lose another day in the battle against the deadly disease.
With 233 people officially confirmed dead and over 5,800 infected by Sunday morning, Italy is currently the third hardest-hit nation after South Korea and China – the original source of the novel coronavirus outbreak.