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Italy is shuttering all stores except for pharmacies and grocery stores as it expands its countrywide shutdown amid the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s prime minister said via Facebook Live on Wednesday.
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With one of the world’s oldest populations, Italy is the second-hardest-hit country by the virus, with nearly 12,500 cases and more than 800 deaths.
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Italy is shuttering all stores except for pharmacies and grocery stores as it expands its countrywide shutdown amid the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s prime minister said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the news via Facebook Live and thanked the public for their cooperation with the unprecedented lockdown of the entire country in a bid to contain the rapidly spreading virus.
Conte announced the nationwide shutdown Monday night after a dramatic uptick in coronavirus cases and deaths in the country. All of the country’s 60 million residents were told to remain indoors and limit social contact.
“I am going to sign a decree that can be summarized as follows: I stay at home,” Conte told the country on Monday. “The whole of Italy will become a protected zone.”
With one of the world’s oldest populations, Italian nationals face a higher risk from the disease, as the coronavirus appears to be more fatal in elderly people with underlying health conditions.
As of Wednesday, the novel coronavirus has infected over 122,000 people, and the death toll has surpassed 4,500. Thus far, Italy has been the hardest-hit country outside China, with nearly 12,500 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and more than 800 deaths.
This story is breaking. We will update as more information becomes available.
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