Europe goes to war on coronavirus
The Italian government this evening ordered an effective shutdown of the country with a decree closing all shops, bars and restaurants save for grocery stores and pharmacists as it grapples with Europe’s largest coronavirus outbreak.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s dramatic announcement is the latest step in a gradual lockdown of the Mediterranean country.
On Sunday, 16m people in the northern region were barred from travelling; by Monday evening the quarantine zone had extended to the whole country.
Italy has recorded more than 12,000 Covid-19 cases and the death toll stood last night at 827 — a rise of more than a hundred from a day earlier.
Conte also announced a multi-billion-euro package of measures to mitigate the worst of the impact on the less-than-muscular Italian economy.
“This is a challenge that puts a strain on the national health system but also our economy,” said Conte.
“I made a deal with my conscience, and in first place it will always be the health of Italians,” he added.
Across Europe, governments stepped up their response to the virus:
•Denmark closed all schools and banned gatherings of more than 100 people after coronavirus cases in the country rose from 35 on Sunday to 514 last night;
•Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini declared a state of emergency in the country;
•French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation tonight and is expected to introduce tighter restrictions as the country’s total cases rose to 2,281; and:
•Spain announced the closure of most of Madrid’s cultural attractions as the city’s mayor warned of an expected large increase in cases over the coming weekend.
Ireland and Sweden announced their first coronavirus-related deaths.
In the Republic, rival parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail accelerated coalition talks to break a political stalemate after last month’s deadlocked election, with both sides acknowledging the need for a co-ordinated government response to the outbreak.
Main image: Getty