More than 60 million people in Italy have been placed under lockdown after the government extended emergency measures across the entire country in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte announced that restrictions on travel and public gatherings initially imposed on northern regions on Sunday had been extended to cover all of Italy.
“I am going to sign a decree that can be summarised as follows: I stay at home,” he said. “The whole of Italy will become a protected zone.”
“It is our darkest hour, but we will make it” - Italian PM
This morning all of Italy wakes to the first day of lockdown.
The entire population - some 60 million - are told to stay at home as quarantine measures are extended across the whole country in an attempt to contain the covid-19 coronavirus.
The government said only those with a valid work or family reason that cannot be postponed will be allowed to travel.
Passengers departing on flights will have to justify themselves, as will all those who arrive by plane.
The measures which currently remain in place until the beginning of next month. But that could be pushed back if cases continue to soar - which they continue to do. There are 463 dead in Italy an increase of 97 in just 24 hours. The number of positive cases have increased by approximately 1,600 in a day.
The restrictions
- Travel has been restricted across all of Italy but exemptions will be given to those with valid reason
- Bars and restaurants can remain open from 06:00 to 18:00, but must put a distance of at least one metre between customers
- Shops also have to make sure customers remain at least a metre apart
- Cinemas, theatres, museums, nightclubs and galleries have been ordered to close
- All ski resorts will be closed until further notice
- All sporting events - including football matches - are suspended nationwide
- Schools and universities will remain closed
- All public gatherings will be forbidden, including weddings, funerals and baptisms
Coronavirus in Puglia
Currently there are 56 coronaviruses cases in Puglia with 6 new positives tests in the Bari area and 4 between the provinces of Brindisi and Foggia.
Puglia’s president Michele Emiliano announced that on 9 March 77 tests were carried out throughout the region.
Of these, 65 were negative and 12 positive.
The new cases are spread across Puglia: 6 in the province of Bari, 2 in Brindisi, 4 in Foggia.
So far in Puglia 3 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died. The latest is a 79-year-old man from Cagnano Varano in Foggia (all 3 deaths in Puglia have occurred in the Foggia province).
Peak coronavirus cases forecast in Puglia “in late March or early April”
In his latest video on his Facebook page Michele Emiliano, president of Puglia, announced that "the situation is very serious" and that according to current forecasts for Puglia "the peak could come in late March or early April".