A total of 16 million people in Italy are now restricted to their homes after its government decided to place the country’s northern part in lockdown on Sunday.
The drastic measures, according to a report by BBC, will last until April 3.
Those who are living in Lombardy and 14 other central and northern provinces, even Milan, will need special permission to travel.
The 14 provinces also affected by the lockdown are Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro and Urbino, Alessandria, Asti, Novara, Verbano Cusio Ossola, Vercelli, Padua, Treviso, and Venice.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said schools, gyms, pools, and ski resorts will be closed and all events in “public and private spaces” suspended.
It was only last week when the government announced the closure of all schools and universities across the country for 10 days.
Italy’s recorded death toll is now at 230. Officials reported more than 36 deaths in 24 hours.
As of Saturday, the number of confirmed cases has already reached 5,883.
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