Italy readies draconian new measures to try to contain coronavirus

Italy prepared new emergency measures on Wednesday to try to slow the spread of coronavirus in Europe’s worst hit country, including the possible closure of all schools, universities, cinemas, theaters and most public events.

Seventy-nine people had died of the new coronavirus in Italy as of Tuesday, with more than 2,500 confirmed cases since the outbreak surfaced 13 days ago.

A draft decree seen by Reuters spelled out the draconian steps, ordering “the suspension of events of any nature... that entail the concentration of people and do not allow for a safety distance of at least one meter (yard) to be respected.”

The decree orders the closure of cinemas and theaters, and tells Italians not to shake hands or hug each other.

A government source said schools and universities will also be closed nationwide from Thursday, though this was not in the decree seen by Reuters, and the education minister said the decision had not yet been finalised.

The measures are expected to be formally announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte after a meeting with regional governors later on Wednesday.

Only schools and universities in the northern regions most heavily affected by the epidemic have been closed so far. The extension of the shutdown will last at least until mid-March, the government source said.

In another sign of alarm, the sports minister said the government was likely to order all top flight Serie A soccer matches be played behind closed doors until the outbreak eases.

So far, games have been canceled in the northern regions but gone ahead over the rest of the country.

The virus outbreak remains centered on the wealthy and populous region of Lombardy around Milan and the neighboring regions of Veneto and Emilia Romagna, but cases are spreading around the whole of the Italian peninsula and Sicily.