Thousands violate lockdown in Italy, coronavirus disaster grows

Thousands violate lockdown in Italy, coronavirus disaster grows
# 19 March 2020 19:53 (UTC +04:00)

In Italy, authorities reportedly fined more than 40,000 people for violating the coronavirus lockdown in seven days, APA reports citing Daily Sabah.

Italy went into virtual lockdown before other countries in Europe but, with cases still rising, the government considered even tougher measures that would further restrict the limited amount of outdoor movement currently permitted. Millions of Italians have been staying home since 9 March.

Italy's nationwide coronavirus lockdown is bound to be extended beyond the initial April 3 end date, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday. "We have avoided the collapse of the system, the restrictive measures are working," Conte told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. "(But) it's obvious that when we reach a peak and contagion begins to diminish ... hopefully, in a few days, things won't get back to normal right away," he said.

Italy is combating Europe's worst outbreak of the new coronavirus with registered 2,978 deaths on Wednesday. Italy has been averaging more than 350 deaths a day since March 15. U.N. and Italian health authorities have cited a variety of reasons for Italy’s high toll, key among them its large elderly population, who are particularly susceptible to developing serious complications from the virus. Italy has the world’s second-oldest population after Japan’s and the vast majority of Italy’s dead – 87% – were over age 70.

The news agency ANSA meanwhile published a picture of a column of army trucks moving through the northern city of Bergamo at night. They were carrying 60 coffins of victims to crematoria in other regions because the city's cemetery was full, it reported.

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