According to the latest figures provided by the Italian Civil Protection Department, the total number of cases in the country has risen to 12,839, the highest anywhere in the world after China, where the virus emerged last December.
THE COUNTRY IS ON LOCKDOWN
On Wednesday, the Italian government warned citizens that new containment measures — including a stricter lockdown of shops, bars, and other commercial activities — will take at least a couple of weeks to slow down the spread of the virus.
Fears over the coronsvirus outbreak are also taking a toll Italy’s financial markets as its main index, FTSE MIB, closed almost 17% down on Thursday, its worst loss on record.
Italy’s stigma as the hotbed of the virus in Europe is also having a major impact on airport traffic.
Operational activities at the two airports in Rome — Fiumicino and Ciampino — were reduced on Thursday, following a high number of cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Despite Italy’s strict travel restrictions to contain the spread of the virus, flights in and out of main Italian airports have seen a steep decline and check-in areas have been almost deserted in recent days.