To be in Italy right now would be nothing short of a real-life nightmare suited only for a horribly written movie found somewhere between FX and Lifetime. According to Italian officials (and the best translation we could get) — some 16m people have been ordered into quarantine by the PM and the government in a desperate bid to quell the spread of the coronavirus.
Chairs are empty at a cafe in Largo Argentina square amid growing concern about the spread of a new coronavirus in Rome Saturday, March 7, 2020. Italy is taking an almighty hit to its already weak economy from being the focal point of the coronavirus emergency in Europe. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)
Here’s what we know so far about the latest coronavirus related developments throughout the world:
- The northern regions of Italy including the provinces of Lombardy and most neighbouring places nearby are now under mandated quarantine. Officials confirmed that the quarantine will last until 3 April — which means nobody gets in or out. Chaos almost instantly ensued as people raced to remove themselves in whatever way they could.
- The CDC is now warning those with compromised immune systems and the elderly to avoid heavy travel, although the WH quickly forced a reported retraction of that advice (those reasons are not fully clear as to why.)
- In Italy alone, the number of confirmed cases rose 1,247 in the past 24 hours. The sheer spike in cases has triggered the lockdown. If you’re within the lockdown area — we’d love to hear from you. [email protected]
- Countries including Egypt; Malaysia, and at least one other are scrambling to stop cruise ships from docking inside their ports. Cruise ships have become a literal hot-bed for the coronavirus.
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