Italy mulls further crackdown with no virus peak in sight

Published March 20, 2020
A vehicle of the Italian police sanitizes a street amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Milan, Italy March 20, 2020. REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
A vehicle of the Italian police sanitizes a street amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Milan, Italy March 20, 2020. REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Italy's government said Friday it is considering even further restrictions on its already locked-down population as the country reels under the continued spread of the coronavirus, AFP reports.

The country now has the most coronavirus fatalities in the world, after it surpassed China on Thursday with a rise of 427 deaths to an overall toll of 3,405.

“In the next 24 to 48 hours, new restrictions are possible,” Italy's minister of regional affairs Francesco Boccia said Friday, citing the possibility of banning open-air activities.

A vehicle of the Italian police sanitises a street amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease  in Milan, Italy, on March 20, 2020. — Reuters
A vehicle of the Italian police sanitises a street amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease in Milan, Italy, on March 20, 2020. — Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....
Battling hate
Updated 15 Mar, 2026

Battling hate

In the current scenario, geopolitical conflict, racial prejudice and religious bigotry all contribute to the threats Muslims face.
TB drugs shortage
15 Mar, 2026

TB drugs shortage

‘CRIMINAL negligence’ is the phrase that jumps to mind when one considers the disturbing consequences of the...
Chinese diplomacy
Updated 14 Mar, 2026

Chinese diplomacy

THERE are signs that China is taking a more active role in trying to resolve the issue of cross-border terrorism...