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.