ROME: A quarter of Italy's population was in lockdown yesterday as the government announced a spike in deaths and took drastic steps to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus sweeping the globe, while Iran recorded another 49 deaths and the national airline suspended flights to Europe. Italy's COVID-19 death count rose 133 inside 24 hours to 366, more than any other country outside China.

The outbreak has now killed some 3,700 people and infected more than 105,000 in more than 100 countries and territories, with France notably announcing it has topped 1,000 cases with 19 deaths. Italy's measures, in place until April 3, bar people from entering or leaving vast areas of the north, according to a decree published online. Yesterday saw Rome forced to close its blockbuster exhibition marking 500 years since the death of Renaissance master Raphael at its Scuderie del Quirinale presidential palace.

Neighbors Austria and Switzerland said they were monitoring the situation closely with both announcing the suspension of some transport links - including direct flights from Vienna to Milan and Bologna from Monday, though Italy's borders with Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia remain open. Italy's quarantine zones are home to more than 15 million people and include the regions around Venice and financial capital Milan. Cinemas, theatres and museums will close nationwide.

'Bold, courageous'
The World Health Organization praised Italy for its "bold, courageous steps", according to a tweet by its boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. But Czech populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis urged Italy to ban its citizens from travelling abroad. The lockdown does allow for the return home of those who were in the affected areas but live elsewhere, including tourists. Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the virus victims in his first livestreamed prayer and message from the Vatican. "I join my brother bishops in encouraging the faithful to live this difficult moment with the strength of faith, the certainty of hope and the fervour of charity," he said.

Air and sea
Iran reported 49 new deaths earlier yesterday, its highest toll for a single 24-hour period, taking the number of fatalities there to 194, one of the highest tolls outside of China. The virus has spread to all of Iran's 31 provinces with 6,566 confirmed cases. Iran Air announced the suspension of all its flights to Europe until further notice, possibly in retaliation against Sweden's decision to block Iran flights from landing for fear of importing the disease.

Egypt reported a first confirmed death - also Africa's first - with the health ministry saying a German citizen had died in a tourist resort. In the US, the contagion has spread to 30 states, killing at least 19 people, with New York announcing a state of emergency. Passengers on the US cruise ship Grand Princess, on which 21 of the 3,533 on board tested positive for the disease, will remain confined to their cabins in waters off San Francisco until today, when the vessel has been allowed to dock in Oakland. Another cruise ship, the Costa Fortuna, was turned away by Malaysia and Thailand due to virus fears, an official said yesterday. The boat is carrying around 2,000 people, including dozens of Italians.

'Somber moment'
The World Health Organization described worldwide virus cases passing the 100,000-mark as a "somber moment" while a report from the UN Conference on Trade, Investment and Development (UNCTAD) warned that the virus spread could hit foreign direct investments worldwide by as much as 15 percent as international business reels. Also Sunday, Bulgaria reported its first case, following Colombia, Costa Rica, Malta and the Maldives earlier in the weekend.

In Russia, where 17 cases have been reported to date, authorities warned Moscow residents that anyone not respecting quarantine measures risked five years jail if such a violation resulted in a death, as well as an 80,000 ruble ($1,100) fine. The Moscow city hall on Friday had issued a decree requiring all citizens and non-citizens alike arriving there from China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, France, Germany and Spain to auto-isolate at home for 14 days.

In South Korea, infections have passed 7,000 - the highest in the world outside China. But in China itself, the number of new cases reported yesterday was the lowest in weeks, with nearly all 44 of them in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and epicenter of the outbreak. The government has hinted it may soon lift the quarantine imposed on Hubei, where some 56 million people have been effectively housebound since late January.

The only infections in China beyond Hubei were imported from abroad, including arrivals from Italy and Spain in Beijing. At least 10 people died yesterday, however, in the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in Quanzhou, in eastern China. The WHO said the efforts of China and other countries were "demonstrating that the spread of the virus can be slowed". Saudi Arabia said yesterday it was cordoning off eastern Qatif region, a stronghold of the kingdom's Shiite minority. Stock markets in the energy-dependent Gulf region plunged to multi-year lows Sunday after OPEC's failure to agree oil output cuts with its allies, especially Russia.

Sport struck
Top sports events have increasingly been affected and will be still more so after Germany's health minister called for events of more than 1,000 people to be cancelled with more than 850 virus cases announced in Europe's biggest economy. Italy in midweek had ordered Serie A football matches to be played behind closed doors but the country's sports minister called for the league to be immediately suspended. Greece yesterday decreed sports events will be held without fans from today.

The Asian Champions League was put on temporary hold yesterday, while Italy's sports minister called for an immediate suspension of the Serie A season. Organizers of Bahrain's Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled for March 22 said the race would go ahead without spectators. The Shanghai Grand Prix, slated for April 19, has already been postponed although the season-opening race in Australia on March 15 is set to go ahead as planned. - AFP