Contagion toll soars in Italy, US deploys national guard
Rome vows to spend up to 25 billion euros as deaths in country hit 631
Rome, March 11: Italians braced for a second day of national lockdown on Wednesday after a sharp spike in Covid-19-related deaths, as New York deployed the National Guard to contain a disease that has sown worldwide panic.
Europe’s hardest-hit country said the death toll from the Covid-19 virus had risen Tuesday by a third to 631, with the surging epidemic playing havoc with global sporting, cultural and political events.
While authorities in China, where the outbreak began, have declared it “basically curbed”, cases are multiplying around the world, sparking panic buying in shops, and wild swings on financial markets.
National Guard in NY And amid criticism of the US authorities’ response, New York deployed the National Guard for the first time during the crisis to help contain the spread of the disease from an infection-hit suburb. “It is a dramatic action, but it is the largest cluster in the country. This is literally a matter of life and death,” said state governor Andrew Cuomo.
Residents also expressed fear. “People are scared, it’s an unusual situation to be in,” Miles Goldberg, who runs a New Rochelle bar, told AFP. “It makes people nervous to be around others, it makes people nervous to get inside into businesses and such,” he said. At least 28 people have died in the US with 1,025 infected, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins
University — nearly double the 550 total confirmed cases the day before.
Italian PM on travelling In an unprecedented move, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has told the 60 million residents of his country they should travel only for the most urgent work or health reasons. And while squares in Milan and Rome were emptied of their usual bustle and traffic, some residents appeared uncertain
if they could leave their homes for everyday tasks like shopping. "I don't know if we can actually get out of Milan. Nobody really seems to know what's going on," said Texan Nick Manage, looking lost as he wandered around the northern city's central train station.
Italy’s rescue plan Italy on Wednesday vowed to spend up to 25 billion euros ($28.3 billion) to fight a new Covid-19 epidemic
that has killed 631 people and put hospitals and the economy under severe strain. Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri said “half of these resources” would be used immediately and the other half stowed away and tapped should the health crisis spiral out of control.
The new plan must still be approved by the leaders of European Union under the bloc’s strict budget deficit rules for its 27 member states. Officials in Brussels
had been ready to let Italy spend more than it was technically allowed when its request stood at 7.5 billion euros last week. Part of the money is supposed to help restaurants and hotels now suffering the brunt of an implosion in the number of tourists who visit Italy’s art-filled churches and achingly beautiful hills. “We are preparing rules to protect companies, workers and families,” Labour Minister Nunzia Catalfo said.