Italy’s 148 deaths may stop all trips from UK

BRITAIN is urgently reviewing whether to advise against all travel to Italy amid the country’s coronavirus lockdown

Tens of thousands of Britons have already cancelled trips after the Mediterranean country found itself at the epicentre of Europe’s outbreak.

As the death toll in Italy surged by almost 40 per cent to 148 last night, Foreign Office ministers were looking at extending travel warnings across the entire country.

Currently people are only advised against trips to the quarantined ‘red zone’ covering 11 small towns in Veneto and Lombardy.

Official alerts not to travel can prove allimportant, opening up the possibility of travel insurance payouts.

Major airlines, including British Airways, Easyjet and Ryanair, have already cancelled flights to Italy’s worst-hit regions due to plummeting demand.

The Department of Health is also updating its advice, warning those who have been anywhere in Italy to self-isolate for 14 days if they return to Britain and feel unwell.

The advice previously only applied to those who returned from the north of the country, where most of the cases occurred.

It came as Italy yesterday signed off a £6.5billion rescue package amid fears the outbreak will trigger a recession. Authorities continued to extend lockdown measures yesterday, including restrictions on visiting relatives in nursing homes.

The vast majority of the 148 victims there so far have involved over-65s.

Italy yesterday announced 41 new deaths – the highest daily total so far – and 769 more recorded cases, another daily record.

In a war-like address, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told the country to ‘pull together’ in a social media video.

He said: ‘We are in the same boat, whoever has the helm has the duty to indicate the route, we must make an extra effort, we must do it together.’

The number of cases in Italy has almost hit 3,300, affecting almost all of its regions.

Rome has signed off drastic measures including banning public events and ordering people not to kiss and hug.

The government has also shut Italy’s 58,000 schools and universities for two weeks – a move described as ‘useless and harmful’ by a World Health Organisation adviser.

The outbreak has been hugely damaging to Italy’s tourism industry, which accounts for 13 per cent of national income, and experts believe losses could hit £6.4billion.

Italy’s bishops yesterday took the unprecedented decision to cancel all weekday masses in the worst affected areas.

The Rome marathon, due to be held later this month, has also been axed, with registrations valid until next year.