‘Darkest hour’ as no-travel order is extended to 60m citizens

Italian prime minister warns of situation’s severity as cases surge by 2,000 and death toll hits 463

ITALY’S draconian quarantine was last night extended across the entire country as cases surged by almost 2,000 in 24 hours.

Giuseppe Conte, the prime minister, announced restrictions on the movement of all 60 million citizens after earlier declaring the country was facing its “darkest hour” as the death toll jumped to 463.

Only people who have a certifiable work or health emergency will be able to travel while all sport, public gatherings, cinemas, weddings and funerals are banned until at least April 3.

The prime minister said: “The numbers tell us that we are seeing a significant rise in the number of infections and of people in intensive care. Our habits therefore have to change. And they need to change now.

“I’m signing a decree that can be summed up as ‘I’m staying at home’. There will no longer be a red zone in the country. The whole of Italy is a protected zone.”

Mr Conte said that from today, people will only be allowed to travel for emergencies.

The Italian government was fiercely criticised for botching the announcement of its initial quarantine measures over the weekend, with thousands fleeing from the so-called “red zone” after news of the measures was leaked.

Yesterday, police set up roadblocks and authorities forced citizens trying to leave to sign forms declaring the cause of their exit.

Roberto Speranza, the Italian health minister, said anyone caught flouting the rules would be treated with “an iron fist… The virus is no joke. This is a serious issue which is putting our health system to the test.”

Those who defied the restrictions at the weekend to flee the north were yesterday accused of jeopardising the nation. “It is a huge act of irresponsibility and egotism,” said Francesco Emilio Borrelli, a regional politician from Campania, which includes Naples. “It is neither acceptable nor justifiable. Lombardy was closed because it is the area with the biggest number of cases, not because we are playing Monopoly.”

Inside the quarantine zone, cinemas, theatres and museums have been ordered to close and in shops and restaurants, customers are supposed to remain at least a yard apart.

Adding to a growing sense of panic, riots broke out in more than 20 prisons around the country, with inmates protesting against new rules that restrict family visits in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

Six prisoners were left dead after a riot in a jail in Modena after reportedly overdosing on drugs while ransacking the prison’s infirmary. Inmates took to the roofs of jails in Naples and Milan.

The lockdown came as Israel announced that anyone entering the country from abroad would be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.

“This is a difficult decision. But it is essential for safeguarding public health, and public health comes first,” said Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, adding that the measure would last at least a fortnight as the number of cases rose to 42 yesterday.

In Spain, the government said it would close all public schools in the Madrid region for two weeks from tomorrow.

In Germany, where more than 1,100 cases have been confirmed, the health minister appealed to people to travel as little as possible and to work from home if they could.

Jens Spahn advised people to avoid public transport and to “go by bike or foot,” where possible. He said the restrictions people would face “will last for months rather than weeks”.

Slovakia announced that it was banning all cultural, sporting and other public events for two weeks to try to halt the spread of the virus, while Cyprus reported its first two cases.

Florida, the US state with the highest proportion of elderly residents, also said all citizens returning from Italy, China, Iran or South Korea must selfisolate for two weeks.