Panic rises and flights cancelled as Italian death toll climbs to 15
With tourism tanking and panic rising, Italy tried to control the coronavirus in the realm of public perception yesterday as its outbreak grew to 650 cases and other countries took measures to limit travel to and from affected Italian regions.
Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and health minister Roberto Speranza appeared before foreign journalists in Rome to blame overblown media coverage for travel advice warning visitors to stay away, event cancellations and special border screenings for people coming from hard-hit northern Italy.
While the ministers sought to put Italy’s explosive experience with the virus into perspective, the national caseload kept climbing. Civil protection chief Angelo Borrelli reported a new total of 650, up from 400 on Wednesday evening and three a week ago, before clusters of infections emerged in the Lombardy and Veneto regions.
Three more people with the virus died in 24 hours, taking Italy’s toll to 15, Mr Borrelli said. Officials have said all of the patients were elderly, sick with other ailments or both.
As more countries reported new cases that could be linked to Italy, several adopted measures intended to keep people who might be infected out.
Israel is now denying entry to all non-israelis who visited Italy in the last two weeks and Israeli airline El Al suspended all flights to and from Italy until 14 March.
Public health officials have said Italy contributed to fears of an epidemic in Europe with its zealousness in testing for the virus and quickly reporting the number that came back positive from local regions.
Saudi Arabia meanwhile closed off the holiest sites in Islam to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus. The decision disrupted travel for thousands of Muslims already headed to the kingdom and potentially affected plans later this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan and the annual hajj pilgrimage.
The unprecedented decision, which was not taken even during the 1918 flu epidemic that killed tens of millions worldwide, showed the growing worry about the virus across the Middle East, which has more than 360 confirmed cases.
Inmexico,acruiseshipheading to the Dominican Republic to disembark hundreds of passengers after a 14-day tour was turned back because officials feared eight of those aboard showed potential symptoms of the Covid-19 virus.
Two British citizens were among those under medical observation.