How Europe is going into lockdown as coronavirus continues to spread

ITALY:

Italy has recorded its highest day-to-day-rise in the number of deaths of persons infected with Covid-19.

Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli announced yesterday there were 627 new deaths. The number of new cases also shot staggeringly higher to 5,986 cases.

That brings the official total of new deaths overall to 4,032 and of cases to 47,021.

Authorities said most of the dead had existing health problems before they were sickened with the coronavirus.

French authorities are imposing a growing crackdown on people who do not respect confinement measures aimed at fighting the spread of the coronavirus.

On the French Riviera, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, who has himself

FRANCE:

been infected with the Covid-19 disease, announced yesterday a local curfew at 8pm. (7pm GMT).

Paris police imposed a ban for the weekend on the Seine River banks, the Invalides Plaza and the Champ-demars near the Eiffel Tower. City parks are already closed.

There are still 80,000 tourists on Spain’s Canary Islands, six days before the closing of all hotels in the

SPAIN:

country as part of a lockdown against the coronavirus.

Authorities said yesterday they expect 30,000 tourists to leave that day.

The Canary Island government is posting social media messages in eight different languages to strongly encourage the remaining tourists to contact their national embassies to help them get home.

CZECH REPUBLIC:

Czech officials have urged citizens to spend the weekend at their secondary houses and cottages, a popular local pastime.

The government banned travelling across the country unless it is for going to work or the travel is linked to doing a particular job. People are only allowed to shop, visit doctors and hospitals and family members and close relatives.

GREECE:

Restrictions on the number of people in supermarkets have been tightened to one person per 15 square metres instead of per 10 square metres.

All visits to prisons are banned.

VATICAN CITY:

Pope Francis says feet-washing ceremonies will be omitted from Holy Thursday services, which falls three days before Easter.