Coronavirus: Death toll climbs to 233 in Italy

Rome, Mar 8 (GCCurrentAffairs) As Italy is all set to quarantine nearly 16 million people, the death toll due to the deadly coronavirus rose to 233 while the total number of infections shot up in a single-day record of 1,247 to hit 5,061.

According to National Civil Protection Agency, there are currently 2,742 positive cases in Lombardy, the worst-hit region of Italy.

In order to step up its efforts to tackle Europe’s largest outbreak of coronavirus, the country is poised to impose an unprecedented quarantine on its northern region of Lombardy and other badly affected areas.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the provinces affected were Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro and Urbino, Alessandria, Asti, Novara, Verbano Cusio Ossola, Vercelli, Padua, Treviso and Venice.