Italy to close all schools and colleges due to corona virus outbreak

Italy has confirmed that it will close all schools for 10 days from Thursday as it scrambles to contain the Coronavirus outbreak.

Officials said all schools and universities were closed until March 15.

A total of 107 people are now killed by the Italian coronavirus, the worst outbreak in Europe.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that the country’s medical services are likely to be flooded.

Most of the more than 3,000 cases are in the north, but others are confirmed in 19 of the 20 regions of Italy.

Globally, there are about 3200 deaths,more than 90,000 people are infected, the vast majority in China, the end of last year appeared the virus.

The World Health Organization has not so far declared a pandemic- an epidemic that is spreading around the world through local transmission-but on Wednesday the German minister of Health said the coronavirus had now reached its definition.

“The situation is changing very quickly… It is clear that we have not reached the peak of the epidemic, ” said Jens Spahn.

Confirmed cases have been reported in 81 countries, with Italy, Iran and South Korea emerging as hotspots outside China.

Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said she hoped students would be able to resume classes as soon as possible.

“My commitment is to ensure that the essential public service, albeit from a distance, is provided to all our students,” she said.

Local media said health experts and Italy’s health ministry had been in favour of closing schools. Health experts also want football matches to be played behind closed doors. Several games have already been postponed.

Italy’s death toll from the virus jumped by 28 to 107, the Civil Protection Agency said on Wednesday. Most of the deaths have been in the Lombardy region around Milan and in northern areas near Bologna and Venice.

Earlier measures including the quarantine of 11 towns near Milan with a combined population of 50,000 have failed to stop the spread of infections.

Italy is now also considering closing cinemas and theatres and banning public events, Reuters reported, quoting a draft government decree.

The decree also tells Italians to avoid hugging and shaking hands as much as possible.

Credit:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51743697