Italy’s government has imposed a nationwide lockdown after its number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose past 9,100 and its death toll jumped to 463 on Monday night. It has the most cases and deaths of any country outside China.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced sweeping orders, imposing severe travel limits, across the whole country of 60 million people.
He ordered people to stay home and seek permission for essential travel, as he imposed the extreme measures.
All sports gatherings across the country have been cancelled, and citizens have been urged to keep the common good at the top of mind and help control the spread of the coronavirus.
Globally more than 114,000 cases of infection have been reported, with over 4,000 deaths.
But the numbers tell only a slice of the story. Fear and anxiety have outpaced the immediate danger.
The speed at which the virus is moving has left public health officials rushing to catch up.
The NHS has unveiled a range of measures as part of its response to try to stop fake news being spread about coronavirus on the internet.
Searches for “coronavirus” on Google, Facebook and YouTube will now promote information from the National Health Service or the World Health Organisation.
The NHS said it had worked with Twitter to take down an account claiming to be a hospital and spreading false information, while it is also speaking out against homeopaths promoting false treatments online.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the actions meant the public could access accurate health information “which is more crucial than ever as we continue our response to coronavirus”.
