Italy has imposed a strict quarantine across at least 10 towns as authorities in its wealthy northern regions battled to contain the largest outbreak of coronavirus outside of Asia.
Officials said on Sunday that a third Italian had died from the virus as the infection count rose to 152, up from just three identified cases on Friday morning, raising fears that coronavirus is spreading at pace through Europe.
The last days of the Venice Carnival and several Serie A football fixtures were cancelled. Authorities also closed schools and universities as they struggled to find the source of the outbreak. Large Italian companies, including the bank UniCredit, told employees in affected towns not to come to work.