Italy 2nd to China in Number of Virus Cases

Italy's total number known number of COVID-19 cases crept past that of South Korea, becoming the country with the second-highest number of infections Sunday after China.

According to the Civil Protection agency, the total number of infections leaped 25% soaring up the number to 7,375 which is 62 more than South Korea.

The number of death shot up by 133 in a day to 366.

The jump in figures comes as millions adapt to radical measures introduced on Sunday in an attempt to contain the outbreak.

Up to 16 million people in Lombardy and 14 provinces need special permission to travel under new quarantine rules.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also announced the closure of schools, gyms, museums, nightclubs and other venues across the whole country.

The restrictions will last until 3 April.

Early in the outbreak, Italy was zealous in testing those living in hotbed areas, even if they had no symptoms or close contact with someone known to be infected. So far, Italian health personnel have performed some 50,000 tests.

Source: AP