The novel coronavirus has topped 1,00,000 cases across the globe and affected more than 100 countries, with China as its epicentre.
In a rather drastic attempt to slow the spread of the virus, Italy has taken an extraordinary measure. The country has imposed a lockdown on about a quarter of its population and restricting public activities throughout the country.
The quarantine includes the cities of Milan and Venice, as well as the entire northern region of Lombardy, Italy's financial heart. It affects more than 16 million people in coronavirus hotbed areas and is scheduled to remain in effect until at least April 3, according to a report by NPR.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the move after confirmed cases in Italy spiked over the weekend. By Sunday, more than 7,300 people had been sickened and 366 had died — an uptick of 133 dead from the day before.
"There will be a ban for everybody to move in and out of these territories and also within the same territory," Conte said. "Exceptions will be allowed only for proven professional needs, exceptional cases and health issues."
Weddings and museums, movie theaters and shopping malls are all affected by the new restrictions, which focus on a swath of northern Italy but are disrupting daily life around the country. Confusion reigned after the quarantine was announced, with residents and tourists from Venice to Milan trying to figure out how and when the new measures would take effect. Travelers crammed aboard standing-room-only trains, tucking their faces into scarves and sharing sanitizing gel.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia imposed a temporary lockdown on the eastern Qatif province, an oil-producing region and home to a large Shi'ite Muslim population, to prevent the spread of coronavirus after 11 people were said to be infected, reported US News.
All the individuals who had been diagnosed with the disease in the kingdom have either been to Iran or interacted with people who visited the country.
The Saudi interior ministry said in a statement that no one would be allowed to enter or exit Qatif and that work at all public and private sectors in the province had been suspended with the exception of institutions providing necessary services.
Qatar has temporarily suspended entry of travellers from 14 countries, including India, South Korea, Egypt and Iran, as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus disease, officially known as COVID-19.
An advisory by Qatar's government communications office uploaded on its website states: "In addition to Qatar Airways announcement regarding flights to and from Italy, entry to the State of Qatar is temporarily suspended for all those intending to travel from certain countries, as of March 9, 2020."
"The decision comes as a preventive measure due to the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide," the statement read.
Around the globe, more and more events were canceled or hidden behind closed doors, from the pope's Sunday service to a Formula One car race in Bahrain to a sumo competition in Japan, where wrestlers arrived at the arena in face masks and were required to use hand sanitizer before entering.?
In Saudi Arabia, all schools and universities were to close starting Monday, following similar moves in central China, Japan and other Gulf countries. Questions grew about whether to maintain U.S. presidential campaign rallies and other potential ``super-spreading'' gatherings of people, as the virus entered new US states.
Tourists in the region, including those from abroad, were free to head home, the Italian transport ministry said, noting that airports and train stations remained open.
The pope, who has been ill, held his Sunday blessing by video instead of in person, even though he was not directly affected by the lockdown. He described feeling like he was "in a cage."
Back in January, China? locked down about 60 million people in central Hubei province in late January. Six weeks later, they are still effectively stuck.
The World Health Organization has said China's move helped the rest of the world prepare for the virus to arrive.
China has suffered about three-fourths of the world's 110,000 coronavirus infections and most of its 3,800 deaths.