WORSE AND WORSE

Italy Confirms Two Cases of Coronavirus

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also reportedly said all flights to China would be suspended.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte confirmed two cases of coronavirus in the country on Thursday, CNN reports. In a press conference, Conte said the two individuals were Chinese tourists who landed in Rome a couple of days ago. “We have already prepared all the precautionary measures to isolate these two cases,” he said. “There is no reason to create social alarm or panic.” Conte also reportedly announced that all flights to China had been suspended, and said he would convene the Council of Ministers on Friday to consider “further measures.” Professor Giuseppe Ippolito, the director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases Spallanzani in Rome, said the patients were placed in isolation as soon as they displayed symptoms of the virus, and added that they were in “good condition.” The country's health minister, Roberto Speranza, said they would attempt to re-trace the tourists' steps in Italy. “The situation is serious, but absolutely under control,” he said. There are now over 8,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide, the majority of them being in mainland China, and 171 deaths.