The Italian government imposed a ban to and from Lombardy and 11 provinces across the country to control Covid-19 from today.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte today approved a blockade, banning people from entering or leaving Lombardy, Italy's most populous and wealthiest region, as well as 11 provinces in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Piedmont and Marche. except in emergencies.

This decision will affect about 16 million people, accounting for a quarter of Italy's population.

All museums, gymnasiums, cultural centers, ski resorts and swimming pools will be closed. Medical staff vacations will be canceled, while weddings, funerals and sporting events will not be held. Schools in blocked areas will be closed until April 3, and educational institutions across Italy will also stop operating until March 15.

The blockade order was issued amid the new number of new nCoV infections in Italy. The country yesterday recorded 5,883 positive cases of nCoV, an increase of 1,247 cases compared to the previous day. The number of deaths due to Covid-19 in Italy is the second highest in the world, behind only China, with 233 deaths.

The health agency said the average age of people who died from nCoV in Italy is 81, of which 28% are women and most have underlying diseases. Analysts say Covid-19 will push the Italian economy into a fourth recession in 12 years. Credit rating agency Moody's has lowered its growth forecast for Italy to -0.5% by 2020.

Location of Lombardy and Veneto regions in northern Italy. Graphics: BBC.

Covid-19, which originated in Wuhan in December 2019, has appeared in 102 countries and territories, causing more than 106,000 people to be infected with nCoV, nearly 3,600 died and 58,635 have recovered.