Italy recorded 240 more positive cases of nCoV, bringing the total number of cases to 1,128, of which 29 died.

The head of the Italian Civil Defense Agency, Angelo Borrelli, said yesterday within 24 hours, the country recorded 240 more cases of nCoV and 8 deaths. The total number of nCoV infections in Italy is now 1,128, of which 29 have died and 50 have recovered, mainly in the regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. Lombardy region recorded the highest number of people infected with nCoV in Italy.

Italy is the largest outbreak of Covid-19 in Europe, and many cases in other countries involving people returning from the country. Health officials warned that hospitals in Italy had reached the threshold and would be in crisis if the number of nCoV infections continued to rise.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the Italian government last week banned mass gatherings across northern Italy and closed schools until at least March 8.

The government is also worried that the epidemic could affect Italy's fragile economy. One of the hardest hit industries is tourism, when many people have canceled plans to travel to Italy since the outbreak.

Italy's neighbors are also taking precautions to prevent the virus from spreading. France yesterday imposed a temporary ban on public gatherings of more than 5,000 people, while Switzerland on February 28 banned events that attracted more than 1,000 people. The United States also advises citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Italy.

The Covid-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China in December, and has now appeared in 64 countries and territories. The epidemic has infected more than 86,000 people, nearly 3,000 died worldwide.