Italy was set Wednesday to urge people tostop greeting each other by kissing or shaking hands to limit the spread of thenew coronavirus. Other
measures to be approved by the government Wednesday, briefed in advance to themedia, including what promises to be an unpopular plan to play all footballmatches without fans.Italy has borne brunt in Europe of thenew virus now spreading across the world faster than it is in the centralChinese region where is was first detected late last year.
The Mediterranean country’s 79 deaths have made Italy the world’s third-mostaffected by number of fatalities after China and Iran.
It has more than 2,500 cases in all and the COVID-19 disease causedby the virus appears to be spreading faster and wider by the day.
Italy recorded 13 deaths over the weekend. Then 18 more deaths werereported on Monday, followed by 27 on Tuesday.
The overwhelming majority of the deaths have occurred in Milan’sLombardy region and the neighbouring northern area around the cities of Bolognaand Venice.
But 21 of the 22 regions have now had cases, with only the AostaValley on the French border so far unscathed.
The government met on Wednesday to plan new and more radical stepsaimed at the country’s overall population of 60 million — and not just thenorth where restrictions have been in place for over a week.
Some of the government’s more mundane and common-sense measuresinclude instructions to cough and sneeze in a handkerchief to avoid handscoming in contact with “respiratory secretions”.
Italians will also be urged to avoid sharing bottles and not todrink from the same cups and glasses.
The crowd-control measures will most directly affect footballmatches and could cause the most resentment in the sports-mad nation.
Italy’s Serie A has already been thrown into disarray by two weeksof postponements that have seen some clubs not play at all and others playmultiple matches in a week.
Fans will even be prohibited from attending training sessions thatare especially big draws from top teams such as AC Milan and CristianoRonaldo’s Juventus in Turin.
The government will also recommend to those over 75 to stay indoorsand to avoid public places. The advice extends to those who are at least 65 andsuffer from other ailments.
AFP