24 February 2020, Rome
Italy has reported its fourth death from the new coronavirus, an 84-year old man in the northern Lombardy region, as the number of people contracting the virus continued to mount.
It was the third death in Lombardy, where villages have been put on lockdown and security measures enforced in a bid to stem the spread of the disease, the region’s health department said.
More than 130 cases have been reported in the north of Italy since Friday, RTE reported.
European Union health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said possible travel restrictions in the Schengen border-free area should be proportionate and co-ordinated among EU states.
“For the moment WHO has not advised imposing restrictions on either travel or trade,” Ms Kyriakides told reporters, adding that a mission of the World Health Organization will go to Italy tomorrow to assess the situation.
