After the coronavirus infections in Italy rose 50% Sunday, the U.S. government has issued its strongest travel warning yet, advising Americans against any travel to two regions in northern Italy that have been hard hit by the virus. Authorities said the total number of people infected in Italy had risen to 1,694, a 50% jump from just 24 hours earlier. Five more people infected with the virus have died, bringing the deaths in Italy to 34.
Italian health authorities said the increases were expected. Giovanni Rezza, director of the infective illness department at the National Health Institute in Italy said it would be another week or 10 days until the spread of the virus slowed down in the country. The U.S. government urged Americans not to travel to the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, raising the warning to the highest level. It is one step shy of the U.S. travel advisory for China, which urged Americans to leave the country. Delta and American Airlines have both suspended flights to Italy’s financial capital of Milan.
Editorial credit: Pani Garmyder / Shutterstock.com