Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte speaks during a press conference held at Rome's Chigi Palace, following the Ministers cabinet meeting dedicated to the corinavirus crisis, on March 4, 2020.
The restrictions will take effect on Tuesday and like those in northern Italy will last until April 3, he said. Skyrocketing infections that cemented Italy as a global virus hot spot and superficial compliance with earlier restrictions covering 11 towns led the government to extend its quarantine order to encompass the entire Lombardy region and 14 provinces in the Piemonte, Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions.
People circulating inside the city and also in the provinces beyond were subjected to spot checks to ensure they had valid reasons for being out. Violators risked up to three months jail or fines of $225 .Italy registered 1,807 more confirmed cases as of Monday evening, for a national total of 9,172. With the latest numbers, Italy again overtook South Korea as the country with the most cases outside China. The number of dead in Italy also increased by 97 to 463.
The regions affected by the decree are among the most productive in Italy. Industry leaders worry about a perception being created abroad that all business was shut down and commercial deliveries of exports can't be made.