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One-Fourth of Italy's Population Under Virus Lockdown

Agence France-Presse

   ROME - More than 15 million people were placed under forced quarantine
   in northern Italy early Sunday as the government approved drastic
   measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus
   that is sweeping the globe.

   Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said via Twitter he had signed off on
   plans to strictly limit movement in and out of large areas including
   Venice and the financial capital Milan for nearly a month.

   "#Coronavirus, the new decree is finally approved," Conte wrote,
   confirming earlier reports of the lockdown in the newspaper Corriere
   Della Sera and other media.

   With more than 230 fatalities, Italy has recorded the most deaths from
   the COVID-19 disease of any country outside China, where the outbreak
   began in December.

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