Italy has confirmed its first cases of the deadly coronavirus, shortly after the outbreak was declared a global health emergency. Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, revealed that two Chinese tourists have tested positive for the virus.
He has since ordered all air traffic to be blocked between Italy and China. “As far as we know we are the first country in the EU to adopt such a measure” Conte said.
It comes after more than 6,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members were stuck on an Italian cruise ship north of Rome on Thursday, after concern a Chinese woman, 54, fell ill. Tests showed the woman was not infected and all passengers were allowed to disembark.
Checks were being made to reconstruct the path of the two people to avoid further risks.
A view of the Palatino hotel where the two Chinese tourists who had tested positive for the coronavirus were staying, Rome, Italy, 30 January 2020. These are the first two cases registered in Italy. EPA-EFE/ANGELO CARCONI
The head of the national institute for infectious diseases said their condition was good.
Both Chinese tourists were in an isolation unit of Rome’s Spallanzani institute, a center specializing in infectious diseases and viruses.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared that the coronavirus epidemic in China now constitutes a global public health emergency.
“The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The concern is that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems.
Meanwhile, the US has told its citizens not to travel to China.
The State Department issued a level four warning – having previously urged Americans to “reconsider” travel to China – and said any citizens in China “should consider departing using commercial means”.
At least 213 people have died in China, with almost 10,000 cases of the virus.
The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths.
