ROME - Italy recorded a jump in deaths
from coronavirus of almost 800 on Saturday, taking the toll in
the world's hardest-hit country to almost 5,000.
In its latest desperate effort to halt the epidemic Rome
ordered that all businesses must close until April 3, with the
exception of those essential to maintaining the country's supply
chain.
"It is the most difficult crisis in our post-war period,"
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a video posted on
Facebook, adding "only production activities deemed vital for
national production will be allowed".
Conte did not specify which factories and businesses will be
considered crucial to keep the country going. The government is
expected to publish an emergency decree on Sunday to make the
new crackdown immediately effective.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, postal and banking services will
remain open and essential public services including transport
will be ensured.
"We are slowing down the country's production engine but we
are not stopping it," Conte said.
Italy on Thursday overtook China as the country worst hit by
the highly contagious virus.
On Saturday fatalities jumped by 793 to 4,825 in the largest
one-day rise since the contagion emerged a month ago.
Reported infections rose to 53,578 from 47,021, the Civil
Protection Agency said. There were 2,857 people in intensive
care, up from 2,655.
Lombardy, the northern Italian region around Milan which is
the worst-affected by coronavirus, remains in a critical
situation, with 3,095 deaths and 25,515 cases.
"NO EU MEMBER CAN FACE THIS THREAT ALONE"
"What we all understand is that no member state can face
this threat alone. The virus has no borders and the European
Union is stronger when we show full solidarity," EU Commission
head Ursula von der Leyen told Italy's Corriere della Sera
newspaper.
Late on Friday the EU Commission moved to formalise a deal
reached by EU finance ministers on March 5 to suspend EU budget
rules that limit borrowing, giving Italy and other governments a
free hand to fight the disease.
Italy's failure to reduce its huge debt of 134% of gross
domestic product would normally have drawn a rebuke from the EU
executive, but von der Leyen said there were now other
priorities.
"The Italian government will be able to put as much money
into the economy as needed. Normal budget rules, debt rules for
example, will not be applied at this stage," she said.
Brussels is expected next week to unveil a plan for using
the euro zone's bailout fund, known as the European Stability
Mechanism (ESM), which could unlock unlimited sovereign bond
purchases by the European Central Bank.
"This work is ongoing," Commission Vice President Valdis
Dombrovskis said in an interview with Reuters.
The lockdown measures imposed in Italy and emulated by
several other countries in Europe are likely to trigger a
recession and heavy job losses.
Dombrovskis said the Commission is accelerating work on an
EU-wide scheme to help the unemployed, scheduled for
presentation in the fourth quarter.